{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blog-list-template-js","path":"/engineering/24","result":{"data":{"allMarkdownRemark":{"edges":[{"node":{"excerpt":"Apple's smartphone OS running on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch hardware is iOS. For these computers, Apple offers tools and services for…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/getting-started-with-ios-app-development/"},"html":"

Apple's smartphone OS running on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch hardware is iOS. For these computers, Apple offers tools and services for developing iOS apps and accessories.

\n

You can use React Native (JavaScript) or Xamarin (C# & F#) as an iOS developer to programme in native languages like Swift or Objective-C or build native cross-platform applications.

\n

In this article, we'll explore how to build iOS apps. We're going to look at how you can learn to develop an iOS application and play with existing apps.

\n

As with learning something new, learning to build iOS is difficult. Although, It is enjoyable, exciting, and satisfying!

\n

Here's what we'll get into:

\n
    \n
  1. Setup your MAC for ios app development
    2. \n
  2. Setup, your editor for ios application
    3. \n
  3. Create your first ios app
    4. \n
  4. Run the ios application
    5. \n
\n

You will have a step-by-step plan to learn how to create an ios app when you have completed reading this guide. You know precisely what you should do, what steps you should take, and how you should take them. Yeah, and you don't need any coding experience to get started.

\n

So let's get started...

\n

1. Setup your MAC for ios app development

\n

Apple prefers a closed ecosystem over an open system. iOS can only be run on Apple's own devices, including the iPhone and iPad.

\n

We can run Mac on window machines using VMWare or Hackintosh, but these are not recommended for iOS coding purposes.\nSo basically, as an iOS developer, you will need a Mac for the development/debugging/testing of an iOS app.

\n

2. Setup, your editor for ios application

\n

To start developing iOS apps, Xcode is the only tool you need to download. Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) provided by Apple. It includes the iOS SDK (Software Development Kit), a source code editor(UI), debugging tools, and much more.

\n

Many helping tools and needed simulators with a particular iOS version can be installed and added to Xcode.\nYou will need to have an Apple ID to download Xcode, deploy your app to a real iPhone/iPad for testing, and download any other software from AppStore.

\n

Apple ID is used to authenticate a user in Apple devices. You may create it by visiting the apple official site.

\n

To install Xcode, go to the Mac App Store. App Store can be found in the dock. Login there with your Apple ID. In the Mac App Store, search \"Xcode\" and click the \"Get\" button to download it.

\n

\n

3. Create your first ios app

\n

Now click and launch Xcode. Choose create a new Xcode project option to make a new project. Then choose the Single View App option as a type of the project and click Next. It will come with one view controller and a storyboard that you can customize further.

\n

Let's name your project as HelloWorld as per the convention 😉. Choose Team None for now. Select Swift as Language, click Next, and you are ready with your empty app doing nothing yet.

\n
\n

Note: For creating a native iOS app, you have to use one from Objective-c or Swift. Swift is a new and easy language provided by Apple, got so much popularity in less time.

\n
\n

\n

Not to worry, you will soon modify your created app saying Hello to the World. 😍\nIn Xcode, you can navigate to a file or folder from the code editor's left panel. The right panel of the code editor, called Utility Area, will help you dealing with views or any component in the storyboard.

\n

On the top toolbar, you can see the Run and Stop buttons. At the bottom of the code area, you can see the debug/console area with breakpoint and other runtime tools.

\n

\n

Now find and open Main.storyboard in the project directory by clicking on it. The storyboard is a file to design your view to show and layout all the components such as buttons, labels, lists, tab and navigation bars, and many more. Here you will see a blank view. Select the view by clicking on it.

\n

From Xcode 10 or above, for objects like a label to add, click on View menu in menu bar>click Show Library and drag the label to focused view. Or in older Xcode, you may find Object Library in the bottom right part of Xcode. Now double click on the label you have dropped on the view and change it's text to Hello World!

\n

\n

Feeling excited? 😃

\n

Here you go with your first-ever app on screen

\n

4. Run the ios application

\n

Select the device destination or simulator from the Xcode screen's top left near the Run/Stop button. And press Command ⌘ + R to run the app or click the run button. It will initiate the iOS simulator and run your first app.

\n

For running the app on a real device, connect the device via cable to Mac. The device will automatically be shown in the list of device destinations. Now select the device and press Command ⌘ + R.

\n

\n

Share your first app with your parents and friends, and feel proud. 👏

\n

\"HelloWorld\"

\n
\n

Note: If you want to debug or run any existing app/demo instead of developing your own. For example, You might have some projects downloaded from Github on your local system. Now follow the instructions from project's Github to explore the project.\nOpen the project in Xcode and run in a simulator or real device by following step 4 described above.

\n
\n

That's it.

\n

Conclusion

\n

It's incredibly entertaining and satisfying to create your app idea. It's not just the result that counts-what makes it worth it is the gradual progress of improving, learning, and refining. And in the process, you will cultivate a special, employable skill of iOS development.

\n

I hope you liked this tutorial. Kindly share the blog and comment for any query or suggestion.

\n

To learn more about iOS applications, you can check out this article on “How to obtain iOS application logs without Mac” to learn about ios app logs in mac.

