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In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of good naming practices in software development, including code examples and naming conventions.

In our everyday lives, people often assign names to various things, such as other people, pets, vehicles, and more. These names are typically chosen based on personal preferences, geographical location, cultural heritage, trends, or simply because they sound amusing.&nbsp;Let's consider some examples:<ul><li>A father might name his child after himself as an expression of pride and a desire to continue a family tradition. Alternatively, if he is an avid sports fan, he might name the child "Cristiano Ronaldo" due to the popularity of the soccer player at that time.</li><li>When a new residential complex is being built, and one or more almond trees are on the land, the complex might be named "The Almond."</li><li>A family might adopt a pet and decide to give it a humorous or unusual name, such as "Bacon," "Chewbacca," or "Cupcake."</li></ul>While these choices are entirely valid in everyday life and reflect individual tastes and preferences, in the context of software development, we must adopt a more cautious approach. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of proper naming in software development, including code examples, best practices, and naming conventions.<h2>Naming Practices in Software Development</h2>Software developers constantly create and assign names to various elements, including projects, modules, classes, variables, methods, databases, tables, and columns. In this environment, choosing appropriate names is crucial because it impacts the readability, maintainability, and understanding of the software we create. Therefore, it is essential to embrace consistent and meaningful naming practices in software development.<h2>What Does Good Naming Mean in Software Development?</h2>According to Robert C. Martin’s book&nbsp;Clean Code, choosing a good name takes time but saves more time in the long run. The name of a variable, function, or class should address all significant questions; it should reveal why it exists, what its purpose is, and how it's utilized. If a name needs a comment, then it doesn't effectively reveal its intent.Choosing names that reveal intent makes it much easier to understand and modify code. For example, consider this piece of code from&nbsp;Clean Code:&nbsp;<pre><code class="language-plaintext">public List&lt;int[]&gt; getThem() {
	List&lt;int[]&gt; list1 = new ArrayList&lt;int[]&gt;(); 
	for (int[] x : theList) {
		if (x[0] == 4) list1.add(x);	
	}
		return list1; 
}</code></pre>What makes it challenging to discern the purpose of this code? There are no complex expressions, and the spacing and indentation appear reasonable. The code references only three variables and two constants, without any elaborate classes or polymorphic methods; it seems to consist solely of an array list. The issue here lies not in the code's simplicity but in its implicit nature. The context is not explicitly conveyed within the code itself.<h2>Why is Proper Nomenclature Important in Software Development?</h2>Following proper naming practices is essential to writing clean and maintainable code. Failing to do so can result in the following issues:<ol><li>Lack of clarity: Poorly named variables, functions, classes, or other code elements make it difficult to understand the code. If developers cannot easily determine the purpose or functionality of a component from its name, working with the code becomes challenging.</li><li>Misinterpretation: Ambiguous or misleading names can cause developers to misunderstand how a particular element works, potentially leading to bugs or incorrect behavior in the software.</li><li>Maintenance challenges: Poorly named code can be hard to maintain. When you or other developers revisit the code for updates or bug fixes, unclear or inconsistent names can slow down the process, increasing the likelihood of introducing new issues.</li><li>Communication breakdowns: Software development often involves team collaboration. Poor naming can hinder effective communication, as team members may need extra time to decipher code or ask for clarification.</li><li>Scalability issues: As software projects grow in size and complexity, proper naming becomes even more critical. Bad naming practices can accumulate over time, making scaling and extending the software increasingly difficult.</li><li>Maintainability costs: Fixing poor naming after the fact can be costly and time-consuming. This often involves refactoring code and updating documentation, which can affect other parts of the software.</li></ol>Here’s an example of code that uses bad variable names from the book&nbsp;Code Complete,&nbsp;2nd Edition by Steve McConnell:<pre><code class="language-plaintext">Java Example of Poor Variable Names

x = x - xx;
xxx = fido + SalesTax( fido ); x = x + LateFee( x1, x ) + xxx; x = x + Interest( x1, x );</code></pre>Now, let's look at an improved version of the same code that enhances readability and simplifies understanding, also from&nbsp;Code Complete,&nbsp;2nd Edition:<pre><code class="language-plaintext">Java Example of Good Variable Names

