Elixir Wizards is an interview-format podcast, focused on engineers who use the Elixir programming language. Initially launched in early 2019, each season focuses on a specific topic or topics, with each interview focusing on the guest's experience and opinions on the topic. Elixir Wizards is hosted by Eric Oestrich and Sundi Myint of SmartLogic, a dev shop that’s been building custom software since 2005 and running Elixir applications in production since 2015. Learn more about how SmartLogic uses Phoenix and Elixir. (https://smartlogic.io/phoenix-and-elixir?utm_source=podcast)
"Saga of a Gnarly Report" with Owen and Dan
In today's episode, Elixir Wizards Owen and Dan delve into the complexities of building advanced reporting features within software applications. They share personal insights and challenges encountered while developing reporting solutions for user-generated data, leveraging both Elixir/Phoenix and Ruby on Rails. The discussion zeroes in on crucial data modeling and architectural decisions that enhance reporting efficiency and flexibility. Owen and Dan explore tactics like materialized views, event sourcing, and database triggers to optimize data handling while being mindful of UX elements like progress indicators and background job management. They share insights on leveraging the Elixir/Beam ecosystem’s strengths—like concurrency and streamlined deployment—to tackle common reporting, caching, and integration challenges. The episode highlights the impact of reporting features across all aspects of a software application’s design and architecture. Key topics discussed in this episode: Reporting on assessment data, survey results, and user metrics Differences between reporting and performance/error monitoring Implementing reporting in Elixir/Phoenix vs. Ruby on Rails Displaying reports in web, printable, PDF, SVG, and CSV formats Challenges of generating PDFs for large data sets Streaming CSV data directly to the client Handling long-running report generation tasks Providing progress indicators and user notifications Strategies for canceling or abandoning incomplete reports Tradeoffs of pre-calculating report data vs. real-time generation Materializing views and denormalizing data for reporting Exploring event sourcing patterns for reporting needs Using database triggers and stored procedures for reporting Balancing data structure optimization for reports vs. day-to-day usage Caching report data for faster retrieval and rendering Charting and visualization integration in reporting systems Links mentioned: Prometheus monitoring system & time series database https://prometheus.io/ Thinking Elixir "FLAME with Chris McCord" https://podcast.thinkingelixir.com/181 Phoenix LiveView Uploads https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/fileuploads.html https://hexdocs.pm/phoenixlive_view/Phoenix.LiveView.UploadWriter.html Postgrex PostgreSQL driver for Elixir https://hexdocs.pm/postgrex/Postgrex.html Ecto https://hexdocs.pm/ecto/Ecto.html Heroku cloud application platform https://www.heroku.com/ Elixir Wizards S9E12 Marcelo Dominguez on Command and Query Responsibility Segregation https://smartlogic.io/podcast/elixir-wizards/s9-e12-marcelo-dominguez-cqrs/ Commanded Elixir CQRS/ES applications https://github.com/commanded/commanded Tailwind CSS Framework https://github.com/tailwindlabs Memcached https://memcached.org/ Redis https://redis.io/ Oban https://hexdocs.pm/oban/Oban.html ETS https://hexdocs.pm/ets/ETS.html Capistrano remote server automation and deployment tool https://capistranorb.com/
"Whose Tailwind is it Anyway?" with Ava Slivkoff
In Elixir Wizards Office Hours Episode 4, SmartLogic Product Designer Ava Slivkoff joins hosts Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford to discuss the product designer's role in software development. Ava shares her experience navigating client expectations, software design principles, and technical constraints. They explore the integration of design and development workflows and how designers and engineers can collaborate to meet a project's specific needs. The conversation emphasizes the value of cross-functional teams and the synergy that can arise when all team members work in harmony to bring a product to life. Key concepts discussed in the episode: The broad scope of the designer role in web app development The value of an MVP in the iterative software design process Challenges of aligning client expectations with design best practices Pros and cons of leveraging pre-built Tailwind CSS styled components Trends and evolution in web design aesthetics and patterns Leveraging open-source design systems like Tailwind UI Balancing technical constraints with design aspirations Communication and trust-building between designers and engineers Workflows for design handoffs and feedback loops Importance of user flows and mapping the product experience Challenges around the implementation of complex UI elements Benefits of regular design review meetings and syncs Fostering empathy and collaboration across disciplines Links mentioned Figma Dev Mode https://www.figma.com/dev-mode/ Tailwind CSS utility-first CSS framework https://tailwindcss.com/ Tailwind UI https://tailwindui.com/ https://devinai.ai/ Special Guest: Ava Slivkoff.
