Matt Heng, Author at ProdSens.live

Day 7 of 30-Day .NET Challenge: String built-in Methods Part 2

Matt Heng — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 05:20:45 +0000

Introduction

The article demonstrates the IndexOfAny() method to locate the initial occurrence of any string from a chosen array. Additionally, you utilize LastIndexOf() to pinpoint the last occurrence of a string within another string.

Learning Objectives

Learn to use LastIndexOf() method
Learn to use IndexOfAny() method

Prerequisites for Developers

Basic familiarity with string helper methods
Basic understanding of while iteration statements
Proficiency in using Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code for C# code development, building, and execution

Getting Started

LastIndexOf Method

To enhance the complexity of the “message” variable by incorporating numerous sets of parentheses, followed by coding to extract the content enclosed within the last set of parentheses.

To begin, create a static class file called “StringMethodsPart2.cs” within the console application. Insert the provided code snippet into this file.

    public static class StringMethodsPart2
    {
        /// 
        /// Outputs
        /// Searching THIS message: Help (find) the {opening symbols}
        /// Found WITHOUT using startPosition: (find) the { opening symbols }
        ///



Full Stack Web Development Concept map
Matt Heng — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:21:46 +0000

  Concept Map


The full stack web development world and javascript keep moving at a tremendous pace.  This is my attempt to capture some of the higher level concepts, languages and tools that a beginner and intermediate developer should be aware of.

Note – I tried to include other technologies that I have heard of but I am most familiar with this setup:


Text editor – VsCode

Source control – Git

Package manager – Npm

Javascript technology – React

Server – Node JS

Middleware – Express

ORM – Sequelize

Database – Was SQL Server, now moving to Postgres


  Writing Code



text editor – a text editor is where you write your code.  These range from command line tools to fully featured tools


VsCode – mainstream text editor.  Has lots of add-ons to enable additional capability

Sublime – slightly more lightweight than vscode

Notepad++ – basic text editor with some neat addons.

vim – command line text editor. More powerful than nano.  Two modes, edit, and command mode.

nano – command line text editor.  simpler and less capable than vim. 

source control – this is of utmost importance in todays distributed development environment.  Even with a single developer, source control allows careful control over change and the ability to revert back to known working states when things go wrong.


git – this is the mainstream development tool.  This runs on your own pc locally and connects to a cloud tool like github or gitlab.


github – cloud service that is the source for sharing code. 


  Setting up a project



command line – a way to control the computer with out a graphical interface.  A number of tools must be manipulated with the command line.


bash – created in 1989, unix shell and command language.

zshell – or zsh, created in 1990  is a unix shell with improvements over bash including the ability to use shell scripts.  Comes as default language in macOS starting in Catalina.

command shell – windows command line built to automate routine tasks

powershell  – windows command line built to extend command shell to run more sophisticated commands called cmdlets

build tools and bundlers – are tools to create your web application

–webpack – is a tool that takes your source code from your project and converts it to a bundle that can be loaded properly by your browser.

–create react app – (CRA) is a tool used to create a number of files as a starting point for the project and packages it for deployment.  CRA also uses a webpack under the hood, but the user doesn’t have to understand these details.

  Using others code



package manager – package managers exist to help distribute all the pieces of code people have published.  Using other peoples code makes writing code faster.


npm  – stands for Node Package Manager and is the default manager for NodeJS.


yarn – stands for Yet Another Resource Navigator. Yarn was developed to overcome some issues npm had at the time, but both have kept pace with each other and are very similar in capability.


  Running a server



virtualization – is done to make it easier to distribute an application to multiple hardware environments.


docker – is an open platform for developing shipping and running applications.  Docker uses a client server model. docs


podman – is a daemonless, open source linux native tool designed to deploy applications using containers and images. Podman was designed to be more secure than docker.docs


environment variables – are used primarily to store data the application needs but should not be stored in the source code like user name and password for user and database logins.

