Searching by Dividing and Conquering Background A common and important problem in computer science is accessing a piece of data in the most efficient way possible. The Binary Search algorithm solves this problem and focuses on retrieving a target value in a sorted array. …

Java has various coding tools available for looping and iteration like many programming languages. Beyond the basic loops, Java also has a variety of built-in capabilities for iterating through various data structures such as lists, maps, and sets. …

Principles in Object-Oriented Programming In the object-oriented programming world, the famous acronym SOLID covers the five principles of OO. The letters signify the following: S: Single Responsibility Principle O: Open-Closed Principle L: Liskov Substitution Principle I: Interface Segregation Principle D: Dependency Inversion Principle These five principles govern the structure of…

Iterating over arrays and objects is a timeless problem for coders. Luckily nearly all modern languages have a plethora of looping tools. Ruby is no exception. This article will explain many of Ruby’s iteration tools for various data structures. First, I will explain basic loops such as for and while…

Creational Design Patterns Object-Oriented Design Patterns OO Design patterns are reusable templates for solutions to common problems in software development. By themselves, these design patterns are not final solutions. Instead, they serve as frameworks that, when fleshed out, are applied to software problems. …

Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live. -John Woods I have always enjoyed this quote because it powerfully communicates the importance of writing code well. Well-written code is both intelligible to other coders and computationally…

Using TDD to improve your code and the Software Development LifeCycle TDD’s upsides If you have been researching the QA side of software development, you have most likely come across articles singing the praises of TDD. There is no shortage of leaders in the industry applauding the upsides of integrating TDD into…

Finding the shortest distance between two points — Ever wondered how google maps calculate the shortest path to your destination? This is the problem it must solve every time you search for the nearest Italian restaurant or the quickest route to visit your family. The app obviously needs your geolocation, destination, and a mapping of the road/interstate highway…

Divide and Conquer Sorting — Explanation In 1959 British computer scientist Tony Hoare developed the QuickSort algorithm. He came up with the idea while visiting Moscow state university when he was tasked with alphabetically sorting Russian words to look up in a Russian-English dictionary. Quick Sort is similar to many “divide and conquer” algorithms both in…