"You've Got a Job to Do" with Joel Meador
Today on Elixir Wizards Office Hours, SmartLogic Engineer Joel Meador joins Dan Ivovich to discuss all things background jobs. The behind-the-scenes heroes of app performance and scalability, background jobs take center stage as we dissect their role in optimizing user experience and managing heavy-lifting tasks away from the main application flow. From syncing with external systems to processing large datasets, background jobs are pivotal to successful application management. Dan and Joel share their perspectives on monitoring, debugging, and securing background jobs, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach to these hidden workflows. Key topics discussed in this episode: The vital role of background jobs in app performance Optimizing user experience through background processing Common pitfalls: resource starvation and latency issues Strategies for effective monitoring and debugging of task runners and job schedulers Data integrity and system security in open source software Background job tools like Oban, Sidekiq, Resque, Cron jobs, Redis pub sub CPU utilization and processing speed Best practices for implementing background jobs Keeping jobs small, focused, and well-monitored Navigating job uniqueness, locking, and deployment orchestration Leveraging asynctask for asynchronous operations The art of continuous improvement in background job management Links mentioned in this episode: https://redis.io/ Oban job processing library https://hexdocs.pm/oban/Oban.html Resque Ruby library for background jobs https://github.com/resque Sidekiq background processing for Ruby https://github.com/sidekiq Delayed Job priority queue system https://github.com/collectiveidea/delayed_job RabbitMQ messaging and streaming broker https://www.rabbitmq.com/ Mnesia distributed telecommunications DBMS https://www.erlang.org/doc/man/mnesia.html Task for Elixir https://hexdocs.pm/elixir/1.12/Task.html ETS in-memory store for Elixir and Erlang objects https://hexdocs.pm/ets/ETS.html Cron - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron Donate to Miami Indians of Indiana https://www.miamiindians.org/take-action Joel Meador on Tumblr https://joelmeador.tumblr.com/ Special Guest: Joel Meador.
"Discovery Discoveries" with Alicia Brindisi and Bri LaVorgna
In Elixir Wizards Office Hours Episode 2, "Discovery Discoveries," SmartLogic's Project Manager Alicia Brindisi and VP of Delivery Bri LaVorgna join Elixir Wizards Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford on an exploratory journey through the discovery phase of the software development lifecycle. This episode highlights how collaboration and communication transform the client-project team dynamic into a customized expedition. The goal of discovery is to reveal clear business goals, understand the end user, pinpoint key project objectives, and meticulously document the path forward in a Product Requirements Document (PRD). The discussion emphasizes the importance of fostering transparency, trust, and open communication. Through a mutual exchange of ideas, we are able to create the most tailored, efficient solutions that meet the client's current goals and their vision for the future. Key topics discussed in this episode: Mastering the art of tailored, collaborative discovery Navigating business landscapes and user experiences with empathy Sculpting project objectives and architectural blueprints Continuously capturing discoveries and refining documentation Striking the perfect balance between flexibility and structured processes Steering clear of scope creep while managing expectations Tapping into collective wisdom for ongoing discovery Building and sustaining a foundation of trust and transparency Links mentioned in this episode: https://smartlogic.io/ Follow SmartLogic on social media: https://twitter.com/smartlogic Contact Bri: bri@smartlogic.io What is a PRD? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Productrequirementsdocument Special Guests: Alicia Brindisi and Bri LaVorgna.
"Testing 1, 2, 3" with Joel Meador and Charles Suggs
The Elixir Wizards Podcast is back with Season 12 Office Hours, where we talk with the internal SmartLogic team about the stages of the software development lifecycle. For the season premiere, "Testing 1, 2, 3," Joel Meador and Charles Suggs join us to discuss the nuances of software testing. In this episode, we discuss everything from testing philosophies to test driven development (TDD), integration, and end-user testing. Our guests share real-world experiences that highlight the benefits of thorough testing, challenges like test maintenance, and problem-solving for complex production environments. Key topics discussed in this episode: How to find a balance that's cost-effective and practical while testing Balancing test coverage and development speed The importance of clear test plans and goals So many tests: Unit testing, integration testing, acceptance testing, penetration testing, automated vs. manual testing Agile vs. Waterfall methodologies Writing readable and maintainable tests Testing edge cases and unexpected scenarios Testing as a form of documentation and communication Advice for developers looking to improve testing practices Continuous integration and deployment Links mentioned: https://smartlogic.io/ Watch this episode on YouTube! youtu.be/unx5AIvSdc Bob Martin “Clean Code” videos - “Uncle Bob”: http://cleancoder.com/ JUnit 5 Testing for Java and the JVM https://junit.org/junit5/ ExUnit Testing for Elixir https://hexdocs.pm/exunit/ExUnit.html Code-Level Testing of Smalltalk Applications https://www.cs.ubc.ca/~murphy/stworkshop/28-7.html Agile Manifesto https://agilemanifesto.org/ Old Man Yells at Cloud https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/019/304/old.jpg TDD: Test Driven Development https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/tdd/ Perl Programming Language https://www.perl.org/ Protractor Test Framework for Angular and AngularJS protractortest.org/#/ Waterfall Project Management https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/waterfall CodeSync Leveling up at Bleacher Report A cautionary tale - PETER HASTIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4SzZCwB8B4 Mix ecto.dump https://hexdocs.pm/ectosql/Mix.Tasks.Ecto.Dump.html Apache JMeter Load Testing in Java https://jmeter.apache.org/ Pentest Tools Collection - Penetration Testing https://github.com/arch3rPro/PentestTools The Road to 2 Million Websocket Connections in Phoenix https://www.phoenixframework.org/blog/the-road-to-2-million-websocket-connections Donate to Miami Indians of Indiana https://www.miamiindians.org/take-action Joel Meador on Tumblr https://joelmeador.tumblr.com/ Special Guests: Charles Suggs and Joel Meador.
