Arc Notes Weekly #77: Rides
This week, discover dotenvx, the next level of environment variable management, and optimize your PostgreSQL databases with UUIDs as primary keys. Explore the dramatic origins of Git.
This week, discover dotenvx, the next level of environment variable management, and optimize your PostgreSQL databases with UUIDs as primary keys. Explore the dramatic origins of Git, and learn how simplicity can power large-scale web applications
Enjoy this week's round-up!
— Mahdi Yusuf (@myusuf3) or LinkedIn
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Articles
On the origins of DS_store
In the article "On the origins of DS_store," Arno Gourdol shares the backstory of the ubiquitous .DS_Store files that Mac users often encounter, especially when transferring files to Windows systems.Getting 100% Code Coverage Doesn't Eliminate Bugs
The author debunks the myth that achieving 100% code coverage means your software is bug-free. Using a simple yet impactful example, Kapelonis demonstrates that even with perfect code coverage, bugs can still exist. The article discusses a one-line function that, despite having 100% unit test coverage, contains a divide-by-zero error, highlighting the limitations of code coverage as a metric for software quality.Serving a Billion Web Requests with Boring Code
In this article, Bill Mill shares his experience designing and developing the relaunch of the Medicare Plan Compare site. The project, done under government constraints, successfully served millions of Medicare recipients, showcasing that high-quality software can be produced in such environments. The narrative underscores the importance of simplicity, reliability, and thorough documentation in building large-scale web applications.Git Story: Not So Fun This Time
Dive into the fascinating and tumultuous history of Git, the distributed version control system that has become an essential tool for software engineers worldwide. This article captures the drama, innovations, and key figures that shaped Git’s journey from its challenging inception to its current dominance. Key points include Linus Torvalds' struggle, the birth and controversy of BitKeeper, the creation of Git, early contributions, GitHub's impact, and the legacy and future of Git.PostgreSQL and UUID as primary key
The piece delves into the differences between storing UUIDs as strings versus using PostgreSQL's dedicated uuid data type, highlighting the significant impact on table and index sizes. Through experiments, Walkowiak demonstrates that using UUID v7, which generates time-sorted values, can significantly improve insert performance compared to the more common UUID v4. While UUIDs have their drawbacks due to their size, the article discusses optimizations and alternative approaches like TSID for those who must use UUIDs.Projects
doggo
Doggo is a command-line DNS client designed for ease of use by humans. The tool supports multiple DNS transport protocols like DNS over HTTPS (DoH), DNS over TLS (DoT), DNS over QUIC (DoQ), and more. Its features include human-readable output, JSON support for scripting, reverse DNS lookups, and cross-platform compatibility.dotenvx
Meet dotenvx, the enhanced version of dotenv brought to you by its original creator. This project introduces a more robust .env management solution with features like multi-environment support, cross-platform compatibility, and encryption. It promises an intuitive setup and usage similar to dotenv, but with added layers of security and flexibility.
regreSSHion
In an in-depth and technical advisory, Qualys dissects a critical vulnerability, CVE-2024-6387, in OpenSSH's server impacting glibc-based Linux systems. Dubbed 'regreSSHion,' this vulnerability is a regression of a 2006 issue, allowing remote code execution due to a signal handler race condition.