Programming Leftovers
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Reproducible data science with Nix
This is the first of a (hopefully) series of posts about Nix. Disclaimer: I’m a
super beginner with Nix. So this series of blog posts is more akin to notes that
I’m taking while learning than a super detailed tutorial. So if you’re a Nix
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Fallback
Fallback is a risk mitigation strategy for reducing the negative impact of failures in a cost-effective manner.
Where failover uses the same type of solution to achieve the same outcome, fallback uses a different type of solution to maintain the essential system functionality.
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What Sort of Programmer Am I Now?
Hopefully, at the end of this year of experimentation, I’ll be a bit closer to figuring out what I want to do professionally. Do I want to really focus on something new like Python or Go? Do I want to lean into Java more? Or possibly do I even try and stay working on as many technologies as I can?
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When Good Correlation is Not Enough: How outliers can trick the optimizer into the wrong plan
Choosing to use a block range index (BRIN) to query a field with high correlation is a no-brainer for the optimizer. The small size of the index and the field's correlation makes BRIN an ideal choice. However, a recent event taught us that correlation can be misleading. Under some easily reproducible circumstances, a BRIN index can result in significantly slower execution even when the indexed field has very high correlation.
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Rust for embedded
The advantages of the Rust programming language are generally well-known; memory safety is a feature that has attracted a lot of developer attention over the last few years. At the inaugural Embedded Open Source Summit (EOSS), which is an umbrella event for numerous embedded-related conferences, Martin Mosler presented on using Rust for an embedded project. In the talk, he showed how easy it is to get up and running with a Rust-based application on a RISC-V-based development board.
Mosler works for Zühlke Engineering in Switzerland; both he and his company see the potential of Rust for new development, particularly for embedded projects. That is why the company supports his community work on Rust, including holding Rust meet-ups and traveling to Prague to attend EOSS and give the talk. He is building up Rust knowledge within the company so that it is available for new projects as they arise.