Creating a Language: Elixir vs. Roc with José Valim and Richard Feldman (Elixir Wizards X Software Unscripted Podcast)
For the final episode of Elixir Wizards’ Season 11 “Branching Out from Elixir,” we’re featuring a recent discussion from the Software Unscripted podcast. In this conversation, José Valim, creator of Elixir, interviews Richard Feldman, creator of Roc. They compare notes on the process and considerations for creating a language. This episode covers the origins of creating a language, its influences, and how goals shape the tradeoffs in programming language design. José and Richard share anecdotes from their experiences guiding the evolution of Elixir and Roc. The discussion provides an insightful look at the experimentation and learning involved in crafting new languages. Topics discussed in this episode What inspires the creation of a new programming language Goals and use cases for a programming language Influences from Elm, Rust, Haskell, Go, OCaml, and more Tradeoffs involved in expressiveness of type systems Opportunistic mutation for performance gains in a functional language Minimum version selection for dependency resolution Build time considerations with type checking and monomorphization Design experiments and rolling back features that don’t work out History from the first simple interpreter to today's real programming language Design considerations around package management and versioning Participation in Advent of Code to gain new users and feedback Providing performance optimization tools to users in the future Tradeoffs involved in picking integer types and arithmetic Comparing floats and equality checks on dictionaries Using abilities to customize equality for custom types Ensuring availability of multiple package versions for incremental upgrades Treating major version bumps as separate artifacts Roc's focus on single-threaded performance Links mentioned in this episode Software Unscripted Podcast https://feeds.resonaterecordings.com/software-unscripted Roc Programming Language https://www.roc-lang.org/ Roc Lang on Github https://github.com/roc-lang/roc Elm Programming Language https://elm-lang.org/ Elm in Action by Richard Feldman https://www.manning.com/books/elm-in-action Richard Feldman on Github https://github.com/rtfeldman Lua Programming Language https://www.lua.org/ Vimscript Guide https://google.github.io/styleguide/vimscriptfull.xml OCaml Programming Language https://ocaml.org/ Advent of Code https://adventofcode.com/ Roc Language on Twitter https://twitter.com/roclang Richard Feldman on Twitter https://twitter.com/rtfeldman Roc Zulip Chat https://roc.zulipchat.com Clojure Programming Language https://clojure.org/ Talk: Persistent Data Structures and Managed References by Rich Hickey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toD45DtVCFM Koka Programming Language https://koka-lang.github.io/koka/doc/index.html Flix Programming Language https://flix.dev/ Clojure Transients https://clojure.org/reference/transients Haskell Software Transactional Memory https://wiki.haskell.org/Softwaretransactional_memory Rust Traits https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ch10-02-traits.html CoffeeScript https://coffeescript.org/ Cargo Package Management https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ch01-03-hello-cargo.html Versioning in Golang https://research.swtch.com/vgo-principles Special Guests: José Valim and Richard Feldman.
