Atomic Spin

Development Practices • Jul 09, 2016

Need to Understand Some Legacy Code? Start with a Test!

Debugging legacy application is never easy, but you can make understanding it less of a chore by adding a unit test. Includes rationale and examples.

Embedded Systems • Jul 08, 2016

Using Rust in an Embedded Project: A Simple Example

To help with all the gritty details of using Rust on an embedded project, I've written up an overview with a complete example.

Business Practices • Jul 07, 2016

Your Success Is Our Success – On Symbiosis in Professional Services

We pursue success for our clients as if it were our own. Our clients provide the goal our project teams help reach. It's a wonderful symbiosis.

Software Science • Jul 06, 2016

Time Zones Aren’t Offsets – Offsets Aren’t Time Zones

Offsets are not time zones, and time zones are not offsets! I want to make the difference clear, so we can make intelligent decisions about using each.

Development Practices • Jul 05, 2016

Smart Strategies for the End of a Project

We talk a lot about what we do before and during projects, but what about when that's all done? What's important when a project is over?

Personal Optimization • Jul 03, 2016

Three Tips for a New Conference Speaker

Three things that helped me prepare for a conference talk as a beginner—know the environment, involve the audience, and breathe.

Development Practices • Jul 02, 2016

New to Pairing? Speak Up!

When you're new to a project and new to pair programming, you might think it's best to stay quiet and learn as much as you can. You're wrong—speak up!

Java • Jul 01, 2016

How to Write a Custom Serializer with Jackson

Jackson is a great framework for translating Java to JSON, but sometimes more complex translations call for a custom serializer.

Technical Practices • Jun 30, 2016

Diagnosing Problems: Limit, Threshold, and Quota

Sudden changes in application behavior can often be attributed to reaching a limit or exceeding some quota; recognizing these can help with troubleshooting.

Culture • Jun 29, 2016

Making a Newcomer Feel Like Part of the Team

Lessons learned from a seasoned developer about creating a healthy environment for growth for a new colleague on a software team.

Software Science • Jun 28, 2016

PID – Helping Computers Behave More Like Humans

An intro to the PID control algorithm, with a breakdown of its three components (Proportional, Integral, and Derivative) and their different purposes.

Developer Tools • Jun 27, 2016

Are You Smarter Than the Compiler?

Is it worth using your cognitive processing to worry about optimization when your compiler is so good?