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 19, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"I will guide you through the best approach to learning how to develop iOS apps in this post, so you can build and publish your own iOS apps from scratch.","title":"iOS App Development: How To Make Your First App","tags":["ios","swift","xcode","mac"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5267175572519085,"src":"/static/dde63430f9de95dd6a3ca8d01bdc5f00/58556/CoverImage.webp","srcSet":"/static/dde63430f9de95dd6a3ca8d01bdc5f00/61e93/CoverImage.webp 200w,\n/static/dde63430f9de95dd6a3ca8d01bdc5f00/1f5c5/CoverImage.webp 400w,\n/static/dde63430f9de95dd6a3ca8d01bdc5f00/58556/CoverImage.webp 800w,\n/static/dde63430f9de95dd6a3ca8d01bdc5f00/cc834/CoverImage.webp 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Tanvi Jain","github":"tanvijn","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"We'll talk about Apache Beam in this guide and discuss its fundamental concepts. We will begin by showing the features and advantages of…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/apache-beam/"},"html":"

We'll talk about Apache Beam in this guide and discuss its fundamental concepts. We will begin by showing the features and advantages of using Apache Beam, and then we will cover basic concepts and terminologies.

\n

Ever since the concept of big data got introduced to the programming world, a lot of different technologies, frameworks have emerged. The processing of data can be categorized into two different paradigms. One is Batch Processing, and the other is Stream Processing.

\n

Different technologies came into existence for different paradigms, solving various big data world problems, for, e.g., Apache Spark, Apache Flink, Apache Storm, etc.

\n

As a developer or a business, it's always challenging to maintain different tech stacks and technologies. Hence, Apache Beam to the rescue!

\n

\"Timeline

\n

What is Apache Beam?

\n

Apache Beam is an open source, centralised model for describing parallel-processing pipelines for both batch and streaming data. The programming model of the Apache Beam simplifies large-scale data processing dynamics.

\n

The Apache Beam model offers helpful abstractions that insulate you from distributed processing information at low levels, such as managing individual staff, exchanging databases, and other activities. These low-level information are handled entirely by Dataflow.

\n

\"Beam-Model\"

\n

Features of Apache Beam

\n

The unique features of Apache beam are as follows:

\n
    \n
  1. Unified - Use a single programming model for both batch and streaming use cases.
    2. \n
  2. Portable - Execute pipelines in multiple execution environments. Here, execution environments mean different runners. Ex. Spark Runner, Dataflow Runner, etc
    3. \n
  3. Extensible - Write custom SDKs, IO connectors, and transformation libraries.
    4. \n
\n

Apache Beam SDKs and Runners

\n

As of today, there are 3 Apache beam programming SDKs

\n
    \n
  1. Java
    2. \n
  2. Python
    3. \n
  3. Golang
    4. \n
\n

Beam Runners translate the beam pipeline to the API compatible backend processing of your choice. Beam currently supports runners that work with the following backends.

\n
    \n
  1. Apache Spark
    2. \n
  2. Apache Flink
    3. \n
  3. Apache Samza
    4. \n
  4. Google Cloud Dataflow
    5. \n
  5. Hazelcast Jet
    6. \n
  6. Twister2
    7. \n
\n

Direct Runner to run on the host machine, which is used for testing purposes.

\n

Basic Concepts in Apache Beam

\n

Apache Beam has three main abstractions. They are

\n
    \n
  1. Pipeline
    2. \n
  2. PCollection
    3. \n
  3. PTransform
    4. \n
\n

\"Beam-Pipeline\"

\n

Pipeline:

\n

A pipeline is the first abstraction to be created. It holds the complete data processing job from start to finish, including reading data, manipulating data, and writing data to a sink. Every pipeline takes in options/parameters that indicate where and how to run.

\n

PCollection:

\n

A pcollection is an abstraction of distributed data. A pcollection can be bounded, i.e., finite data, or unbounded, i.e., infinite data. The initial pcollection is created by reading data from the source. From then on, pcollections are the source and sink of every step in the pipeline.

\n

Transform:

\n

A transform is a data processing operation. A transform is applied on one or more pcollections. Complex transforms have other transform nested within them. Every transform has a generic apply method where the logic of the transform sits in.

\n

Example of Pipeline

\n

Here, let's write a pipeline to output all the jsons where the name starts with a vowel.

\n

Let's take a sample input. Name the file as input.json

\n
{"name":"abhi", "score":12}\n{"name":"virat", "score":23}\n{"name":"dhoni", "score":45}\n{"name":"rahul", "score": 156}\n{"name": "Edmund"}\n{"name": "Ojha"}
\n

The input should be a newline delimited JSON.

\n

Include the following dependencies in your pom.xml

\n
<dependency>\n    <groupId>org.apache.beam</groupId>\n    <artifactId>beam-sdks-java-core</artifactId>\n    <version>2.24.0</version>\n</dependency>\n\n<dependency>\n    <groupId>org.apache.beam</groupId>\n    <artifactId>beam-runners-direct-java</artifactId>\n    <version>2.24.0</version>\n</dependency>
\n

Let's code the beam pipeline. Follow the steps

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Create a pipeline.

    \n
    Pipeline pipeLine = Pipeline.create();\n// OR \n// Pipeline pipeLine = Pipeline.create(options);
    \n

    Create a pipeline which binds all the pcollections and transforms. Optionally you can pass the PipelineOptions options if needed.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    Read the input file

    \n
    PCollection<String> inputCollection = pipeLine.apply("Read My File", TextIO.read().from("input.json"));
    \n

    Use the TextIO transform to read the input files. Every line is a different json record.

