Huffman Coding Explained: Build a File Compression Program in C
If you want a project that truly improves your programming skills, building a Huffman compression program in C is one of the best challenges you can take on. Huffman coding is a data compression algorithm that reduces file size by assigning shorter bit sequences to frequently used characters and longer sequences to rare characters. The…
4 Criteria for an Awesome Coding Project
If you ask the internet, “How do I learn to code?” you usually get the same advice. Just build something. So you build a calculator. Or a weather app. Or a to do list. But after you finish, you feel like this person who says, “I can’t understand and can’t do anything on my own.”…
How Senior Devs Organize Their C Projects
From Amateur to Pro: 3 Layers of Separation for Your Codebase Does your project directory look like a flat pile of files? You know the look: logic, headers, tests, and binaries all fighting for space in one folder. In a university project, this is fine. But in a professional environment, this is called Source Pollution.…
C tutorial: How to read file data into your program
One of the coolest things you can do through programming is to process data from a file. Once you know how to do this, you can get data from the internet or from other programs and write a program that processes that data for you. For example, in my programming guide, you will need to…
The FUNDAMENTAL way to debug your code
No one can write perfect code. There are always bugs! Especially as systems become more and more complex, the likelihood of bugs increases. There are also bugs and coding mistakes as we develop new features and functionality for our programs. This is all part of the process. When we can’t figure out why our code…
How I got BETTER at programming
Becoming better at programming is a must to land the dream programming job. Becoming better is also a must to code with less stress and headaches once you’re at your dream job. So what is the best way to get better at coding? There are so many ways today to get better at programming. You…
The ESSENTIAL skill every programmer must have
There are many helpful and practical programming skills, but there is one essential and fundamental skill that has become one of the main hallmarks of my programming career. One that is kinda obvious but not talked about all that often. It’s a skill though that every programmer must have and every programmer already does without…
How to start coding NOW!
So you’ve been wanting to start coding. You’re interested. You know the value of learning how to program. Maybe you want to switch careers. Maybe you want to enhance your career by picking up some programming skills. Or maybe you just want to pick up a new hobby. So now, you want to actually get…
What I learned from failed software job interviews
Landing a software job is the dream for many. A software job can give them the right work life balance they are searching for. It can allow them to work remotely. And most of all it’s fun (and challenging)! So how do you prepare for a software job? What things should you keep in mind…