  Javascript Packages



People write code to solve problems.  The common problems everyone solves over and over end up in packages that everyone ends up re-using.  Don’t be afraid to use other peoples code.  This is just a small sampling of available packages.
Front end only – These packages are designed to run in your browser not on the backend server.


material UI – open source library that implements google’s styling for html components docs


redux – Redux is a key tool used in managing state across an application.  This can be used with any web technology including React, Vue and Angular docs


react tables – react tables is a library that exists for react that make creating tables easier.  There are other competing libraries including one in material UI worth considering. docs


bootstrap – toolkit for styling websites.  Has lots of themes and capabilities.  docs


d3 – very power visualization library enabling dynamic visualizations. docs


For both front end and backend


lodash – utility library enabling things like deep object comparison that aren’t easy to do with javascript out of the box. docs


package.json – file used for a number of things including saving your dependencies for both front and backend, so that your package manager can easily install the packages you need on another machine.

Backend only


nodemon – enables automatic reload of your server after code change docs 

rimraf – enables easy deleting of server files including npm packages and optimized build filesdocs



  Front End


Also referred to as the client.  The front end is what runs in your browser and can be run on many different computers at the same time.


Document object model – connects web pages to scripts by representing the structure of the page in memory. docs
Structure – the structure of your webpage is important

HTML – (HyperText Markup Language)  is the code used to structure a web page and its content. docs
Styling – The difference between a webpage that looks great and one that looks outdated is almost always the styling.

CSS – Cascading Style Sheet allows you to format your webpage with color, size, spacing.  docs
Images – A picture is worth 1,000 words, using image on a webpage is key to rich content.

SVG – Uses geometric shapes to render graphics.  Resolution independent. docs

XML – stands for Extensible Markup Language and is similar to HTML but has no predefined tags to use.  SVG stores its data in XML. docs

Canvas – Canvas uses pixels.  Gets blurry when resized.  Can be more performant. docs
Javascript in the browser

React – react is a library that gives developers an application programming interface (API) to manipulate the DOM (this is React’s ReactDOM package).  React uses components and JSX to make building reusable code easier. docs

JSX – is a syntax extension for React Javascript code that lets you write HTML-like markup in a javascript file.  This makes it easier to write reusable HTML. docs

State – a key react concept that guides setting and storage of data between renders. docs

Hooks – a key react concept for logic triggered by state change docs

Vue – is a framework for building web interfaces.  Vue is lightweight and best for small projects prioritizing speed over functionality.  doc

Angular – web development framework.  Angular is best for dynamic more feature rich sites. docs 
Note: React vs Vue/Angular – The key difference between React and Vue/Angular is that react is a library not a framework and therefore requires you to do more work to build your project in library and tool selection.  Vue/Angular are frameworks with reduced choices for project setup.  Vue/Angular should generally be easier to learn but less flexible than React which is harder to learn but much more flexible.

  Networking



To connect the front end with the backend you have to have some understanding of networking.
Ip addresses – IP stands for internet protocol.  An ip address is a string of characters that identifies each computer on a network. 
localhost – is the ip address of the current system you are developing on.  This is the ip address used most commonly in development. The address ‘localhost’ and 127.0.0.1 are equivalent.  
DNS – stands for Domain Name System which is a lookup table between domains we know like google.com and IP addresses like 104.234.123.11.
IPV4 – is the 4th generation of the internet protocol.  IPv4 is in the format X.X.X.X where each X can be any value between 0 and 255.  IPv4 has 4.29 billion possible combinations (which has now been reached)
IPV6 – is the 6th generation of the internet protocol.  The key change is to create more available addresses.  Using 128-bit addresses vs IPv4s 32 bit addresses, IPv6 can support 2^128 internet addresses, which is a lot.  IPv6 format is xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx.
port – a port is the connection point of network connections.  Each port is associated with a specific process or service.  If you don’t have the right ip addresses and ports, you will not be able to access your front end via the browser and your front end won’t connect to the backend.
Subnet mask – a subnet mask is used to identify which network an IP address belongs to.  Subnet masks can be created to create subnetworks that can’t see each other.  Often if networking issues happen, one needs to understand subnet masks to make sure two computers are on the same network.
Networking tools


ping – the most basic tool, that answers the question, “can I see a computer through a network?”

browser network tab – a more advanced tool that can be used inside the developer tools in a browser.  This will show data received and sent to the browser.

wireshark – a very advanced network tool that allows you to see all the packet traffic in a network.