balance = balance - lastPayment;
monthlyTotal = newPurchases + SalesTax( newPurchases );
balance = balance + LateFee( customerID, balance ) + monthlyTotal; balance = balance + Interest( customerID, balance );</code></pre>In the second example, you realize the benefits of taking the time to give meaningful names to variables.<h2>Basic Principles of Creating Meaningful Names</h2><figure class="table" style="width:100%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;"><colgroup><col style="width:50%;"><col style="width:50%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;">Principle</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;">Description</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Use intention-revealing names</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">The name of the variable, method, or class should explain why it exists, what it does, and how it’s used.</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Avoid disinformation</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Avoid poor or lazy naming. For example:&nbsp;var ro, looks like a good repair order, but it could be misinformative.</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Make meaningful distinctions</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Be careful not to use similar variable names in the same context. Ie. using&nbsp;RepairOrderInfo and&nbsp;RepairOrderData in the same&nbsp;RepairOrder object. A clear distinction must be made.</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Use pronounceable names</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Choose names that are easy to pronounce and understand when spoken.&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Use searchable names</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Choose names for variables, functions, classes, and other code elements that are easy to search for within the codebase.&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Member prefixes</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Prefixes provide clarity and indicate the scope of a variable, making it easier to understand its context.&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Class names</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Classes and objects should have noun or noun phrase names like “Customer”; a class name should not be a verb.&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Method names</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Methods should have verb or verb phrase names like “postPayment”, “deletePage”, or “save”.</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Maintain language consistency</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">To maintain code clarity, avoid mixing languages when naming variables. Ensure that your variable names are consistently in the same language throughout the codebase (ie. all in English, or all in Spanish).&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Avoid being overly creative</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Cuteness in code can manifest through colloquialisms, slang, or overly clever names. For instance, refrain from giving a method an attention-grabbing name like "GodsHand(id)" for a simple deletion function.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2>Software Naming Conventions</h2>Remember that naming conventions can vary between programming languages and communities, so it's important to adapt to the specific guidelines relevant to your project or organization. Let's examine some commonly used delimiting conventions in code:<figure class="table" style="width:100%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;"><colgroup><col style="width:22.09%;"><col style="width:56.97%;"><col style="width:20.94%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;">Convention Name</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;text-align:center;">Description</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 0%);border-style:solid;">Example</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Snakecase</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Words are delimited by an underscore.</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">first_name&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Pascalcase</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Words are delimited by capital letters.</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">FirstName&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Camelcase</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">Words are delimited by capital letters, except the initial word.</td><td style="border:1pt solid #000000;padding:5pt;vertical-align:top;">firstName&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>When naming variables, two fundamental principles to keep in mind are consistency and readability. It's crucial to maintain a consistent approach to naming conventions across your codebase. Consistency enhances your code's readability and ensures that others can better understand it.<h2>The Anecdote</h2>Utilizing proper naming practices can help you avoid uncomfortable situations with your team members. Here’s an anecdote from my early university years when I collaborated on a project with a fellow student. This event took place during a testing and brainstorming session.&nbsp;My colleague reached out to inform me that he had found a solution to the problem we were tackling. He created a method named&nbsp;Versi(...).My initial question was about the meaning behind&nbsp;Versi(...). His response was straightforward yet clever:&nbsp;"Ver si funciona" ("Let’s see if it works").&nbsp;It brought a smile to our faces in that moment. However, the lack of a solid foundation for naming variables or methods was common practice during the first year of university…just think about how often we encountered the variable x in code.<h2>Summary</h2>In summary, poor naming in software can have a cascading impact on various aspects of the development process, from initial coding to long-term maintenance. Good naming practices are essential for creating clean, understandable, and maintainable code. Before construction begins, spell out the programming conventions to be used.<h3>References</h3><ul><li>Martin, R. C. (2008). Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Prentice Hall.</li><li>McConnell, S. (2004). Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction (2nd ed.). Microsoft Press.</li><li>Cornell, C. (2022, March 20). Challenges in Naming Things in Software and Data Engineering. Chris Cornell the Dataist.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://medium.com/@chris.cornell.the.dataist/challenges-in-naming-things-in-software-and-data-engineering-1fa65b6521b9">URL</a></li><li>Jain, A. (2021, Jan 25). Naming Conventions 101 for developers.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://medium.com/swlh/naming-conventions-101-for-developers-8997bb96fd60">URL</a></li><li>Microsoft Corporation. (2021). .NET Framework Design Guidelines: Naming Guidelines.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/design-guidelines/general-naming-conventions">URL</a></li></ul>

Good Naming Practices in Software Development

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This blog post highlights six organizations dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ tech professionals, offering invaluable resources and creating safe, empowering spaces for them to excel.

In the tech industry, where innovation thrives on creativity and diverse perspectives, LGBTQ+ representation remains essential for driving progress.But supporting LGBTQ+ tech professionals goes beyond celebrating Pride Month; it's about fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can succeed and innovate year-round. This blog post highlights six organizations dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ tech professionals, offering invaluable resources and creating safe, empowering spaces for them to excel.<h2>LGBTQ in Technology Slack</h2>The LGBTQ in Technology Slack group offers a moderated space for LGBTQ+ people in technology to chat with and support each other. The group offers more than 250 sub-channels to join, including ones highlighting open roles, conventions and conferences, and channels dedicated to specific geographic areas.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lgbtq.technology/">Learn more about LGBTQ in Technology Slack &gt;</a><h2>Out in Tech</h2>Out in Tech is an international network of queer tech leaders comprised of more than 40,000 members from around the globe. As the world’s largest non-profit community of LGBTQ+ tech leaders, Out in Tech works to create opportunities for each of its members to excel in their careers, expand their networks, and leverage tech for social change.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://outintech.com/">Learn more about Out in Tech &gt;</a><h2>Lesbians Who Tech</h2>Lesbians Who Tech &amp; Allies has created a community of more than 50,000 LGBTQ+ women, non-binary, trans, and gender-nonconforming individuals in the tech industry. Their mission is to promote the visibility and inclusion of women, queer, trans, GNC, and POC leaders in the technology space through networking opportunities and scholarships.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lesbianswhotech.org/about/">Learn more about Lesbians Who Tech &gt;</a><h2>Unicorns in Tech</h2>Unicorns in Tech is a global community of LGBTQ+ individuals in tech that bridges the gap between LGBTQ+ tech talent, companies, and organizations, helping to promote a diverse and inclusive industry culture. The member network of 4,000+ individuals has access to year-round events, job boards, and virtual networking via a dedicated Slack channel.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.unicornsintech.com/">Learn more about Unicorns in Tech &gt;</a><h2>Queer Design Club</h2>Queer Design Club is an online community for LGBTQ+ designers and allies, providing a space for designers to celebrate queer contributions to the design industry and visual culture, connect with each other, and share their work. Queer Design Club’s mission is to promote the amazing work that happens at the intersection of design and queer identity around the world.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.queerdesign.club/">Learn more about Queer Design Club &gt;</a><h2>QueerJS</h2>QueerJS is a global meetup series that puts queer tech leaders and speakers center stage. Their virtual and in-person events cover everything from technical demos to workplace accessibility and safety and the relationship between queer identity and software. QueerJS also hosts a Discord server where you can connect with the community in real-time.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://queerjs.com/faq/">Learn more about QueerJS &gt;</a>Each of these organizations plays a pivotal role in building supportive networks, promoting visibility, and advocating for equity in the tech industry. By connecting with these communities, LGBTQ+ tech professionals can access the resources they need to excel in their careers and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive tech landscape.&nbsp;At Gorilla Logic, we are committed to championing diversity and inclusion, and we encourage everyone to explore these resources, support their missions, and continue the conversation about the importance of representation in technology.