Package Management in Elixir vs. JavaScript with Wojtek Mach & Amal Hussein
Today on Elixir Wizards, Wojtek Mach of HexPM and Amal Hussein, engineering leader and former NPM team member, join Owen Bickford to compare notes on package management in Elixir vs. JavaScript. This lively conversation covers everything from best practices for dependency management to API design, SemVer (semantic versioning), and the dark ages of web development before package managers existed. The guests debate philosophical differences between the JavaScript and Elixir communities. They highlight the JavaScript ecosystem's maturity and identify potential areas of improvement, contrasted against Elixir’s emphasis on minimal dependencies. Both guests encourage engineers to publish packages, even small ones, as a learning opportunity. Topics discussed in this episode: Leveraging community packages rather than reinventing the wheel Vetting packages carefully before adopting them as dependencies Evaluating security, performance, and bundle size when assessing packages Managing transitive dependencies pulled in by packages Why semantic versioning is difficult to consistently enforce Designing APIs with extensibility and backward compatibility in mind Using tools like deprecations to avoid breaking changes in new releases JavaScript’s preference for code reuse over minimization The Elixir community’s minimal dependencies and avoidance of tech debt Challenges in early package management, such as global dependency Learning from tools like Ruby Gems and Bundler to improve experience How log files provide visibility into dependency management actions How lock files pin dependency versions for consistency Publishing packages democratizes access and provides learning opportunities Linting to enforce standards and prevent certain bugs Primitive-focused packages provide flexibility over highly opinionated ones Suggestions for improving documentation and guides Benefits of collaboration between programming language communities Links mentioned in this episode: Node.js https://github.com/nodejs npm JavaScript Package Manager https://github.com/npm JS Party Podcast https://changelog.com/jsparty Dashbit https://dashbit.co/ HexPM Package Manager for Erlang https://hex.pm/ HTTP Client for Elixir https://github.com/wojtekmach/req Ecto Database-Wrapper for Elixir https://github.com/elixir-ecto (Not an ORM) XState Actor-Based State Management for JavaScript https://xstate.js.org/docs/ Supply Chain Protection for JavaScript, Python, and Go https://socket.dev/ MixAudit https://github.com/mirego/mixaudit NimbleTOTP Library for 2FA https://hexdocs.pm/nimbletotp/NimbleTOTP.html Microsoft Azure https://github.com/Azure Patch Package https://www.npmjs.com/package/patch-package Ruby Bundler to manage Gem dependencies https://github.com/rubygems/bundler npm-shrinkwrap https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v10/commands/npm-shrinkwrap SemVer Semantic Versioner for NPM https://www.npmjs.com/package/semver Spec-ulation Keynote - Rich Hickey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyLBGkS5ICk Amal’s favorite Linter https://eslint.org/ Elixir Mint Functional HTTP Client for Elixir https://github.com/elixir-mint Tailwind Open Source CSS Framework https://tailwindcss.com/ WebauthnComponents https://hex.pm/packages/webauthn_components Special Guests: Amal Hussein and Wojtek Mach.
Communities in Tech with Camille Clayton & Scott Tolinski
Today on Elixir Wizards, Camille Clayton, Director of Women Who Code DC, and Scott Tolinski, Co-Host of the Syntax Podcast and Creator of Level Up Tutorials, join hosts Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford to discuss tech community spaces online and IRL. They lay out the blueprint and best practices for fostering an inclusive environment where newcomers feel comfortable and welcome to join the discussion – whether it’s an online forum, YouTube comment sections, social media platform, local meetup, or conference. Topics discussed in this episode: Leaving a space open so newcomers feel empowered to join Celebrating small wins to maintain excitement and build confidence Why consistency is key to building a community with longevity Creating and enforcing a code of conduct to define expectations Finding respectful resolutions for addressing issues or complaints The importance of amplifying underrepresented voices in tech Creating content for all skill levels and adapting to a wider audience How remote meetups broaden the possibilities for attendance and connection Finding the right fit for mentorship Delegation to strengthen community members’ sense of ownership Navigating the new normal of local, in-person gatherings post-pandemic Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.womenwhocode.com/network/dc https://syntax.fm/ https://levelup.video/ https://devopsdays.org/ https://github.com/sveltejs https://github.com/womenwhocodedc https://twitter.com/womenwhocode https://www.remoteworkcalc.com/ https://twitter.com/WomenWhoCodeDC https://www.meetup.com/dc-elixir/ Special Guests: Camille Clayton and Scott Tolinski.