  Back End



Server – a computer that provides functionality for other programs and devices called clients.


nodeJS – the mainstream javascript server choice. docs


Middleware – middleware is the layer between the response and the request.


express – one of the most popular middleware tools, lightweight and easy to learn. docs


NestJS – opinionated more scalable, but harder to learn docs


ORM – stands for object relational mapping.  This enables you to write less SQL and makes Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD) operations much faster for a developer to implement.


Sequelize – modern Typescript and NodeJS ORM for Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server+docs



  Typescript


Typescript can be used in both the front end and the back end and gives strong typing to javascript for easier error prevention.  The learning curve can be difficult at times but the benefits are worth it! docs

  Summary


This took me a while to build these concepts and relationships in my head.  Hopefully they are helpful for some of you still trying to understand the fundamentals of full stack web development.
Let me know if there are more concepts you think I should include.  Obviously at some point this becomes more advanced.  I did introduce some advanced concepts, but I think you have to hear about things several times before you make the effort to learn them.
The post Full Stack Web Development Concept map appeared first on ProdSens.live.



Comprehensive Exploration of Flutter: A Detailed Guide
Matt Heng — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:20:13 +0000

  1. Preface


Flutter is an open-source mobile UI framework launched by Google, which allows developers to build high-performance, high-fidelity applications on both iOS and Android using a single codebase. The core design philosophy of Flutter is to provide a smooth and natural user experience through a rich set of components and a powerful rendering engine. This article will delve into the syntax of Dart, Flutter components, implementation principles, rendering mechanisms, hybrid stacks, packaging processes, cross-platform features, and performance optimization strategies. In the AI era, development efficiency for Flutter can also be improved through AI. For example, Codia AI Code supports converting Figma designs into Flutter Code.

  2. Dart Fundamentals


Flutter uses the Dart language as its development language. Dart is a modern, object-oriented programming language with a syntax that is relatively easy to grasp for developers familiar with C-style languages (such as C++, Java, JavaScript). Dart is a strongly typed language that supports type inference. It features classes, interfaces, functions, asynchronous support (async/await), and other characteristics of modern programming languages. Below are some key features and concepts of Dart’s syntax.

  2.1. Variables and Types


Dart is a strongly typed language that supports static type checking. You can explicitly declare variable types, or you can let Dart infer the type for you.


int number = 42; // Explicit type declaration
var name = 'Alice'; // Type inferred as String
dynamic value = 'Hello'; // Can be reassigned to any type



  2.2. Constants and Final Variables


In Dart, you can define variables that can only be set once using final and const. A final variable is initialized the first time it is used, while a const variable is a compile-time constant.


final city = 'New York';
const double pi = 3.141592653589793;



  2.3. Functions


Dart is a language that supports top-level functions (functions that are not part of a class), as well as anonymous functions and closures.


// Define a function
int add(int a, int b) {
  return a + b;
}

// Arrow function for a single expression
int multiply(int a, int b) => a * b;

// Anonymous function
var names = ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'];
names.forEach((name) {
  print(name);
});



  2.4. Classes and Objects


Dart is an object-oriented language that supports class-based inheritance and polymorphism.


class Person {
  String name;
  int age;

  // Constructor
  Person(this.name, this.age);

  // Method
  void greet() {
    print('Hello, my name is $name and I am $age years old.');
  }
}

// Using the class
var person = Person('Alice', 30);
person.greet();



  2.5. Asynchronous Programming


Dart provides Future and Stream to handle asynchronous operations, along with async and await keywords to help write asynchronous code.


Future<String> fetchUserOrder() {
  // Simulate a network request to fetch a user order
  return Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2), () => 'Cappuccino');
}

// Using async and await
Future<void> main() async {
  print('Fetching user order...');
  var order = await fetchUserOrder();
  print('Your order is: $order');
}



  2.6. Collections


Dart provides a rich set of collection types, such as List, Set, and Map.