Empowering LGBTQ+ Tech Professionals: 6 Organizations Supporting Diversity in Tech

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An exploration of the gender disparity in the tech industry, underscoring the importance of female perspectives and offering strategies to recruit and retain women, ensuring a diverse and innovative future for technolog

In August 2023, a study by the technology academy EdTech Henry in Colombia&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://canal1.com.co/noticias/empresas/brecha-genero-carreras-stem-colombia/">revealed</a> startling statistics about the gender gap in technology. Only three out of every 10 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates are women. The study suggests that the reasons women often avoid careers in technology include a lack of time, money, support, and confidence. Delving into the report, I realized that the data might indicate women are being marginalized in an industry pivotal to modern progress. As a Latin American woman in tech, I felt compelled to dig deeper.My initial findings were equally disheartening.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://girlswhocode.com/about-us">Girls Who Code</a> reported that the percentage of women in computer science fell from 37% in 1995 to a mere 22% in 2022. In a world where women constitute half the population, shouldn't we be central to shaping the technological future?<h2>The indispensable role of women in tech</h2>Several recent examples underscore the criticality of women's insights in tech. Apple's Health app, for instance, faced significant backlash for initially excluding a menstrual cycle tracker. It took public outcry and a year's time for the feature to be&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/06/07/apple-features-period-tracker-health-app-watch/1369566001/">added</a>. Additionally, a traditionally male-focused approach to safety design, such as in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZoM8J_PYf4">crash test dummies and seatbelts</a>, has put women at a disadvantage. In contrast, seat belts tailored for pregnant women demonstrate the innovation that emerges when women's needs are considered.Such examples solidify one truth: the tech industry excels when it embraces the diverse ideas and experiences women offer. It's not solely about innovation; it's about devising products and systems that are equitable and advantageous for all. By valuing women's contributions, the tech sector can pave the way for a universally inclusive and progressive future.<h2>Ensuring women's retention in tech</h2>While numerous communities offer coding programs to support women, the tech universe isn't just about coding. Immersing oneself in these communities, connecting with other women in tech, and drawing inspiration from their stories are fundamental steps toward bridging the gender gap.However, merely recruiting more women isn't the solution; retaining them is equally crucial. According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.openai.com/c/3a8081cf-2c2d-475d-9eac-28681d847389#:~:text=2021%20Women%20in%20Tech%20report%20by%20TrustRadius">2021 Women in Tech report by TrustRadius</a>, a staggering 72% of women have encountered a pervasive "bro culture" at their tech workplaces. The message is clear: we must cultivate workplaces where women feel valued, heard, and free from biases. Furthermore, having women in leadership roles can significantly boost the retention of female talent.This transformation requires a collaborative effort from organizations and individual employees alike, fostering a culture of inclusivity both online and offline. This inclusivity shouldn't be a mere corporate endeavor but a shared responsibility, ensuring an equitable and welcoming environment for all.Holistic strategies are essential for retaining women in tech. Beyond enhancing female representation or addressing pay disparities, there's a need to uphold and implement equality policies at every level. Work structures should be flexible enough to cater to family needs, and such policies must be robust, urging all employees to leverage them. By doing so, we can establish an environment where both genders can balance work and family responsibilities. This progressive approach not only propels women in tech but also instills a culture where everyone can flourish, anchoring a more inclusive and compassionate workplace.<h2>In conclusion: The path forward</h2>The technology sector stands at the crossroads of innovation and societal impact, making it imperative to incorporate the diverse perspectives women bring to the table. Addressing the challenges women face in tech is not just a matter of equity but also of maximizing the industry's potential. As we move forward, a collective effort from both organizations and individuals is essential. By valuing, supporting, and retaining the talented women in this field, we're not only championing equality but also ensuring a richer, more inclusive technological landscape for future generations. The journey may be challenging, but the rewards — a more equitable, innovative, and progressive tech industry — are well worth the effort.<h3>References:</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.undp.org/china/blog/designing-fairer-future-why-women-tech-are-key-more-equal-world">https://www.undp.org/china/blog/designing-fairer-future-why-women-tech-are-key-more-equal-world</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tips.hackathon.com/article/top-6-reasons-why-we-need-women-in-tech-in-2022">https://tips.hackathon.com/article/top-6-reasons-why-we-need-women-in-tech-in-2022</a>

The Code to Success: Women's Essential Role in Technology

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In this article, we’ll go over two popular design theories: Don Norman’s ‘Level of Three’ and Paul McClean’s Triune Brain Model, to better understand the relationship between people’s emotions and the products they use in their everyday life. We’ll also look at how our choices in coding, user experience, and interface design redefine the way users engage with our products, and how to evoke certain emotional responses.