Actor Model and Concurrent Processing in Elixir vs. Clojure and Ruby with Xiang Ji & Nathan Hessler
In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Xiang Ji and Nathan Hessler join hosts Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford to compare actor model implementation in Elixir, Ruby, and Clojure. In Elixir, the actor model is core to how the BEAM VM works, with lightweight processes communicating asynchronously via message passing. GenServers provide a common abstraction for building actors, handling messages, and maintaining internal state. In Ruby, the actor model is represented through Ractors, which currently map to OS threads. They discuss what we can learn by comparing models, understanding tradeoffs between VMs, languages, and concurrency primitives, and how this knowledge can help us choose the best tools for a project. Topics discussed in this episode: Difference between actor model and shared memory concurrency Isolation of actor state and communication via message passing BEAM VM design for high concurrency via lightweight processes GenServers as common abstraction for building stateful actors GenServer callbacks for message handling and state updates Agents as similar process abstraction to GenServers Shared state utilities like ETS for inter-process communication Global Interpreter Lock in older Ruby VMs Ractors as initial actor implementation in Ruby mapping to threads Planned improvements to Ruby concurrency in 3.3 Akka implementation of actor model on JVM using thread scheduling Limitations of shared memory concurrency on JVM Project Loom bringing lightweight processes to JVM Building GenServer behavior in Ruby using metaprogramming CSP model of communication using channels in Clojure Differences between BEAM scheduler and thread-based VMs Comparing Elixir to academic languages like Haskell Remote and theScore are hiring! Links mentioned in this episode: theScore is hiring! https://www.thescore.com/ Remote is also hiring! https://remote.com/ Comparing the Actor Model and CSP with Elixir and Clojure (https://xiangji.me/2023/12/18/comparing-the-actor-model-and-csp-with-elixir-and-clojure/) Blog Post by Xiang Ji Comparing the Actor model & CSP concurrency with Elixir & Clojure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQCQKPRNCI) Xiang Ji at ElixirConf EU 2022 Clojure Programming Language https://clojure.org/ Akka https://akka.io/ Go Programming Language https://github.com/golang/go Proto Actor for Golang https://proto.actor/ RabbitMQ Open-Source Message Broker Software https://github.com/rabbitmq JVM Project Loom https://github.com/openjdk/loom Ractor for Ruby https://docs.ruby-lang.org/en/master/ractor_md.html Seven Concurrency Models in Seven Weeks: When Threads Unravel (https://pragprog.com/titles/pb7con/seven-concurrency-models-in-seven-weeks/)by Paul Butcher Seven Languages in Seven Weeks (https://pragprog.com/titles/btlang/seven-languages-in-seven-weeks/) by Bruce A. Tate GenServer https://hexdocs.pm/elixir/1.12/GenServer.html ets https://www.erlang.org/doc/man/ets.html Elixir in Action (https://pragprog.com/titles/btlang/seven-languages-in-seven-weeks/) by Saša Jurić Redis https://github.com/redis/redis Designing for Scalability with Erlang/OTP (https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/designing-for-scalability/9781449361556/) by Francesco Cesarini & Steve Vinoski Discord Blog: Using Rust to Scale Elixir for 11 Million Concurrent Users (https://discord.com/blog/using-rust-to-scale-elixir-for-11-million-concurrent-users) Xiang's website https://xiangji.me/ Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/feeling-good-the-new-mood-therapy-by-david-d-burns/250046/?resultid=7691fb71-d8f9-4435-a7a3-db3441d2272b#edition=2377541&idiq=3913925) by David D. Burns Special Guests: Nathan Hessler and Xiang Ji.
Static Code Analysis in Elixir vs. Ruby with René Föhring & Marc-André Lafortune
In this episode of Elixir Wizards, hosts Owen and Dan are joined by René Föhring, creator of Credo for Elixir, and Marc-André LaFortune, head maintainer of the RuboCop AST library for Ruby. They compare static code analysis in Ruby versus Elixir. The conversation explores the intricacies and challenges inherent in static code analysis across object-oriented and functional programming paradigms, highlighting the unique characteristics of both Ruby and Elixir. Key topics of discussion include the ways these tools can enhance coding styles and empower developers, the delicate balance between providing guidance and enforcing rules, and the evolving future of code analysis in these languages. Topics discussed in this episode: The differences and applications between static and dynamic analysis How Credo aims to offer flexible and educational guidance for Elixir developers The complexities of method identification in Ruby and its impact on static analysis Challenges posed by macros and dynamic code modification during compilation in Elixir Reducing false positives in code analysis tools to minimize developer frustration Promoting uniform coding practices through analysis tools The significance of using analysis tools with clear, specific objectives How coding standards can refine and improve coding styles over time Building analysis tools and checks through an understanding of Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) Potential advancements in the analysis of Phoenix templates and HTML in Elixir Contrasting approaches to managing code and comments in Elixir and Ruby ASTs The fine line between providing helpful guidance and imposing stylistic preferences Heuristics in static analysis highlight inconsistencies without mandating style The potential for more straightforward pattern matching in ASTs with future updates The importance of a gradual implementation of tool updates to maintain backward compatibility Creating tools that support and empower developers, rather than hinder them How static analysis contributes to cleaner, more maintainable codebases Potential future developments in the field of static code analysis Practical applications of using linters like Credo and RuboCop in software development Links mentioned in this episode: Credo https://github.com/rrrene/credo https://hexdocs.pm/credo/overview.html Dogma: A code style linter for Elixir https://github.com/lpil/dogma https://github.com/rubocop/rubocop RuboCop's AST extensions and NodePattern functionality https://github.com/rubocop/rubocop-ast https://github.com/whitequark/parser https://hex.pm/packages?search=credo&sort=recentdownloads https://github.com/doorgan/sourceror https://github.com/rrrene/credo/blob/master/lib/credo/check/readability/largenumbers.ex Special Guests: Marc-André Lafortune and René Föhring.