// List
List<String> fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry'];

// Set
Set<int> uniqueNumbers = {1, 2, 3, 4, 4}; // {1, 2, 3, 4}

// Map
Map<String, dynamic> person = {
  'name': 'Alice',
  'age': 30,
  'isStudent': false
};



  2.7. Control Flow Statements


Dart supports common control flow statements such as if, else, for, while, break, continue, and switch.


var score = 80;
if (score >= 90) {
  print('A');
} else if (score >= 80) {
  print('B');
} else {
  print('C');
}

for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
  print(i); // 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
}

while (score > 0) {
  score--;
}

switch (score) {
  case 100:
    print('Perfect score');
    break;
  default:
    print('Not perfect');
}



  2.8. Exception Handling


Dart provides the try, on, catch, and finally keywords to handle exceptions.


try {
  var result = 100 ~/ 0; // Integer division by zero throws an exception
} on IntegerDivisionByZeroException {
  print('Cannot divide by zero');
} catch (e) {
  print('An error occurred: $e');
} finally {
  print('This is always executed');
}



  2.9. Generics


Dart supports generics, allowing the use of type parameters when defining classes, interfaces, and methods.


// Define a generic class
class Box<T> {
  final T object;
  Box(this.object);
}

var box = Box<String>('Hello');
print(box.object); // Hello



  2.10. Imports and Libraries


Dart uses the import statement to import libraries, and you can import core libraries, third-party libraries, or your own custom libraries.


import 'dart:math';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'my_custom_library.dart';



  3. Flutter Components


The core concept of Flutter is that everything is a widget (Widget). These widgets fall into two main categories: stateless widgets (StatelessWidget) and stateful widgets (StatefulWidget). Stateless widgets are immutable, with their properties being fixed at creation; whereas stateful widgets can hold state and update the UI when the state changes. Widgets can be of various types, including layout widgets, interactive widgets, container widgets, text widgets, image widgets, and more. Below, we will explore the widget system in Flutter in detail.

  3.1. Basic Widgets



  3.1.1. StatelessWidget


StatelessWidget is a widget that does not contain state. It receives fixed parameters at construction time, which determine its configuration. StatelessWidget is suitable for when the part of the UI you are describing does not depend on the internal state of the object.


class MyButton extends StatelessWidget {
  final String label;

  MyButton({this.label});

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return RaisedButton(
      child: Text(label),
      onPressed: () {
        print('Button pressed');
      },
    );
  }
}



  3.1.2. StatefulWidget


StatefulWidget can hold state and change it over the lifecycle of the widget. Whenever the state changes, Flutter reruns the build method so that the widget can reflect the new state.


class Counter extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _CounterState createState() => _CounterState();
}

class _CounterState extends State<Counter> {
  int _count = 0;

  void _increment() {
    setState(() {
      _count++;
    });
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Column(
      children: <Widget>[
        Text('Count: $_count'),
        RaisedButton(
          onPressed: _increment,
          child: Text('Increment'),
        ),
      ],
    );
  }
}



  3.1.3. Event Handling and State Management


In Flutter, you can respond to user input and events by providing callback functions. For example, when a user clicks a button, you can update the state of the widget.


RaisedButton(
  onPressed: () {
    // Execute logic when the button is clicked
  },
  child: Text('Click Me'),
)


In the example above, RaisedButton is a button widget, and its onPressed property takes a callback function that is executed when the button is clicked.
State management is an important concept in Flutter applications. In addition to using StatefulWidget and setState, there are other state management solutions, such as Provider, Riverpod, Bloc, etc., which can help you manage the state of your application more effectively.

  3.2. Layout Widgets


Layout widgets are used to position and arrange other widgets on the screen. Flutter provides a variety of layout widgets, such as Row, Column, Stack, Wrap, Flexible, and more.

  3.2.1. Row and Column


Row and Column are basic linear layout widgets used for horizontal and vertical layouts, respectively.


Row(
  children: <Widget>[
    Icon(Icons.star),
    Expanded(
      child: Text('Title'),
    ),
    Icon(Icons.more_vert),
  ],
)

Column(
  children: <Widget>[
    Text('Title'),
    Text('Subtitle'),
    Row(
      children: <Widget>[
        Icon(Icons.star),
        Text('5.0'),
      ],
    ),
  ],
)



  3.2.2. Stack


Stack allows widgets to be stacked on top of each other, which can be used to create overlapping UI elements.