Whether you are a developer, designer, product manager, or someone else working to create digital products, you might wonder: What separates great products from good ones? Was it their attractive designs, their aesthetic, the methodology or technology used, or just a genius idea put into practice? Although these things might be influential factors within a great product, the actual distinction lies in how a person feels when using your product.&nbsp;In this article, we’ll go over two popular design theories: Don Norman’s ‘Level of Three’ and Paul McClean’s Triune Brain Model, to better understand the relationship between people’s emotions and the products they use in their everyday life. We’ll also look at how our choices in coding, user experience, and interface design redefine the way users engage with our products, and how to evoke certain emotional responses. Let’s begin!<h2>Understanding emotions within product design</h2>Every experience has an emotional component, even when using a product. Understanding emotional design–how users feel and what affects these feelings–is essential to leveraging great user experiences.&nbsp;You most likely have used things that aren't great, but love them anyway, because you feel a connection to them. These connections are powerful: they subconsciously affect you and can turn objects into evocative extensions of your emotions.&nbsp;One thing we must take into consideration is that our emotional state is in constant flux, according to the stimulus we receive from the environment. These changes are mediated by:<ul><li>Our cognition (how we interpret information)&nbsp;</li><li>Our disposition (how we feel at the time)&nbsp;</li><li>Our environmental factors (where we are)</li></ul>Our emotional state has a significant effect on our life; it drives us to choose and pursue different objectives. If we experience negative emotions, we are more likely to change or stop the path we are on. Therefore, our role when creating is to understand how our users are affected by our product and how we can captivate them to improve and forge lasting impressions with it.<h2>The Product-Emotion Cycle</h2>Additionally, the things that now shape and consume most people's lives (computers, televisions, and phones), can induce a whole new set of emotional responses.&nbsp;A relationship exists between users and the things they interact with; we refer to this relationship as the 'Product-Emotion Cycle', the series of changes that occur both in the product and the user during the user-object interaction. In the Product-Emotion Cycle, the user:&nbsp;<ul><li>Feels an initial emotional response, which affects the way they then behave with the product;&nbsp;</li><li>The product then changes as a result, which then induces or maintains an emotional response.&nbsp;</li></ul>This cycle continues for the duration of an interactive experience. Successful products are those that induce positive emotional responses while meeting the expectations of the user.As people who are involved in the making of products, we need to learn how to encourage emotional connections between users and products.&nbsp;In order to influence emotions, we must have an understanding of general factors that impact all users, no matter the product we are making or the specific features of it, we must understand what is relevant to our product (cognitive, dispositional, and environmental).<h2>Don Norman’s Three Levels of Design</h2>When talking about emotions and the brain, there are several ways of dividing the subject; first is the “Don Norman’s three levels of design”: visceral, behavioral, and reflective.<ul><li>The&nbsp;visceral level of design refers to the first impression of a design, both in terms of how the user perceives the product and how it makes the user feel.&nbsp;</li><li>The&nbsp;behavioral level&nbsp;refers to the experience of the product in use. We often think of this level when we think of user experience.&nbsp;</li><li>The&nbsp;reflective level refers to the user's reflections about the product, both before, during, and after use.&nbsp;</li></ul>All three levels combine to form the entire product experience:<ul><li>At the visceral level of design (the aesthetics), simple, minimalistic designs are generally more pleasant to the eye, certain colors are associated with positive emotional experiences, and smooth shapes are appealing.</li><li>At the behavioral level (the user experience), there are various possibilities; but first and foremost, the product must be easy to use.</li><li>At the reflective level, (the conscious consideration of the product): if you are dealing with an existing brand, familiarity may be a positive quality, so use aspects of previous products to promote reflective processing.</li></ul>In order to exploit the benefits of visual appeal, you must focus on a number of important considerations. Who are your intended users? Is the design simple enough to ensure rapid identification of the elements necessary for a specific task? Are you being honest and transparent?&nbsp;Each new product presents a specific set of challenges; however, the principles of functionality, appropriateness, simplicity, and transparency can help us make the correct product design decisions.Now, let’s take a look at another popular emotional theory: the Triune Brain.<h2>The Triune Brain Theory</h2>Another way of explaining emotions in the brain is the Triune Brain model, introduced by Paul MacLean in the 1960s.&nbsp;This model of brain structure and function is based on three specific regions of the human brain:<ul><li>The Reptilian or Primal Brain, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight survival response, and other primal activities.</li><li>The Paleomammalian or Emotional Brain, which is responsible for emotions.</li><li>The Neomammalian or Rational Brain, which is responsible for rational thinking.</li></ul>MacLean's model provides a clear view of mental activity, which can be beneficial when addressing the needs of users in our design projects.If you want consumers to buy your products, you must grab their attention and make them feel as though they need, rather than want, these items. While the primal brain is somewhat simplistic, we are capable of overriding it through further processing in our more cultured brain regions. One of the most effective ways of targeting the primal brain is to make new things seem familiar.&nbsp;The emotional brain helps us distinguish between positive and negative things in our environment: good from bad. This system is also in charge of dopamine release, which reinforces positive experiences, such as impulsive buying of clothes, food, etc.&nbsp;To tap into the rational brain, you must provide the right information at the right time to help users/consumers make the right decisions. The key to drawing in users is to simplify and limit the amount of information that must be processed and reduce the cognitive load on the rational brain.<h2>In Summary&nbsp;</h2>Embracing the principles of emotional design empowers us to create not just a product, but an experience that leaves a lasting impact on our users.&nbsp;We have the potential to evoke emotions and redefine the ways users engage with our products, create technology that resonates with the human experience, and enrich the lives of those who use our products and services. Our practice as product designers can serve, inspire, and transform user experiences into extraordinary connections.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Resources:&nbsp;</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.interaction-design.org/courses/emotional-design-how-to-make-products-people-will-love">https://www.interaction-design.org/courses/emotional-design-how-to-make-products-people-will-love</a>&nbsp;

The Power of Emotional Design: Bringing Products from Good to Great

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Let’s look at the basics of Electron, including what it is, how to use it, and some pros and cons of the framework.

