After writing the lexer I could turn any math expression into a set of tokens. However, they were still organised as a list and couldn't be used to do any useful work. To go from a list of tokens to a program, I needed to write a parser.

The goal …

Trying to build a complex program in Python is like trying to build a house out of jello. I love it, but while Python's delicious, flexible, and lacks the annoying quirks of most languages, this relaxed nature is a dire problem for complex projects. Python uses duck typing:

If it …

Many of my students ask questions like:

• How long does it take to get your first job?
• How do I know I'm ready to apply for jobs?
• What do I need to know to get my first programming job?

They are often frustrated when I say "it depends". But this …

If you want the short answer: probably not. If you want the long answer, read on.

I recently had an interesting conversation with one of my clients. They were very concerned about the impact that advanced AI like GPT-4 would have on the market for programming jobs. In other words …

If you search the internet, you'll find a ton of information about portable Linux distros such as Slax. But most articles just give a list of what's out there and popular without taking the time to explain how to set them up - and believe me, the set up process for …

I was overwhelmed. I’d made a kanban board with fifty cards, each beautifully color-coded and allocated story points. I’d organised my calendar beautifully, mapping out the free time to write code every day that week. I’d constructed a burn-down chart and factored in my doctors’ appointment, sleep …

This is part of a series of short articles on rational tools to help you be more productive while still practicing self-care. To jump to the summary, click here.

Do you procrastinate? How much? Do you feel like you could achieve more if you procrastinated less? Wouldn’t it be …

Learning Chinese from textbooks and school courses can be a weird experience when you try to apply it in the real world. Sure, you just learned the grammar to say "My friend cooks poorly" wǒ de péngyǒu zuò fàn zuò bù hǎo; 我的朋友做饭做不 …

Zhuyin (or Bopomofo) is the main phonetic writing system in Taiwan. But a lot of language schools in both Taiwan and the West don't teach it. This is because Zhuyin is harder to learn for English speakers, and only used in Taiwan. Rather than being a reading and writing system …

Or: 8 Tips To Not Burn Out

If you're not familiar with it, Anki is a flashcard app which can help you memorise any kind of information. It's a great tool for situations where you need to focus on remembering details, facts, or pieces of information. A lot of language …