Web Development Frameworks: Elixir and Phoenix vs. Ruby on Rails with Owen Bickford & Dan Ivovich
On today’s episode, Elixir Wizards Owen Bickford and Dan Ivovich compare notes on building web applications with Elixir and the Phoenix Framework versus Ruby on Rails. They discuss the history of both frameworks, key differences in architecture and approach, and deciding which programming language to use when starting a project. Both Phoenix and Rails are robust frameworks that enable developers to build high-quality web apps—Phoenix leverages functional programming in Elixir and Erlang’s networking for real-time communication. Rails follows object-oriented principles and has a vast ecosystem of plug-ins. For data-heavy CRUD apps, Phoenix's immutable data pipelines provide some advantages. Developers can build great web apps with either Phoenix or Rails. Phoenix may have a slight edge for new projects based on its functional approach, built-in real-time features like LiveView, and ability to scale efficiently. But, choosing the right tech stack depends heavily on the app's specific requirements and the team's existing skills. Topics discussed in this episode: History and evolution of Phoenix Framework and Ruby on Rails Default project structure and code organization preferences in each framework Comparing object-oriented vs functional programming paradigms CRUD app development and interaction with databases Live reloading capabilities in Phoenix LiveView vs Rails Turbolinks Leveraging WebSockets for real-time UI updates Testing frameworks like RSpec, Cucumber, Wallaby, and Capybara Dependency management and size of standard libraries Scalability and distribution across nodes Readability and approachability of object-oriented code Immutability and data pipelines in functional programming Types, specs, and static analysis with Dialyzer Monkey patching in Ruby vs extensible core language in Elixir Factors to consider when choosing between frameworks Experience training new developers on Phoenix and Rails Community influences on coding styles Real-world project examples and refactoring approaches Deployment and dev ops differences Popularity and adoption curves of both frameworks Ongoing research into improving Phoenix and Rails Links Mentioned in this Episode: SmartLogic.io (https://smartlogic.io/) Dan’s LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/divovich/) Owen’s LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-bickford-8b6b1523a/) Ruby https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ Rails https://rubyonrails.org/ Sams Teach Yourself Ruby in 21 Days (https://www.overdrive.com/media/56304/sams-teach-yourself-ruby-in-21-days) Learn Ruby in 7 Days (https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/learn-ruby-in-7-days---color-print---ruby-tutorial-for-guaranteed-quick-learning-ruby-guide-with-many-practical-examples-this-ruby-programming-book--to-build-real-life-software-projects/18539364/#edition=19727339&idiq=25678249) Build Your Own Ruby on Rails Web Applications (https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/build-your-own-ruby-on-rails-web-applications_patrick-lenz/725256/item/2315989/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=low_vol_backlist_standard_shopping_customer_acquisition&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=593118743925&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64aQyFawuU3znN0VFgGyjR0I-0vrXlseIvht0QPOqx4DjKjdpgjCMZhoC6PcQAvD_BwE#idiq=2315989&edition=3380836) Django https://github.com/django Sidekiq https://github.com/sidekiq Kafka https://kafka.apache.org/ Phoenix Framework https://www.phoenixframework.org/ Phoenix LiveView https://hexdocs.pm/phoenixliveview/Phoenix.LiveView.html#content Flask https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/3.0.x/ WebSockets API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebSockets_API WebSocket connection for Phoenix https://github.com/phoenixframework/websock Morph Dom https://github.com/patrick-steele-idem/morphdom Turbolinks https://github.com/turbolinks Ecto https://github.com/elixir-ecto Capybara Testing Framework https://teamcapybara.github.io/capybara/ Wallaby Testing Framework https://wallabyjs.com/ Cucumber Testing Framework https://cucumber.io/ RSpec https://rspec.info/
Garbage Collection in Erlang vs JVM/Akka with Manuel Rubio & Dan Plyukhin