This article is part of a series of blog posts aiming to deep dive into the Electron framework for creating cross-platform desktop applications with web technologies.In this post, we’ll look at the basics of Electron, including what it is, how to use it, and some advantages and disadvantages of the framework.&nbsp;Disclaimer:&nbsp;To get the most out of this series, it’ll be helpful to have at least some prior experience with core web technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, NodeJS, and frontend frameworks like React or Vue.<h2>What is Electron?</h2>Electron is a framework for&nbsp;developing cross-platform desktop applications, embedding NodeJS and Chromium in a single platform to provide an easy-to-develop experience.As a developer, you can use all of your knowledge of web technologies to&nbsp;quickly create desktop applications with Electron, without the need to use specialized or proprietary technologies specific to each operating system.Electron also provides the added benefit of having a&nbsp;cross-platform codebase, which greatly simplifies the process of deploying your application to different operating systems.The Electron framework is more widely used than you might think. Many of the high-profile applications that you use day-to-day could be implemented using Electron, including:<ul><li>Slack</li><li>VSCode</li><li>Discord</li><li>Figma</li><li>Microsoft Teams</li></ul><h2>Using Electron</h2>When we think of running a traditional single-page web application, we can probably assume that it’s going to be executed in a browser environment. In a similar vein, when we think about desktop applications, we know that they’re going to be running as their own separate processes that are handled by the operating system.<h3>Running an Electron application</h3>An Electron application runs two separate processes in tandem:<ul><li>The main process has access to the Operating System through NodeJS APIs and controls the lifecycle of the Electron application.</li><li>The renderer process runs in a sandboxed Chromium environment and has the sole responsibility of showing the user interface.</li></ul>Both of these processes can communicate with each other using&nbsp;IPC (Inter-Process Communication) channels to send and receive information. These communication channels are implemented similarly to event handlers that act upon receiving messages from the other process.<img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image1_5ed1fe901b.png" alt="image1.png">A simplified diagram of the general infrastructure of an Electron Application. The main process uses NodeJS and the renderer process can use frontend frameworks like Vue, React, Svelte, and others.<h3>Main process</h3>The main process acts as the application’s entry point and&nbsp;runs in a NodeJS environment. This means we can use all of the NodeJS APIs in our application and do things like write files in the filesystem or extract information from the operating system with the&nbsp;‘fs’ or&nbsp;‘os’ NodeJS APIs respectively.&nbsp;The application’s lifecycle is also controlled in the main process. This is done in Electron by creating event handler functions for different application lifecycle events.A common example of this is initializing the renderer process after the Electron framework is done initializing. To accomplish this, we would need to subscribe to the&nbsp;‘ready’&nbsp;event of the Electron application and execute the code to load the renderer process when this event occurs.In a similar way, we can use these events to execute code before the application is closed or other actions are executed.<h3> Renderer process</h3>The renderer process is&nbsp;kickstarted by the main process and consists of a&nbsp;Chromium-based environment that executes the provided HTML entry point code like a browser. Think of the renderer process as an embedded browser instance that runs a specific web page or application that’s specified from the main process. Additionally, you can enable specific Electron APIs to be used by the renderer process through the usage of a&nbsp;preload script–a crucial step to ensuring that both main and renderer processes can talk through IPC channels.The usual use case would be creating one renderer process that executes a single page application and works as the front end of the entire Electron application. However, it is possible for Electron to spawn multiple instances of renderer processes that could point to different entry point webpages. This can be useful in separating one big application into multiple smaller chunks that are loaded when a specific application window is needed.Since we’re essentially running a browser pointing to a web page, we can run web applications created with frontend frameworks (like React or Vue) in the renderer process, with the caveat that we will need to communicate with the main process using the IPC mechanism.<h3>Inter-process communication</h3>As the name suggests, the way in which&nbsp;both main and renderer processes communicate with each other is by using IPC channels.Traditionally, when we work with web applications, it’s expected that we talk to a backend service using query request APIs, which are most likely executed through HTTP and respond with data in a structured manner.But this is not entirely true for the renderer processes of Electron applications. Because these are&nbsp;executed in a sandboxed browser-like environment, it’s highly likely that we will need to ask the main Electron process (using IPC channels) for data instead of fetching it from an external service directly from our frontend application.IPC channels are defined by a unique string identifier, which can be used in both processes to either listen to or send messages through the channel.In the main process, we directly define the function handlers for each IPC channel. Whatever value we return from the handler will be used as the response message sent to the renderer process that called it. We can also call a channel directly to send data to the renderer process at any time. &nbsp;Meanwhile, in the renderer process, IPC channels are defined in the&nbsp;preload&nbsp;script provided by the main process. Messages can be sent or received by using the Electron APIs exposed to send and receive messages.Note that only the channels and APIs exposed in the preload script will be available in the renderer process.<h2>Advantages and disadvantages of Electron</h2>Taking an Electron application infrastructure into consideration, we can get a lot of benefits from having the mature ecosystem of NodeJS and battle-tested frontend frameworks that we can choose from to develop our application.<h3>Here’s a list of some of the main advantages of using Electron:</h3><ul><li>A wide array of NodeJS libraries and extensions can be used to extend the main process functionality.</li><li>Frontend frameworks can be used to easily develop the graphical user interface of our desktop applications. This includes frameworks like TailwindCSS for styling or Jest for unit testing.</li><li>Web developers can quickly learn to work with Electron since it uses the same core technologies that they’re used to.</li><li>Electron has available plugins for cross-platform builds and over-the-air updates that work with most Electron application configurations. &nbsp;</li></ul>However, we also need to take into account that we will basically be bundling an entire Chromium-based browser with every application that we deliver, ballooning the size of our application from the start and carrying over any number of problems that come with having a browser as our graphical user interface and NodeJS as the driver of our main process.<h3>Some other disadvantages of using Electron are:</h3><ul><li>NodeJS has real performance drawbacks compared to native solutions that can run binaries directly compiled to the operating system.</li><li>There is a limit to the number of Electron and NodeJS APIs available when developing, and in some cases, it might be necessary to write specialized wrappers for specific functionality required at the operating system level.</li><li>In terms of security, you need to consider the attack surface of having an entire browser running on your application, and any attack vector that might affect a web page can affect an electron application in the same manner (even with the sandboxing strategies applied by the framework on renderer processes).</li><li>If you don’t plan to distribute your application to multiple operating systems, it might be overkill to use a framework that is built for this purpose.</li></ul><h2>In conclusion</h2>Electron is a very mature framework that web developers can use to quickly create desktop applications. It has a proven record of being used to develop high-profile applications, further highlighting its ease of use and development. However, it’s also important to consider that these advantages can also come with certain performance drawbacks and real security concerns.In the next post of this series, we will deep dive into creating a simple Electron project that uses popular web development frameworks for its graphical user interface. We will learn how to write code using the architecture exposed in this article and get a working demo running successfully.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>References</h3>Electron main web page:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.electronjs.org/">https://www.electronjs.org/</a>Electron documentation:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/">https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/</a>&nbsp;

An introduction to the Electron framework

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Gorilla Logic CEO Drew Naukam reflects on his first two weeks and shares his outlook for the future.

