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.…
How to Generate Random Numbers and Strings [C Tutorial]
Generating a random number in your program is a fundamental programming skill. For example, they’re essential for simulation and modeling. Especially for natural processes that are random. Or maybe you want to give a user random suggestions to help in their creative process. Random number generators are key! But if you’re a beginner, you’re probably…
Can You Solve This Popular Software Job Interview Coding Challenge? [Power Function]
The other day I was talking to a coworker and he was telling me about a job interview that he just did. Our company is currently hiring a lot of software developers. He’s a more experienced software developer than me so I was curious to hear what kinds of questions he usually asks interviewees. He…
How To Go From Noob to Proficient at Coding
What is the difference between a noob coder and a proficient coder? When I look back over the years of my software development career, I can see that I’ve grown a lot. As far as noob coders go, I’ve interacted with a lot of new programmers at my university when I was an Undergraduate Teaching…
Why Beginners Should Learn How To Code in C
C is one of the big names in the programming world. Created in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie, this programming language has a long history and a continuing legacy that continues to this day. Much of the digital world has been built in C and even many popular languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript have been…
What I’m Thankful for as a Software Developer [Thanksgiving Special]
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to make a video about the top things I’m most thankful for as a software developer. Looking back at my career of 10+ years, I can think of a lot of things that contributed to my success and development overall. This video is meant to be more fun…
How To Start Using Git Like a Professional
How do you start using Git like a professional software developer? If you’re just learning how to code, you might come across the term Git. If you don’t know what Git is, it’s a developer tool used to keep track of different versions of your code. Git proves especially useful when building complex projects. Incremental…