    \n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    Apply a transform to filter out the names starting from a vowel

    \n
    PCollection filteredCollection = inputCollection.apply("Filter names starting with vowels", Filter.by(new SerializableFunction<String, Boolean>() {\n\n        public Boolean apply(String input) {\n            ObjectMapper jacksonObjMapper = new ObjectMapper();\n            try {\n                JsonNode jsonNode = jacksonObjMapper.readTree(input);\n                String name = jsonNode.get("name").textValue();\n                return vowels.contains(name.substring(0,1).toLowerCase());\n            } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {\n                e.printStackTrace();\n            }\n            return false;\n        }\n    }))
    \n

    The filter transform takes a SerializableFunction Object where the apply method is overridden. Every json-string record is converted to a JSON. The first character of the name is checked if it's a vowel. The transform is applied to each input JSON record. Based on the boolean value returned, the record is retained or discarded.

    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    Write the results to a file

    \n
    inputCollection.apply("write to file", TextIO.write().to("result").withSuffix(".txt").withoutSharding());
    \n

    The results of the Filter transform are stored in a text file using the write method of the TextIO transform. As PCollections are distributed across machines, the results are written to multiple files/shards. To avoid this, we use withoutSharding where all the output is written to a single file.

    \n
    5. \n
\n

Output:

\n
{"name": "Edmund"}\n{"name": "Ojha"}\n{"name":"abhi", "score":12}
\n
\n

Complete Code:

\n
Pipeline pipeLine = Pipeline.create();\n\nfinal Set<String> vowels = new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList("a","e","i","o","u"));\n\npipeLine.apply("Read My File",\n                TextIO.read().from("input.json"))\n        .apply("Filter names starting with vowels", Filter.by(new SerializableFunction<String, Boolean>() {\n\n            public Boolean apply(String input) {\n                ObjectMapper jacksonObjMapper = new ObjectMapper();\n                try {\n                    JsonNode jsonNode = jacksonObjMapper.readTree(input);\n                    String name = jsonNode.get("name").textValue();\n                    return vowels.contains(name.substring(0,1).toLowerCase());\n                } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {\n                    e.printStackTrace();\n                }\n                return false;\n            }\n        }))\n        .apply("write to file", TextIO.write().to("result").withSuffix(".txt").withoutSharding());\n\npipeLine.run().waitUntilFinish();
\n

For more advanced concepts, refer to the official site - beam.apache.org

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 16, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"Apache Beam simplifies large-scale data processing dynamics. Let’s read more about the features, basic concepts, and the fundamentals of Apache beam.","title":"Apache Beam: A Basic Guide","tags":["Engineering","Big Data","Streaming","Apache Beam","Java"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/8afbe1aebda6504f38c81e81dee39f35/58556/main.webp","srcSet":"/static/8afbe1aebda6504f38c81e81dee39f35/61e93/main.webp 200w,\n/static/8afbe1aebda6504f38c81e81dee39f35/1f5c5/main.webp 400w,\n/static/8afbe1aebda6504f38c81e81dee39f35/58556/main.webp 800w,\n/static/8afbe1aebda6504f38c81e81dee39f35/99238/main.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Abhilash K R","github":"Better-Boy","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"In this article, we'll talk about the basic concept of virtual environment in python - what it is and how to use it and also how to build…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/python-virtual-environments/"},"html":"

In this article, we'll talk about the basic concept of virtual environment in python - what it is and how to use it and also how to build and manage separate environments for your Python projects using virtual environments.

\n

What is a virtual environment?

\n

A virtual environment is simply a tool that separates the dependencies of different projects by creating a separate isolated environment for each project.

\n

These are simply the directories so that unlimited virtual environments can be created. This is one of the popular tools used by most of the Python developers.

\n

Why do we need a virtual environment?

\n

Python has various modules and packages for different applications. During our project, it may require a third-party library, which we install. Another project also uses the same directory for retrieval and storage but doesn't require any other third-party packages.

\n

So, the virtual environment can come into play and make a separate isolated environment for both projects, and each project can store and retrieve packages from their specific environment.

\n

Also, let us consider another case where we are creating a web application using Django. Suppose you are working on two projects project1 and project2.

\n

If project1 uses Django-2.2 and project2 uses Django-3.2, they would be stored in the same directory with the same name, and the error may occur. Then, in such cases, virtual environments can be really helpful for you to maintain the dependencies of both the projects.

\n

How does a virtual environment work?

\n

To create a virtual environment, we need a module named virtualenv. It creates a folder with all the necessary executables to run Python projects. Make sure pip is installed on your computer. If not, then use the following command:

\n

\"Pip\"

\n

Install virtualenv:

\n

Open the terminal and paste the following command to install a virtualenv:

\n

\"Install\"

\n

Check your version of virtualenv:

\n

If you want to confirm whether it is installed or not, paste the command below in your terminal:

\n

\"Check\"

\n

Create a virtual environment:

\n

After successful installation of virtualenv, now you can create a virtual environment with your desired name using following command:

\n

\"Check\"

\n

Here, I created venv as the name of my virtual environment. You can name it whatever you desire. The folder with the name venv is created that contains all the necessary executables to run the Python project. This is the folder where all your python packages will run.

\n

To specify the Python interpreter of your choice, you can do it easily by specifying Python{version-name}.\nEg: To create python2.7 virtual environment, we use following command:

\n

\"Version\"

\n

After successfully creating the virtual environment, you need to activate it to enter into that particular isolated environment. Always remember to activate the required virtual environment before working on the project. To activate it, we move to the location where the name of your desired virtual environment is located and follow the command below:

\n

\"Activate\"

\n

Note: Instead of venv, you write the name of your virtual environment you created.