Stack(
  alignment: Alignment.center,
  children: <Widget>[
    CircleAvatar(
      backgroundImage: NetworkImage('url_to_image'),
      radius: 100,
    ),
    Container(
      color: Colors.black45,
      child: Text(
        'Top Text',
        style: TextStyle(
          color: Colors.white,
          fontSize: 20,
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ],
)



  3.3. Interactive Widgets


Interactive widgets allow users to interact with the app, such as buttons, sliders, switches, etc.

  3.3.1. RaisedButton and FlatButton


RaisedButton and FlatButton are commonly used button widgets. They have different styles but both can respond to user click events.


RaisedButton(
  onPressed: () {
    // Do something when button is pressed
  },
  child: Text('Raised Button'),
)

FlatButton(
  onPressed: () {
    // Do something when button is pressed
  },
  child: Text('Flat Button'),
)



  3.4. Container Widgets


Container widgets are used to wrap other widgets, providing padding, margins, decoration, or constraints.

  3.4.1. Container


Container is a versatile container widget that can have properties such as width, height, background color, borders, margins, padding, and more set.


Container(
  padding: EdgeInsets.all(8.0),
  margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 10.0),
  decoration: BoxDecoration(
    color: Colors.blue,
    borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(5.0),
  ),
  child: Text('Hello, Flutter!'),
)



  3.5. Text Widgets


Text widgets are used to display text content, such as Text.

  3.5.1. Text


The Text widget is used to display a piece of simple text information on the screen.


Text(
  'Hello, Flutter!',
  style: TextStyle(
    fontSize: 24.0,
    fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
    color: Colors.blue,
  ),
)



  3.6. Image Widgets


Image widgets are used to display images, such as Image.

  3.6.1. Image


The Image widget can load and display images from different sources, such as the internet, local assets, files, etc.


Image.network('https://example.com/image.jpg')

Image.asset('assets/images/logo.png')



  3.7. Special Purpose Widgets


Flutter also provides some special purpose widgets, such as Scaffold, AppBar, Drawer, etc., which are used to build the basic structure and navigation of an application.

  3.7.1. Scaffold


Scaffold is a widget that provides a default navigation bar and content area, often used as the root widget of a page.


Scaffold(
  appBar: AppBar(
    title: Text('Flutter Demo'),
  ),
  body: Center(
    child: Text('Hello, Flutter!'),
  ),
  drawer: Drawer(
    // Add a ListView to the drawer
  ),
)



  4. The Implementation Principle of Flutter


The implementation principle of Flutter is based on a high-performance rendering engine. The Flutter engine is written in C++ and provides low-level rendering support. The framework layer of Flutter is written in Dart, offering a range of high-level components and APIs. When a Flutter application starts, it launches a Dart virtual machine on the device, and all Dart code runs within this virtual machine. The implementation principle of Flutter can be divided into several key parts: the framework layer, the engine layer, and the embedding layer. Below is a simplified implementation principle flowchart, along with a detailed explanation of each part.


[User Interface] 
    |
[Framework Layer] (Dart)
    |
[Engine Layer] (C++)
    |
[Embedding Layer] (Platform-specific code)
    |
[Operating System]



  4.1. Framework Layer


The framework layer is implemented in the Dart language and provides a rich set of components (Widgets) and foundational libraries. This layer is the part that developers interact with most frequently in Flutter, defining the structure, layout, appearance, and behavior of the application. The framework layer includes the following core libraries:


Material/Cupertino: Offers a rich set of pre-made components that follow Material Design (Android) and Cupertino (iOS) design guidelines.

Widgets: Provides the basic components for building UI, such as StatelessWidget and StatefulWidget.

Rendering: Responsible for the underlying logic of layout and rendering.

Animation: Provides support for animations and dynamic effects.

Gestures: Handles and responds to touch events.


  4.2. Engine Layer


The engine layer is implemented in C++ and is the core of Flutter, responsible for graphics rendering (through Skia), text layout (through libtxt, a library based on Minikin), file and network I/O, etc. This layer communicates with the framework layer through Dart:ffi (foreign function interface).