Gorilla Logic is excited to welcome Drew Naukam as its new CEO! While his 25 years of industry experience are certainly worth noting, Drew’s passion for collaborative problem-solving and relentless customer-focused mindset make him a truly harmonious addition to The Band.&nbsp;After just two weeks with the company–getting to know The Band of Gorillas both in-person at their Colorado HQ office and virtually with Gorillas across their three nearshore development hubs–Drew continues to hone his eagerness to lead Gorilla Logic and its valued clients into further success.On the heels of an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=311548">official press announcement</a> this week, Drew reflects on his first two weeks and shares his outlook for the future in the following conversation.<h3>What special expertise do you bring to your new role as Gorilla Logic’s CEO?&nbsp;</h3>So, I think the answer is two-pronged: The first is that I have a lot of experience in product engineering, which is really at Gorilla Logic’s core.&nbsp;Being a truly great product engineering partner for our clients takes more than providing great nearshore technical talent, which is certainly a great strength of Gorilla Logic. What’s just as important is that we further engage with our customers around their product roadmaps, helping them get higher-quality products to market faster.&nbsp;<blockquote>That's one thing that I really want to bring to the table–helping our company engage better with our customers around the key initiatives that they're driving.</blockquote>The second prong is that I have a great passion for people development. So, how do we continue to build the skills of our organization in a way that benefits our clients? And not just around the challenges that our customers face today, but those that are coming in the next three to five years as artificial intelligence impacts the way products are developed.&nbsp;I've got a lot of passion around that forward-thinking view of how our industry is evolving, and am hoping to help pave the way for our engineers to be at the forefront of those technologies as it happens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>What do you think makes Gorilla Logic unique?</h3>Having been part of the Gorilla Logic Band for two weeks now, a few things have really stood out so far.&nbsp;First, there is a tremendous, genuine passion for the culture and the people at Gorilla Logic. And it’s really clear that everyone takes great pride in our company, the work we do, and how we help each other succeed. I think that really shines through to our clients–when you know that your partner has an employee workforce that carries that level of passion, you have a greater sense of confidence that great work is going to get done.&nbsp;And then there’s the matter of our unique ability to&nbsp;truly&nbsp;meet our customers where they are–providing really high-quality teams, with the added advantage of time zone alignment with North American businesses.&nbsp;In order for companies to really succeed at accelerating how they build and support products and customers, they need that heightened level of collaboration, that time zone overlap with their partners. Gorilla Logic’s nearshore advantage is a really important value add for companies seeking a software product engineering partner.<h3>What do you see ahead for Gorilla Logic?</h3>Big-picture vision, right? Probably three things.&nbsp;One, we need to continually evolve the solutions that we bring to our customers so that the value we provide them continues to grow.&nbsp;Number two, we have to continually evolve our own capabilities as artificial intelligence starts to impact the way software is built and deployed.&nbsp;And then number three is we have to continue to protect what makes Gorilla Logic unique. And we need to continue cultivating an environment that allows us to attract and retain top talent to be a part of that strategic direction.<h3>Anything else you want Gorilla Logic clients to know?</h3>Oh, wow. Just that it would be amazing if each of our clients knew more about Gorilla Logic and understood everything we could do for them.<h3>Some extra tidbits about Drew:</h3>Drew Naukam is a senior executive passionate about the business of building great software.&nbsp;He spent more than a decade at Hitachi Consulting in various software and product engineering leadership roles including the management of the company’s Product Engineering Services business unit. He spent three years with GlobalLogic running the global Commerce and Technology business unit. Most recently, he was the Chief Growth Officer at Ness Digital Engineering, where he helped lead a successful sale of the business to KKR.&nbsp;Drew is married to his high school prom date and is a proud parent to three children.&nbsp;The Gorilla Logic team is incredibly excited to have Drew join us as we advance our support for our clients’ product roadmaps and builds. To learn more,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=311548">read our recent press release.</a>

Getting to Know Drew Naukam: A Conversation with Gorilla Logic’s New CEO

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In this article, we consider five often overlooked capabilities of outsourcing partners that you should add to your selection criteria to ensure you choose a partner that goes beyond the basic requirements to exceed your expectations.