\n

In Windows,

\n

\"Windows\"

\n

After activating the virtual environment, you can see your name on the virtual environment on the terminal's left side. It confirms the activation of your virtual environment and is currently active.

\n

\"Activated\"

\n

Finally, you successfully created and activated your virtual environment. Now, you can install the dependencies and requirements your project asks for without interfering with other projects.

\n

Once you completed your work, then you can return to the system default environment by just using the deactivate command as shown below:

\n\"Deactivate\"\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 16, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"We'll cover the basics of virtual environments in this guide and how to use them. We will then take a closer look at how virtual environments actually work.","title":"Python Virtual Environment: What is it and how it works?","tags":["Python"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":2.127659574468085,"src":"/static/674ce17a9dc4e13f0616a1fd935bc596/58556/python.webp","srcSet":"/static/674ce17a9dc4e13f0616a1fd935bc596/61e93/python.webp 200w,\n/static/674ce17a9dc4e13f0616a1fd935bc596/1f5c5/python.webp 400w,\n/static/674ce17a9dc4e13f0616a1fd935bc596/58556/python.webp 800w,\n/static/674ce17a9dc4e13f0616a1fd935bc596/7bd08/python.webp 1171w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Ashish Maharjan","github":"AshishMhrzn10","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Writing a foolproof code is hard, especially with a team collaborating on a single project. Thus it becomes increasingly important to ensure…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/e2e-testing-with-jest-puppeteer/"},"html":"

Writing a foolproof code is hard, especially with a team collaborating on a single project. Thus it becomes increasingly important to ensure that no new code breaks existing functionality. And for this purpose, automated tests are used.

\n

Requirements

\n
    \n
  1. Basic knowledge of Javascript
    2. \n
  2. Familiarity with Node.js
    3. \n
\n

In this blog, we will learn how to integrate Jest and Puppeteer in our project for End-to-End Testing. Jest is a javascript testing framework maintained by Facebook. Puppeteer is a Node library created by Google, which provides a high-level API to control headless Chrome. Before we delve deeper into Jest and Puppeteer, let's familiarise ourselves with a few things.

\n

End-to-End(E2E) Testing: E2E testing refers to the testing of a complete functionality of some application. It checks that a functionality acts as intended.

\n

Headless Testing: Headless testing is a way or running browser UI tests without any browser UI. It is a preferred method mainly due to its performance. It is fast, light-weight, and less resource-intensive.

\n

Installation

\n

To install Jest and Puppeteer, open the command line in your project directory and run:

\n

For npm users:
\nnpm install --save-dev jest puppeteer jest-puppeteer

\n

For yarn users:
\nyarn add --dev jest puppeteer jest-puppeteer.

\n

Now that we've installed Jest and Puppeteer, it is time to set up the testing environment. Create a file jest.config.js in the project root directory and write the following code in it:

\n
module.exports = {\n  preset: "jest-puppeteer",\n  globals: {\n    URL: "http://localhost:8080"\n  },\n  testMatch: [\n    "<path-to-the-tests-folder>/**.test.js"\n  ],\n  verbose: true\n};
\n

Defining the preset sets up a puppeteer environment for testing. Test match directs it to the folder where tests are defined, for a piece of more detailed knowledge about running Jest with Puppeteer check this out.

\n

Now create a file jest-puppeteer.config.js in the project root directory. Here we define the testing environment further. To begin with you can add the following in this file:

\n
module.exports = {\n    launch: {\n        headless: process.env.HEADLESS !== 'false',\n        slowMo: process.env.SLOWMO ? process.env.SLOWMO : 0,\n        devtools: true\n    }\n}
\n

Testing

\n

Now we can begin writing our tests. In this example, we'll start writing a basic test to check the title of the page opened. Now head over to the tests folder defined and create a file title.test.js. As you might have noticed, .test.js would be the file extension of the jest tests defined.

\n

This is what a typical title.test.js would look like:

\n
// Defining the timeout for the test\nconst timeout = process.env.SLOWMO ? 6000 : 4000;\nconst fs = require('fs');\n\n// Go to the specified path and wait for the domcontent to load before running the tests\nbeforeAll(async () => {\n  path = fs.realpathSync('file://<file-path>');\n  await page.goto('file://' + path, {waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded'});\n});\n\ndescribe('Title of the page', () => {\n  test('Title of the page', async () => {\n    // Gets page title\n    const title = await page.title();\n    // Compares it with the intended behaviour\n    expect(title).toBe('<title-of-the-page>');\n\n  }, timeout);\n});
\n

Hurray! You've added Headless UI tests to your project. Now you can similarly define tests for different functionalities using the docs here.

\n

Cons of using jest-puppeteer

\n
    \n
  1. It is headless and hence fast, light-weight, and less resource-intensive.
    2. \n
  2. It can stimulate keyboard-press and mouse-click akin to manual testing functions.
    3. \n
  3. It is simple and easy to use and works out of the box.
    4. \n
\n

Problems that you might face

\n

It could give a sandbox-ing error if you run it in a container without a defined user. When running headless Chrome in a container without a defined user, the chromeOptions environment property needs a --no-sandbox args (in addition to the other headless args), or Chrome won't be able to startup. The possible solutions to this are:

\n
    \n
  1. Make sure you're not running them as a root user.
    2. \n
  2. If running them as a root user, include args: ['--no-sandbox'] in jest-puppeteer.config.js (not recommended).
    3. \n
  3. Make sure you have all the required dependencies installed.\nFor Debian systems that can be installed using:\nsudo apt-get install gconf-service libasound2 libatk1.0-0 libc6 libcairo2 libcups2 libdbus-1-3 libexpat1 libfontconfig1 libgcc1 libgconf-2-4 libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 libglib2.0-0 libgtk-3-0 libnspr4 libpango-1.0-0 libpangocairo-1.0-0 libstdc++6 libx11-6 libx11-xcb1 libxcb1 libxcomposite1 libxcursor1 libxdamage1 libxext6 libxfixes3 libxi6 libxrandr2 libxrender1 libxss1 libxtst6 ca-certificates fonts-liberation libappindicator1 libnss3 lsb-release xdg-utils wget
    4. \n
\n

Happy coding! =)

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 15, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"Learn how to integrate Jest and Puppeteer in your project for End-to-End Testing.","title":"End-to-End Testing with Jest and Puppeteer","tags":["Testing","Jest","Puppeteer"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6129032258064515,"src":"/static/eac53dcd5bac1a253375e85170c64e4e/c622d/jest-puppeteer.webp","srcSet":"/static/eac53dcd5bac1a253375e85170c64e4e/61e93/jest-puppeteer.webp 200w,\n/static/eac53dcd5bac1a253375e85170c64e4e/1f5c5/jest-puppeteer.webp 400w,\n/static/eac53dcd5bac1a253375e85170c64e4e/c622d/jest-puppeteer.webp 799w","sizes":"(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px"}}},"author":{"id":"Shreya Sharma","github":"cypherean","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"A Few Ways to Speed Up Your Python Code Python is one of the most popular languages all over the world. Nowadays it is being used in…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/speed-up-python-code/"},"html":"

A Few Ways to Speed Up Your Python Code

\n

Python is one of the most popular languages all over the world. Nowadays it is being used in competitive programming also because of its simple syntax and rich libraries. Most of us probably started coding with python. At first, everything goes simple and easy. But while solving a hard algorithmic problem, most of us suffer from Time Limit Exceeded. However, it is not a problem of python; it is the programmer's problem. I am not saying that language is not slow, but if a programmer writes an efficient programme, it will get Accepted for sure. Here are some tips to speed up your python programme.

\n

Use proper data structure

\n

Use of proper data structure has a significant effect on runtime. Python has list, tuple, set and dictionary as the built-in data structures. However, most of the people use the list in all cases. But it is not a right choice. Use proper data structures depending on your task. Especially use a tuple instead of a list. Because iterating over tuple is easier than iterating over a list.

\n

Decrease the use of for loop

\n

As for loop is dynamic in python, it takes more time than while loop. So, use while loop instead of for loop.

\n

Use list comprehension

\n

Do not use any other technique if you can use list comprehension. For example, here is a code to list all the numbers between 1 and 1000 that is the multiplier of 3:

\n
L = []\nfor i in range (1, 1000):\n    if i%3 == 0:\n        L.append (i)
\n

Using list comprehension, it would be:

\n
L = [i for i in range (1, 1000) if i%3 == 0]
\n

List comprehension works faster than using the append method.

\n

Use multiple assignments

\n

Do not assaign variables like this:

\n
a = 2\nb = 3\nc = 5\nd = 7
\n

Instead, assign variables like this:

\n
a, b, c, d = 2, 3, 5, 7
\n

Do not use global variables

\n

Python has global keyword to declare global variables. But global variables take higher time during operation than a local variable. So, do not use global variables if it is not necessary.

\n

Use library function

\n

Do not write your function (manually) if it is already in the library. Library functions are highly efficient, and you will probably won't be able to code with that efficiency.

\n

Concatenate strings with join

\n

In python, you can concatenate strings with + operation.

\n
concatenatedString = "Programming " + "is " + "fun."
\n

It can also be done with join() method.

\n
concatenatedString = " ".join (["Programming", "is", "fun."])
\n

join() concatenates strings faster than + operation because + operators create a new string and then copies the old content at each step. But join() doesn't work that way.

\n

Use generators

\n

If you have a large amount of data in your list and you need to use one data at a time and for once then use generators. It will save you time.

\n

It may seem efficient, but it's not

\n

See the below code:

\n
L = []\nfor element in set(L):\n    ...
\n

The above code may seem efficient because it used set to delete duplicate data. But the reality is that the code is not efficient. Do not forget that converting a list into set takes time. So this code will work better than the previous:

\n
for element in L:\n    ...
\n

Do not use dot operation

\n

Try to avoid dot operation. See the below programme.

\n
import math\nval = math.sqrt(60)
\n

Instead of the above style write code like this:

\n
from math import sqrt\nval = sqrt(60)
\n

Because when you call a function using . (dot) it first calls __getattribute()__ or __getattr()__ which then use dictionary operation which costs time. So, try using from module import function.

\n

Use 1 for infinity loops

\n

Use while 1 instead of while True. It will reduce some runtime.

\n

Try a different approach

\n

Try new ways to write your code efficiently. See the below code.

\n
if a_condition:\n    if another_condition:\n        do_something\nelse:\n    raise exception
\n

Instead of the above code you can write:

\n
if (not a_condition) or (not another_condition):\n    raise exception\ndo_something
\n

Use speed up applications

\n

For python's slow speed, some projects have been taken to decrease runtime. Pypy and Numba two of them. In most of the programming contests, you will see pypy if it allows python. These applications will reduce the runtime of your programme.

\n

Use special libraries to process large datasets

\n

C/C++ is faster than python. So, many packages and modules have been written in C/C++ that you can use in your python programme. Numpy, Scipy and Pandas are three of them and are popular for processing large datasets.

