Payphone Technology Reinvented

The World's First Dev, and Code Commenting Etiquette

Author

David Thurman
February 06, 2025

In partnership with

Morning folks! This is Beyond Code - the newsletter designed to help developers build their careers, one Thursday at a time.

Did You Know…

Ada Lovelace Is Considered the First Computer Programmer

Born in 1815, Ada wrote detailed notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, including what is recognized as the first algorithm designed for a machine. The algorithm, called Note G, has since been recreated in modern languages.

And in true programming fashion, Note G actually contained a small bug due to a typographical error

Handy Coding Tool

JSON Without the Headaches - JSONLint

If you’ve done much work with JSON, you know it isn’t the most legible thing when output to a console. Luckily, you can use a formatter, like JSONLint, to make it much more readable. Not only that, this site also validates the JSON you paste to make sure everything is working correctly.

Tech Highlights

OpenAI Introduces ‘Operator’ AI Agent

OpenAI has unveiled ‘Operator,’ an AI agent capable of autonomously performing tasks on the web. By interacting with web pages through typing, clicking, and scrolling, Operator can handle activities such as making restaurant reservations, purchasing groceries, and filing expense reports. Currently available to ChatGPT Pro users in the U.S., Operator represents a significant advancement in AI-driven task automation. 

Instead of Quarters, it appears these new age Operators will run off GPUs

In Partnership With

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Programming Tip

Comment Only When Necessary – Let Your Code Speak for Itself

Good code should be self-explanatory, but there’s still a place for comments—like explaining the “why” behind a tricky decision or complex algorithm. Avoid comments that just repeat what the code already says.

Helpful: Explain intent, not what the code does.

Not helpful: // Adds 1 to x when your line says x += 1.

Bad

// This function calculates the square of a number.
function square(num) {
    return num * num;
}

Good

Good
// Using squaring logic here because Math.pow caused performance issues
function square(num) {
    return num * num;
}

Ask the Experts

"What advice would you give someone considering software engineering as a career?"

Don't stress yourself out. Everyone makes mistakes and the biggest things we can do is learn from those mistakes. It is a rewarding and stressful career all at once. And don't worry about AI it will not take over your job.

Kimberly Brown, Engineering Manager @ TestBox

Open Source Highlight

“If You Could Change Yer Browser, Would Ya?” - Brave

Instead of working on websites, why not work on an actual browser?

Brave is an open-source web browser that focuses on speed, privacy, and security. It blocks ads and trackers by default, giving you a faster and more private browsing experience. Brave also introduces a unique rewards system that lets you earn cryptocurrency (BAT) by opting into privacy-respecting ads. Whether you’re tired of intrusive ads or just want a more efficient browser, Brave offers a refreshing alternative.

What’s Open Source?
“Open sourced projects” refer to projects that have their code open to the public. They allow anyone to contribute to the project and help maintain it. Not only are they a great way to get hands on experience early on in your career, they also provide you a way to add bigger projects to your resume!

Shameless Plug

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Pop Quiz

What’s Wrong with This Function?

def find_median(numbers):
    numbers.sort()
    mid = len(numbers) // 2
    if len(numbers) % 2 == 0:
        return (numbers[mid - 1] + numbers[mid]) / 2
    else:
        return numbers[mid]

print(find_median([4, 2, 6, 3]))
print(find_median([7, 2, 1]))
print(find_median([]))
print(find_median([1, 1, 1, 1, 1]))

Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

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Pop Quiz Answer: The function doesn’t handle an empty list. Add a check for empty input and return None or a message.