Today on Elixir Wizards, Manuel Rubio, author of Erlang/OTP: A Concurrent World and Dan Plyukhin, creator of the UIGC Actor Garbage Collector for Akka, join host Dan Ivovich to compare notes on garbage collection in actor models. The discussion digs into the similarities and differences of actor-based garbage collection in Erlang and Akka and introduces Dan's research on how to perform garbage collection in a distributed actor system. Topics discussed: Akka is akin to Erlang actors for the JVM using Scala, with similar principles like supervision trees, messages, and clustering Erlang uses generational garbage collection and periodically copies live data to the old heap for long-lived elements Actor GC aims to determine when an actor's memory can be reclaimed automatically rather than manually killing actors Distributed actor GC is more challenging than object GC due to the distributed nature and relationships between actors across nodes Challenges include reasoning about failures like dropped messages and crashed nodes GC balance requires optimization of resource release and CPU load management Immutability helps Erlang GC, but copying data for messages impacts performance Research into distributed actor GC is still ongoing, with opportunities for improvement Fault tolerance in Erlang relies on user implementation rather than low-level guarantees Asynchronous messages in Erlang/Elixir mean references may become invalid which is similar to the distributed GC approaches in Dan's research Idempotent messaging is recommended to handle possible duplicates from failures Help your local researcher! Researchers encourage communication from practitioners on challenges and use cases Links mentioned: Erlang/OTP Volume 1: A Concurrent World by Manuel Rubio https://altenwald.com/en/book/en-erlang-i Scala https://www.scala-lang.org/ Akka Framework https://github.com/akka JVM (Java Virtual Machine) https://www.java.com/en/download/ The BEAM VM https://www.erlang.org/blog/a-brief-beam-primer/ Hadoop Framework https://hadoop.apache.org/ Pony Programming Language https://www.ponylang.io/ SLSA Framework https://github.com/slsa-framework Paxos Algorithm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxos(computerscience) Raft library for maintaining a replicated state machine https://github.com/etcd-io/raft https://dplyukhin.github.io/ Dan Plyukhin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dplyukhin Dan Plyukhin’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFG9RhkWNnUhosC3l99Y8Zw UIGC on GitHub https://github.com/dplyukhin/UIGC https://altenwald.com/ Manuel Rubio on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MRonErlang Special Guests: Dan Plyukhin and Manuel Rubio.
Machine Learning in Elixir vs. Python, SQL, and Matlab with Katelynn Burns & Alexis Carpenter
In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Katelynn Burns, software engineer at LaunchScout, and Alexis Carpenter, senior data scientist at cars.com, join Host Dan Ivovich to discuss machine learning with Elixir, Python, SQL, and MATLAB. They compare notes on available tools, preprocessing, working with pre-trained models, and training models for specific jobs. The discussion inspires collaboration and learning across communities while revealing the foundational aspects of ML, such as understanding data and asking the right questions to solve problems effectively. Topics discussed: Using pre-trained models in Bumblebee for Elixir projects Training models using Python and SQL The importance of data preprocessing before building models Popular tools used for machine learning in different languages Getting started with ML by picking a personal project topic of interest Resources for ML aspirants, such as online courses, tutorials, and books The potential for Elixir to train more customized models in the future Similarities between ML approaches in different languages Collaboration opportunities across programming communities Choosing the right ML approach for the problem you're trying to solve Productionalizing models like fine-tuned LLM's The need for hands-on practice for learning ML skills Continued maturation of tools like Bumblebee in Elixir Katelynn's upcoming CodeBeam talk on advanced motion tracking Links mentioned in this episode https://launchscout.com/ https://www.cars.com/ Genetic Algorithms in Elixir (https://pragprog.com/titles/smgaelixir/genetic-algorithms-in-elixir/) by Sean Moriarity Machine Learning in Elixir (https://pragprog.com/titles/smelixir/machine-learning-in-elixir/) by Sean Moriarity https://github.com/elixir-nx/bumblebee https://github.com/huggingface https://www.docker.com/products/docker-hub/ Programming with MATLAB (https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/programming-with-matlab.html) https://elixirforum.com/ https://pypi.org/project/pyspark/ Machine Learning Course (https://online.stanford.edu/courses/cs229-machine-learning) from Stanford School of Engineering Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow (https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/hands-on-machine-learning/9781492032632/) by Aurélien Géron Data Science for Business (https://data-science-for-biz.com/) by Foster Provost & Tom Fawcett https://medium.com/@carscomtech https://github.com/k-burns Code Beam America (https://codebeamamerica.com/) March, 2024 Special Guests: Alexis Carpenter and Katelynn Burns.