\n

Use the latest release of python

\n

Python is updated and upgraded regularly, and every release is faster and more optimized. So always use the latest version of python.

\n

These were some of the tips to decrease the runtime of python code. There are a few more techniques that you can use. Use a search engine to find those and write efficient code!

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 15, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"Learn a few ways to speed up your python code.","title":"Speed Up Python Code","tags":["Python","Performance"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/65558b9da57861b919205b297c81828b/58556/speed-up-python-code-1.webp","srcSet":"/static/65558b9da57861b919205b297c81828b/61e93/speed-up-python-code-1.webp 200w,\n/static/65558b9da57861b919205b297c81828b/1f5c5/speed-up-python-code-1.webp 400w,\n/static/65558b9da57861b919205b297c81828b/58556/speed-up-python-code-1.webp 800w,\n/static/65558b9da57861b919205b297c81828b/99238/speed-up-python-code-1.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Md. Tahmid Hossain","github":"tahmid02016","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Build a Twitter Bot with NodeJs Hey there! In this blog post, we will build a twitter bot that let us tweet using the command line directly…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/build-a-twitter-bot-using-nodejs/"},"html":"

Build a Twitter Bot with NodeJs

\n

Hey there! In this blog post, we will build a twitter bot that let us tweet using the command line directly.

\n
\n

Node and npm (or, yarn) must be installed on your system.

\n
\n

Let's Start 🎉

\n

We will use twitter - a client library for the Twitter REST and Streaming APIs. This npm package will make the whole process of building the bot a whole lot easier and faster.

\n

1. Apply for a Twitter Developer Account

\n

To be able to access Twitter API, you need a Twitter Developer Account. Apply for it here. Click on Apply for a Developer Account.

\n

\"Twitter

\n

It will ask you to log in. Select appropriate settings after logging in. It will also generate keys and secret tokens like Consumer Key, Consumer Secret, Access Token Key, Access Token Secret. Copy and save them somewhere for future use.

\n

2. Setup Project

\n

Make a project folder with any name of your choice. Run npm init to initialize the project. This will generate a package.json file in your directory. Alternatively, you can run npm init -y to setup your project with default settings.

\n
\n

package.json holds all the dependencies of a project.

\n
\n

Since our project will be dependent on twitter client library, it's time we install this dependency in our project. Run npm install twitter to include this in your package.json .

\n

3. Setup Files

\n

Now we will start with the actual coding part. At the moment, your project folder will have a node_modules folder, a package.json file, and a package-lock.json file. If you have gone with the default options while running npm init, then index.js is the file we will be working upon.

\n

Open index.js. To be able to use the twitter library, which we have installed, you need to include it in index.js.

\n

var Twitter = require('twitter');

\n

Also, remember the keys and tokens you got from Twitter Developer Portal? It's time we use them.

\n
var client = new Twitter({\n\tconsumer_key: process.env.CONSUMER_KEY,\n\tconsumer_secret: process.env.CONSUMER_SECRET,\n\taccess_token_key: process.env.ACCESS_TOKEN_KEY,\n\taccess_token_secret: process.env.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET\n});
\n

Do not add your Consumer or Access Token keys or secrets directly in the index.js. These should be managed accordingly using environment variables.

\n
\n

We will use dotenv library to manage our environment variables in NodeJS. Run npm install dotenv and follow these instructions. Your .env will look something like this.

\n
\n
CONSUMER_KEY=........................................\nCONSUMER_SECRET=.....................................\nACCESS_TOKEN_KEY=....................................\nACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=.................................
\n

4. Start Coding 🎯

\n

I will use Official Joke API to automatically fetch content for my tweet. You can visit the repository and learn more about the endpoints. But the only endpoint we will work with is random_joke. Click on this, and you will receive a JSON response with fields id, type, setup, and punchline. The fields we are concerned with are setup and punchline.

\n

We will use axios for calling the API endpoint. Run npm install axios and add var axios = require('axios'); in index.js.

\n

Now everything has been laid out. We need to connect the dots. The Official Joke API will return a JSON response. We will grab the required data, i.e., the setup and the punchline from it. And then make use of client.post functionality of twitter package.

\n
axios("https://official-joke-api.appspot.com/random_joke").then(Response => {\n\treturn [Response.data.setup, Response.data.punchline];\n}).then(([setup, punch]) => {\n\tclient.post('statuses/update', {status: `${setup}\\n${punch}`}, function(error, tweet, response){\n\t\tif(!error){\n\t\t\tconsole.log(tweet);\n\t\t}\n\t})\n});
\n

Now run node index.js on the terminal and see the output.\nIf everything went well, you would see a tweet response, otherwise an error message. The successful message would look something like this.

\n

At this point, your index.js should look like this.

\n

\"index.js\"

\n

Congratulations! 🎊

\n

That's it! You have created your first Twitter Bot, which tweets content after directly calling it from an API. You might take a look at the repository if you encountered any errors. Here, I have used different APIs to fetch content and tweet. Moreover, I have added a script that will search posts with a particular hashtag and like them.

\n
\n

While pushing your code to GitHub, make sure to add .gitignore file and include node_modules and .env in it.

\n
\n

Further Reading

\n
\n

The world is yours to explore.