For busy product &amp; engineering executives, it’s hard work to ensure continuous delivery of value while juggling existing infrastructure, persistent staffing shortages, and customer and business demands. Outsourcing web application development is one powerful tool leaders use to overcome many of these challenges. But modern web applications are complex, and it’s crucial to choose a partner that goes beyond simple technical requirements to align with your business vision, technology strategy, and organizational culture.&nbsp;In this article, we’ll consider five often overlooked capabilities of outsourcing partners that you should add to your selection criteria to ensure you choose a partner that goes beyond the basic requirements to exceed your expectations.<h2>1: Breadth&nbsp;plus depth of skills</h2>From simple single-page and static web applications, to dynamic web apps that fetch data in real time; from integrated backend systems, to progressive web apps (PWAs) that look and feel like native mobile apps–web applications deliver widely varied experiences. They also require a breadth of design and development capabilities coupled with deep experience and expertise.&nbsp;To evaluate whether your partner has both a broad range of skills and deep experience building elegant products that delight users,&nbsp;commit time to discussing these questions with prospective partners:<ul><li>How does the partner&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/software-development-services">explore the vision for your web application</a>, including its users and use cases, your team’s operating rhythm, your stakeholders’ perspectives, and your business requirements?</li><li>How does the partner and its teams stay current with evolving and emerging technologies? How do they&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/blog/getting-our-geek-on-how-our-gorillas-leverage-new-technology-for-our-clients">leverage new technologies and approaches into client projects</a>?</li><li>Does the partner provide<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/concept-to-code"> end-to-end product development from concept through delivery&nbsp;</a>or does it focus on one part of the software development lifecycle?</li><li>What level of expertise does the partner have with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/concept-to-code?service=Agile+Process+Alignment+%26+Training">Agile and scaled Agile methodologies</a>? How effectively can the partner adapt Agile practices to your organization’s needs?</li><li>Can the partner provide the full breadth of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/agile-development-teams">Agile expertise</a>, including Scrum Master, Product Owner, Agile Coach, and Agile Release Train Engineer?</li><li>Does the team include full-stack developers with both front-end and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/backend-development">backend expertise</a>?</li><li>What technology stacks does the partner work with? Common tech stacks include:<ul><li>Rails or Ruby on Rails: Ruby, PHP, and MySQL</li><li>LAMP: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP</li><li>MEAN: MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js</li><li>MERN: MongoDB, Express, ReactJS, and Node.js</li><li>Django: Django, Python, and MySQL</li></ul></li><li>What&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/qa-testing-services">testing and quality assurance (QA) capabilities</a> does the partner provide, including automated testing, behavior-driven or feature-driven development? What&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/blog/gorilla-logic-achieves-silver-partner-status-with-the-international-software-testing-qualifications-board-istqb">certifications does the testing team</a> have?</li><li>What experience does the partner have with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/devops-and-cloud">DevOps and DevSecOps for continuous delivery of value</a>?</li></ul><h2>2: Prioritized soft skills</h2>On web application development teams,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/blog/the-often-overlooked-skillset-top-8-soft-skills-for-software-engineers">soft skills</a> like effective written and verbal communication, leadership, participatory teamwork problem-solving, time-management, and emotional self-regulation all are as important as technical skills and experience. Teams and team members must be able to navigate competing stakeholder needs, adjusted project requirements, unexpected issues, and more. Individual team members must be able to work with a variety of personalities and points of views to work effectively together towards the end goal.&nbsp;<h3>Ask these questions to learn more about how your partner prioritizes and develops the soft skills needed to ensure the smoothest journey from idea to launch:</h3><ul><li>How are soft skills evaluated? What soft skills are prioritized?</li><li>How are soft skills developed?</li><li>If the teams are in another country, how are verbal and non-verbal language skills assessed? How are team members supported in improving?</li><li>How have the teams navigated complex organizational challenges in the past? What lessons were learned that may help avoid issues in the future?</li><li>How are resilience and adaptability modeled and encouraged?</li><li>How are creativity and problem-solving encouraged? Ask for examples.</li><li>Are teams encouraged to work together as well as independently? How are conflicts resolved within and between teams?</li></ul><h2>3: Commitment to continuous improvement and learning&nbsp;</h2>In technology, as in business, change is constant. Existing tools and frameworks advance. New technologies emerge. Users expect ever-more advanced capabilities. Keeping pace requires a strong commitment to continuous improvement and continuous learning, both of which are&nbsp;core values in Agile development.&nbsp;To make sure you’re&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/blog/how-gorilla-logics-focus-on-quality-continues-to-deliver-high-customer-satisfaction">getting all the benefits of continuous improvement and learning</a>, future-proof your applications, ask these questions:<ul><li>Does the partner demonstrate a commitment to sharing successes as well as failures, and learning from both?</li><li>What tools and processes help make sure that everyone on the team can ask questions, share ideas, and solve problems together in real-time? How are miscommunication and misunderstandings tackled?</li><li>How does the partner seek continuous feedback? How does the partner incorporate feedback into the project and how do their teams work? How are efforts to improve monitored and measured over time?</li><li>How does the partner ensure psychological safety on the team so that candid feedback can be shared and responded to?</li><li>How are individual team members encouraged to learn? What investments are being made in professional development?</li></ul><h2>4: Security-first approach</h2>While the functional aspects of your web application may attract the most attention, security should also be a primary consideration. The partner you choose should&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/blog/advice-from-the-front-lines-how-were-creating-a-security-first-culture-for-software-development">bring a security-first approach to product development,</a> ensuring that you protect your application and data, improve your ability to efficiently achieve compliance with the standards and regulations that apply, reduce risk from cyber threats, and build greater resilience to meet evolving and newly emerging threats over time.&nbsp;<h3>Thoroughly assess a partner’s security program by getting answers to these questions:</h3><ul><li>What security frameworks are followed?&nbsp;</li><li>What security certifications does the company hold?&nbsp;</li><li>What experience does the company have working with clients in highly regulated industries?</li><li>Where is project code stored and maintained?</li><li>How prepared, secure, and professional is the company/s work environment?&nbsp;</li><li>Does the company perform background checks, and provide cybersecurity training to its employees? Does it require all contractors to undergo/follow the same policies and procedures as full-time staff?&nbsp;</li></ul><h2>5: Focus on speed to value</h2>For business-critical software builds, you need a team of skilled professionals and a robust, scalable development process that accelerates the delivery of value. Speed to value is as much about preparation upfront as it is about execution speed, so it’s important to understand how your partner’s processes contribute to speed and value.<h3>These questions can help you discover more about how your potential partner approaches a project to swiftly move from concept to code:</h3><ul><li>Does the partner undertake a thorough, structured discovery process to uncover dependencies, understand your development approach, and learn how your teams function so that they can start quickly?</li><li>Does the&nbsp;teamwork<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/nearshoring"> in the same or adjacent time zones&nbsp;</a>so that meetings can happen and questions get answered in real-time?</li><li>What is the partner’s process to identify gaps and make plans to mitigate and minimize any issues that may come up throughout the project?&nbsp;</li><li>What is the partner’s onboarding process? How quickly can they build a team custom-fit to your requirements?</li><li>How does the partner work with you to define the development process, deliverables, and outcomes?</li></ul><h2>Choosing the best web application development partner</h2>To achieve business outcomes faster for your business-critical web applications, you need a development partner who complements and strengthens your team. Taking the time to ask the right questions can help you uncover how well a partner fits with your project, team, and business.As a leading nearshore web application development partner, Gorilla Logic&nbsp;partners with hundreds of leading businesses in many different industries to build their enterprise-grade web applications. With experienced Agile teams, we partner closely with you to provide end-to-end services for custom, complex web and mobile development projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gorillalogic.com/contact-us">Ready to get started?</a>

5 Crucial Yet [Often] Overlooked Capabilities for A Web Application Development Partner

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This tutorial dives into the V8 JavaScript engine and how it can be used successfully within Node.js.