Embedded Systems in Elixir vs. C, C++, and Java with Connor Rigby & Taylor Barto
This week on Elixir Wizards, Connor Rigby, Software Engineer at SmartRent, and Taylor Barto, Lead Embedded Software Engineer at Eaton, join Sundi Myint to compare notes on embedded systems development with Elixir, C, C++, and Java. They discuss using Elixir and the Nerves framework for firmware projects versus more traditional choices like C. The guests ask one another questions and gain valuable insights into challenges, tooling, resources, and more across different embedded ecosystems. In this episode, the guests expand their perspectives and demystify the concept of embedded systems for engineers outside the field. This cross-language exchange of ideas and experiences inspires continued learning and collaboration between embedded software engineers using different programming languages. Topics Discussed: Defining "true embedded": using an operating system vs. bare metal programming Benefits and drawbacks of Elixir, C, C++, and Java for firmware Many embedded systems today use Java as the programming language via Java Native Interface (JNI) to interface with C/C++ code How Elixir expands the toolbox available for firmware projects Testing, tooling, workflows, and debugging across languages Elixir/Nerves features like hot code reloading and testing vs. Java alternatives Learning curves for new languages and frameworks Industry trends around established vs emerging tools Applying functional programming principles like immutability in new domains Scaling firmware updates across large connected networks Continued maturation of Nerves may bring Elixir into consideration for roles where Java is commonly used today Hardening systems for reliability in safety-critical uses Debugging differences between web development and embedded Hiring considerations for niche languages Additional skills needed for embedded engineers, such as technical writing, reading schematics, and writing test instructions Resources and recommendations for getting started with embedded systems Links Mentioned: Nerves: https://github.com/nerves-project/nerves https://nerves-project.org/ AtomVM: https://github.com/atomvm/AtomVM GRiSP: https://github.com/grisp RISC-V: https://github.com/ultraembedded/riscv https://smartrent.com/ https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us.html Zig Programming Language: https://github.com/ziglang Docker: https://github.com/docker Build a Weather Station with Elixir and Nerves (https://pragprog.com/titles/passweather/build-a-weather-station-with-elixir-and-nerves/) by Alexander Koutmos, Bruce A. Tate, Frank Hunleth Build a Binary Clock with Elixir and Nerves (https://pragprog.com/titles/thnerves/build-a-binary-clock-with-elixir-and-nerves/) by Frank Hunleth and Bruce A. Tate http://esp32.net/ https://www.nordicsemi.com/ Special Guests: Connor Rigby and Taylor Barto.
ECS / Game Development with Elixir vs. Python, JavaScript, React with Dorian Iacobescu & Daniel Luu
In Episode 4, the Elixir Wizards are joined by Dorian Iacobescu, author of the ECSpanse ECS library for Elixir, and Daniel Luu, founder and CEO of the game development studio AKREW. The guests compare notes on backend game development using ECS, the Entity Component System approach. Akrew is currently building the multiplayer game Galactic Getaway using the Photon Unity networking framework, which employs ECS. They discuss challenges like collections of component types and persistence beyond runtime, building games for various platforms like MacOS, and handling inventory storage in a backend database. Game development is complex and has many technical hurdles, but open communication across different programming communities and game development approaches can foster collaboration, innovation, and continued learning. Topics Discussed in this Episode Dorian explains the ECSpanse ECS library and component-based architecture Dorian took inspiration for ECSpanse from the Rust library Bevy ECS and its component-based API The guests discuss popular game development platforms and languages, including C#, JavaScript, and Godot Owen and Daniel translate ECS concepts to familiar database and backend terminology for devs without game-specific experience ECSpanse uses many tools from the Elixir Erlang toolbox, including GenServers, ETS tables, tasks, queries, and Phoenix LiveView ECS challenges representing inventory collections that broke typical ECS singleton patterns AKREW is developing Galactic Getaway using the Photon Unity framework Relationships between parent and child entities in ECSpanse Persistence, serialization, and replay features to save game state Optimizing assets and code for performance on various devices Links Mentioned https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entitycomponentsystem https://iacobson.medium.com/elixir-for-fun-ecspanse-2852a7993ecd https://hexdocs.pm/ecspanse/Ecspanse.html https://bevyengine.org/learn/book/getting-started/ecs/ https://www.photonengine.com/quantum Add Galactic Getaway to your Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2012390/GalacticGetaway/ https://godotengine.org/ https://unity.com/ https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/scripting/gdscript/gdscriptbasics.html https://www.tiktok.com/@galacticgetaway https://docs.rs/bevyecs/latest/bevyecs/ Special Guests: Daniel Luu and Dorian Iacobescu.