\n
\n

And the dev world is based entirely on exploring technologies and frameworks. Play with this twitter library and see what interesting stuff can be built with it. Maybe, search tweets with a particular hashtag and like them? Or maybe, retweet tweets of any particular user? You are free to use your imagination and coding skills to explore more and more. If axios and dotenv are new to you, then go ahead and read their documentation. Get hold of the concepts of environment variables. And come up with your own cool Twitter Bot.

\n
\n

Keep in mind Twitter's Developer Policy & Terms and Twitter Terms & Conditions. These should not be violated in whatever project you are building.

\n
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 14, 2020","updated_date":null,"description":"Learn how to create a twitter bot using NodeJS that let us tweet using the command line directly","title":"Build A Twitter Bot Using NodeJS","tags":["NodeJs","Twitter","Bot"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/820019d481163bc17d6c095404abb359/58556/cover.webp","srcSet":"/static/820019d481163bc17d6c095404abb359/61e93/cover.webp 200w,\n/static/820019d481163bc17d6c095404abb359/1f5c5/cover.webp 400w,\n/static/820019d481163bc17d6c095404abb359/58556/cover.webp 800w,\n/static/820019d481163bc17d6c095404abb359/99238/cover.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vineeta Jain","github":"Ninjavin","avatar":null}}}}]},"markdownRemark":{"excerpt":"Introduction Ever wondered how apps like Spotify, Netflix, or Slack manage seamless login experiences across devices? Many of them use JWT…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/how-to-integrate-jwt/"},"html":"

Introduction

\n

Ever wondered how apps like Spotify, Netflix, or Slack manage seamless login experiences across devices? Many of them use JWT, or JSON Web Tokens, a compact, stateless method for securely transmitting user identity and session data across services.

\n

With JWT token authentication, identity information is embedded in a signed token, allowing you to maintain user sessions without server-side storage. This approach is highly scalable and ideal for modern architectures like SPAs, mobile apps, and microservices.

\n

In this blog, we’ll walk you through what is JWT, why use it, and how to implement JWT authentication using LoginRadius.

\n

You’ll learn what JWT is, why it’s effective, and how it works in real-world applications. We'll cover both integration methods (IDX and Direct API), generating your signing key, managing sessions, storing the JWT token securely, and applying best practices throughout.

\n

Whether you're a developer, product manager, or IAM architect, this guide offers a complete foundation for implementing JWT token authentication into your application stack.

\n

What is JWT?

\n

JSON Web Token (JWT) is an open standard (RFC 7519) used to transmit information securely between parties as a JSON object. It’s compact, self-contained, and digitally signed, making it a reliable format for authentication and authorization across modern applications.

\n

A JWT consists of three parts:

\n
    \n
  1. Header – Contains metadata like the type of token and signing algorithm (e.g., HS256).
    2. \n
  2. Payload – Stores the actual data or “claims,” such as user ID, roles, and token expiry.
    3. \n
  3. Signature – A cryptographic hash that ensures the token hasn’t been tampered with.
    4. \n
\n

Example of a token structure:

\n

<base64Header>.<base64Payload>.<signature>

\n

Why Use JWT?

\n\n

How JWT Works?

\n

\"Flowchart

\n
    \n
  1. A user logs in with credentials.
    2. \n
  2. Your app (or identity provider like LoginRadius) issues a signed JWT.
    3. \n
  3. The client stores the token and sends it with each request (usually in the Authorization header).
    4. \n
  4. The server validates the token’s signature and claims.
    5. \n
  5. If valid, access is granted — without any session stored on the backend.
    6. \n
\n

JWT simplifies identity verification, especially when you're building apps that talk to APIs or need to scale without centralized session storage.

\n

JWT Authentication with LoginRadius: Overview

\n

LoginRadius provides robust support for JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication, which allows for flexible and secure access control across different digital platforms. Whether you're building a fully custom identity flow or using a pre-built interface, the platform supports various integration approaches depending on your architecture.

\n

If you're looking to understand how to implement JWT token authentication effectively, LoginRadius offers two primary implementation models that cater to different levels of customization and control:

\n

1. IDX Implementation – JWT through a Hosted Login Page

\n

The IDX-hosted login approach enables secure, standards-compliant, JWT-based authentication without requiring you to build a custom login interface. This is a strategic option for fast, compliant, and user-friendly deployments.

\n\n

Configuration Steps:

\n
    \n
  1. Enable JWT Login
    2. \n
  2. Go to authentication configuration settings and enable JWT Login in the Admin Console.
    3. \n
\n

\"Screenshot

\n
    \n
  1. Specify your signing algorithm and expiry policy, and define your JWT Secret Key.
    2. \n
  2. Input a secure JWT signing key.
    3. \n
  3. Specify token expiry duration (e.g., 15–60 minutes)
    4. \n
  4. Select the desired algorithm —HS256 for symmetric signing (same key signs and verifies)
    5. \n
  5. RS256 for asymmetric signing, where LoginRadius securely stores the private key used to sign the JWT.
    6. \n
  6. Your app or backend service uses the public key to validate the token signature.
    7. \n
  7. LoginRadius provides a JWKS (JSON Web Key Set) endpoint to dynamically fetch and rotate public keys, ensuring trust without key exposure.
    8. \n
  8. Update IDX Template for Callback
    9. \n
  9. Modify your IDX login page template to retrieve the JWT post-login. You can access the token via redirect URL parameters or secure JavaScript callbacks.
    10. \n
\n

Example Response:

\n

{

\n

\"access_token\": \"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR...\",

\n

\"expires_in\": 1800

\n

}

\n

This integration approach works best for all teams that want effective identity workflows without the complexity of building proprietary login screens, something that is crucial for customer portals, onboarding of mobile applications, and even managing access for business partners.