<h2>What is Node.js?</h2>Node.js is an open-source runtime environment that allows developers to build server-side applications using JavaScript. It’s built on the V8 JavaScript engine and provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it well-suited for building scalable and high-performance network applications.Let's negate certain elements mentioned in the preceding paragraph.,&nbsp;Node.js is an&nbsp;open-source&nbsp;runtime&nbsp;environment that allows developers to build server-side applications using JavaScript. It’s built on the V8 JavaScript engine&nbsp;and provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model,&nbsp;which makes it well-suited for building scalable and high-performance network applications.Excellent! Let's now spotlight the key features of Node.js.Node.js is an&nbsp;open-source&nbsp;runtime&nbsp;environment that allows developers&nbsp;to build&nbsp;server-side applications using JavaScript.&nbsp;It’s built on the&nbsp;V8&nbsp;JavaScript engine&nbsp;and provides an&nbsp;event-driven,&nbsp;non-blocking I/O model,&nbsp;which makes it well-suited for building&nbsp;scalable and high-performance network applications.That's truly fantastic! These four aspects underline the essence of what Node.js is and encapsulate what powers it under the hood.&nbsp;<h2>Let’s examine these keywords:&nbsp;</h2><h3>Server-side</h3>This simply indicates the capability to run it on servers.<h3>Runtime</h3>Upon reflection, it becomes apparent that Node.js essentially functions as an extension of a C++ application. Its core purpose is to facilitate the execution of JavaScript on the server side. However, the actual execution of this task is delegated to a distinct C++ library, which we will delve into later. Similarly, Node.js was conceived with notions of scalability and high performance in mind, attributes that are also attributed to a separate C library.So, one might question the role of Node.js in this context. In essence, Node.js undertakes the responsibility of resource management and the establishment of connections between these resources. Furthermore, it furnishes developers with an API to harness these functionalities, permitting the utilization of these capabilities through the composition of JavaScript code.<h3>non-blocking I/O model</h3>Here emerges a key element of engagement: LIBUV. This C library shoulders the responsibility for the event-driven paradigm, boasting the renowned "event loop" alongside an array of other impressive features—such as HTTP, cryptography, file system operations, and more. However, delving into these specifics warrants a separate discussion.<h3>Javascript</h3>Here, at last, lies our primary objective: the additional C++ Library, V8. It takes the JavaScript code crafted by developers and converts it into machine code, which the computer's processor comprehends and executes.<h3>Let's now delve deeper into V8 and its utilization within Node.js.</h3><h3>V8</h3>Developed by Google and released to the open-source community in 2008, it serves as the foundation for executing JavaScript in Google Chrome and Node.js.Let's create a hands-on illustration–something intriguing in which you can harness the power of V8 directly. To get started, installing it on macOS is as simple as executing the following command:<pre><code class="language-javascript"> &gt; brew install v8</code></pre><img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image4_5976385edc.png" alt="image4.png">Now that V8 is successfully installed on our system, we can leverage its capabilities through the V8 developer shell known as d8. To begin utilizing it, all you need to do is execute the following command:<pre><code class="language-javascript"> &gt; d8</code></pre>We are now able to begin executing JavaScript code, similar to how it's done with Node.js.<img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image1_bcc3d04924.png" alt="image1.png">V8 executes JavaScript code adhering to the ECMAScript specification. It primarily supports the elements exposed by ECMA, although it includes non-standard features.&nbsp;So, why not opt for using V8 directly on the server side, given that the initial goal was to run JavaScript on the server? Well, the reason is that it falls short in terms of capabilities. We require access to functionalities such as file system operations, executing HTTP requests, establishing database connections, and more. These essential features are made available through Node.js and its underlying library, libuv.&nbsp;While it appears that we can't access additional features, there are exceptions. Let's examine two examples:<ul><li>In Google Chrome, we can access the&nbsp;document (DOM), a capability not detailed in the ECMA specification.</li></ul><img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image3_47dea49a9c.png" alt="image3.png"><ul><li>In Node.js, we can interact with the&nbsp;process, despite it not being covered by the ECMA specification.</li></ul><img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image7_b68c6a12eb.png" alt="image7.png">This reveals that these functionalities are made accessible through other resources, namely Web APIs and LIBUV or Nodejs, respectively.So, how exactly does Node utilize V8?Indeed, as mentioned earlier, Node.js is essentially another C++ application. Building on this understanding, we can simplify the explanation by utilizing pseudocode to abstract the core of the main Node.js process.<pre><code class="language-javascript">// The main Node.js process (fairly simple)
initialize v8


function runJavaScriptCode(code):
	v8.execute(code)
	
main(args) :
	userCode = readUserCodefromFile(args.path);
	runJavaScriptCode (userCode)</code></pre>I understand that this might seem overly simplistic, but please keep in mind that we're just providing an illustrative example. We haven't delved into the complexities of libuv and the myriad of other components at play.As Node.js initiates, it reads the user's code and subsequently employs this code to transmit it to V8 for execution (In a simplified version).For those interested in delving deeper and linking the libuv library to gain a more comprehensive grasp of Node.js, let's take a look at a highly simplified representation to enhance our understanding.<pre><code class="language-javascript">// main node process pseudo code (fairly basic)
initialize v8
initilize libuv


function runJavaScriptCode(code):
	v8.execute(code)


function scheduleAsyncI0(task, callback):
	libuv.eventLoop.schedule(task, callback)


function startEventLoop():
	while(True):
		event = libuv.eventLoop.getNextEvent()
		if event
			runJavascriptCode(event.callback)
		if libuv.eventLoop.thereArePendingEvents)
			continue
		else
			break;


main(args):
	userCode = readUserCodeFromFile(args .path) ;
	runJavaScriptCode(userCode)

	startEventLoop()</code></pre>Lastly, to emphasize this concept, let's examine a pseudocode representation of how Node.js manages asynchronous code execution and integrates it into the event loop.Upon running a code snippet like this<img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image2_f70ad08909.png" alt="image2.png">Behind the scenes, Node.js employs a mechanism akin to this<img src="https://content.gorillalogic.com/strapi/image6_28259bde8a.png" alt="image6.png"><h3>Conclusions&nbsp;</h3>Through our exploration, we've come to understand that Node.js acts as a mediator between V8 and libuv, while also introducing its own set of functionalities. Armed with this knowledge, it becomes evident that the scope of V8 primarily involves executing code rooted in ECMAScript, while the array of additional capabilities finds their exposure through the combined efforts of Node.js and libuv.<h4>References</h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.figma.com/file/uzIhbxyRdf6ORkVTZTsIMy/Untitled?type=design&amp;node-id=0-1&amp;mode=design&amp;t=qodFOeRgS7CGhGRW-0">https://www.figma.com/file/uzIhbxyRdf6ORkVTZTsIMy/Untitled?type=design&amp;node-id=0-1&amp;mode=design&amp;t=qodFOeRgS7CGhGRW-0</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cabulous.medium.com/how-v8-javascript-engine-works-5393832d80a7">https://cabulous.medium.com/how-v8-javascript-engine-works-5393832d80a7</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://v8.dev/docs/d8">https://v8.dev/docs/d8</a>

Behind the Scenes of Node.js: The Scope of V8’s Engine

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