\n

2. Direct API Implementation – Self Managed Login

\n

If you’re building a custom login UI or working in a headless environment, LoginRadius lets you generate and handle JWTs directly through its Authentication APIs. Here’s how you can programmatically perform token authentication using the classic method:

\n\n

Configuration Steps:

\n

Step 1: Authenticate via API:

\n\n

Include the user’s credentials (email + password) in the request body.

\n

Step 2: Get JWT in Response

\n\n

{

\n

\"access_token\": \"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...\",

\n

\"expires_in\": 3600

\n

}

\n

Step 3: JWT Decoding and Validation

\n\n

Step 4: Set Custom Claims (Optional)

\n

With LoginRadius, it is possible to customize the payload to include user roles and/or any additional metadata. You can set custom JWT claims on the Admin Console.

\n

With this method, you have complete customization over login flows while using LoginRadius to issue signed JWTs for user session management.

\n

NOTE- With either method, LoginRadius ensures that JWTs are securely signed, optionally short-lived, and compatible with standard token validation libraries, making integration seamless for everyone.

\n

To get started with JWT implementation, you can read our complete developer documentation.

\n

Hosted Login vs Direct API

\n

\"Illustration

\n

What is Session Management and How It Works with JWT

\n

Session management is how your app keeps track of a user after they log in so they don’t have to prove who they are with every request.

\n

In traditional apps, sessions are stored on the server using session IDs. Every time a request comes in, the server checks that session ID to verify the user.

\n

In modern apps, especially SPAs and APIs, JWTs are used to manage sessions without needing server-side storage; this is called stateless session management. The token itself carries the user’s identity, roles, and expiration details. As long as the token is valid, the user stays logged in.

\n

Good session management ensures:

\n\n

How LoginRadius Handles Session Management with JWT:

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    User Logs In

    \n\n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    Client Stores the Token

    \n\n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    Access Token Expiry

    \n\n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    Token Renewal

    \n\n
    5. \n
  5. Logout and Token Revocation Strategy
    6. \n
\n

When the user logs out, both the access token and refresh token should be cleared from client storage.

\n\n

Combining these strategies gives you greater control over token misuse and enables a robust, enterprise-grade logout flow.

\n

\"illustration

\n

How to Store JWT Tokens?

\n

When you implement JWT-based authentication, the client (browser or mobile app) needs a way to store the access token and, optionally, the refresh token after they are issued by the authentication server. This stored token is then attached to every subsequent request to prove the user's identity.

\n

Choosing where to store the JWT is a crucial security decision. The most common storage options are:

\n\n

Each option has trade-offs between security, accessibility, and persistence, and the right choice depends on your application's architecture and threat model.

\n

Recommended Storage Strategy

\n\n

Best Practices for Storing JWTs

\n
    \n
  1. Never store sensitive tokens (like refresh tokens) in localStorage or sessionStorage.
    2. \n
  2. Use Secure and HttpOnly flags with cookies to prevent JavaScript access and ensure transmission only over HTTPS.
    3. \n
  3. Set the SameSite=Strict or Lax attribute on cookies to protect against CSRF.
    4. \n
  4. Use short-lived access tokens and rotate refresh tokens regularly.
    5. \n
  5. Implement CSP (Content Security Policy) to reduce XSS risk.
    6. \n
  6. Avoid storing any tokens in frontend code (e.g., hardcoded in JS files).
    7. \n
\n

Conclusion

\n

JWT authentication with LoginRadius offers a modern, stateless approach to managing sessions across distributed systems. The IDX integration is ideal for rapid deployment, while the Direct API model is best for organizations needing deep customization and integration flexibility.

\n

With robust token signing, refresh capabilities, and centralized control, LoginRadius provides a future-ready foundation for secure, scalable identity architecture. Contact us to know more about JWT authentication and implementation guide.

\n

FAQs

\n

1. What is JWT authentication used for?

\n

A: JWT authentication securely verifies user identities, enabling stateless session management across web, mobile apps, and microservices without server-side session storage.

\n

2. How does LoginRadius simplify JWT integration?

\n

A: LoginRadius simplifies JWT integration by offering hosted IDX login pages and direct API-based authentication methods, enabling rapid deployment and deep customization.

\n

3. Is JWT authentication secure?

\n

A: Yes, JWT authentication is secure when implemented with best practices like short-lived tokens, secure storage methods, signature validation, and refresh token rotation.

\n

4. Can JWT tokens be revoked with LoginRadius?

\n

A: Yes, LoginRadius allows revocation of JWT refresh tokens explicitly, and supports strategies like short-lived tokens and key rotation to manage token lifecycles securely.

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 15, 2025","updated_date":null,"description":"Discover JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication, its advantages, and how to integrate it seamlessly using LoginRadius' hosted IDX and Direct API methods for secure, scalable identity management.","title":"JWT Authentication with LoginRadius: Quick Integration Guide","tags":["JWT","JSON Web Token","Authentication","Authorization"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":0.7782101167315175,"src":"/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/58556/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp","srcSet":"/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/61e93/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 200w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/1f5c5/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 400w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/58556/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 800w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/1cc9f/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 896w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Kundan Singh","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},"pageContext":{"limit":6,"skip":138,"currentPage":24,"type":"//engineering//","numPages":53,"pinned":"5c425581-f474-5ae9-abe7-cf5342db2aaa"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1171199041","1384082988","2100481360","23180105","528864852"]}