  4.3. Embedding Layer


The embedding layer is platform-specific code that embeds the Flutter application into different operating system platforms. This layer is responsible for creating windows, receiving events, drawing graphics, etc. Each platform (Android, iOS, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux) has its own embedding layer implementation.

  4.4. Rendering Principle


Flutter’s rendering principle is based on the Skia graphics library, an open-source 2D graphics library used for drawing text, shapes, and images. Flutter creates a render tree to represent the UI interface, with each component corresponding to a node in the render tree. When the state of a component changes, Flutter rebuilds a part of the render tree and submits these changes to the rendering engine, which is responsible for converting the render tree into GPU instructions and ultimately drawing it on the screen. The rendering process can be divided into the following steps:


Build Phase: During this phase, Flutter constructs a Widget tree by executing the build method of each Widget.

Layout Phase: Next, Flutter lays out the Widget tree, determining the position and size of each Widget.

Paint Phase: After layout, Flutter converts the Widget tree into a render tree (RenderObject tree) and uses the Skia library to draw it on the screen.

Compositing Phase: If necessary, Flutter will also perform layer compositing, which is particularly important in the presence of complex animations or overlays.


  5. Hybrid Stack


In mobile app development, a Hybrid Stack refers to the technique of combining Flutter with native code. This approach allows developers to use Flutter to build parts of an interface within an app, while other parts use native platform code (such as Swift/Objective-C for iOS, Java/Kotlin for Android). Scenarios for using a hybrid stack include, but are not limited to, the following:

Gradually introducing Flutter modules into an existing native application.
Calling native modules from a Flutter application to use platform-specific features.
Embedding native views in a Flutter application, such as maps, video players, etc.

Flutter provides several ways to implement a hybrid stack, mainly including Platform Channels and Platform Views.

  5.1. Platform Channels


Platform Channels are the mechanism used by Flutter to communicate with native code. They allow Flutter to send and receive messages to and from the host platform and invoke native code. Platform Channels support the transmission of various data types, including primitive data types, strings, byte sequences, lists, and maps.
There are three main types of Platform Channels:


MethodChannel: Used for passing method calls.

EventChannel: Used for communication of data streams (such as sensor data).

BasicMessageChannel: Used for passing messages of unspecified types.

Below is an example using MethodChannel:


import 'package:flutter/services.dart';

class NativeBridge {
  static const MethodChannel _channel = MethodChannel('com.example/native_bridge');

  static Future<String> getNativeData() async {
    final String data = await _channel.invokeMethod('getNativeData');
    return data;
  }
}


In the native code, you need to register a MethodChannel and respond to calls from Flutter:


// Android example
public class MainActivity extends FlutterActivity {
  private static final String CHANNEL = "com.example/native_bridge";

  @Override
  public void configureFlutterEngine(@NonNull FlutterEngine flutterEngine) {
    super.configureFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);

    new MethodChannel(flutterEngine.getDartExecutor().getBinaryMessenger(), CHANNEL)
      .setMethodCallHandler(
        (call, result) -> {
          if (call.method.equals("getNativeData")) {
            String data = getNativeData();
            result.success(data);
          } else {
            result.notImplemented();
          }
        }
      );
  }

  private String getNativeData() {
    // Retrieve native data
    return "Native Data";
  }
}



  5.2. Platform Views


Platform Views allow Flutter to embed native UI components. Flutter creates a window for the native view through PlatformView and embeds it into the Flutter layout. This is very useful for scenarios that require the use of native controls.
In Flutter, you can use AndroidView and UiKitView to embed native views on Android and iOS, respectively.


// Android platform view example
AndroidView(
  viewType: 'native-view',
  onPlatformViewCreated: _onPlatformViewCreated,
)

void _onPlatformViewCreated(int id) {
  // Communication with the native view can be done here
}


On the native platform, you need to register a view factory to create the native view:


// Android example
public class MainActivity extends FlutterActivity {
  @Override
  public void configureFlutterEngine(@NonNull FlutterEngine flutterEngine) {
    super.configureFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);

    flutterEngine
      .getPlatformViewsController()
      .getRegistry()
      .registerViewFactory("native-view", new NativeViewFactory());
  }
}



  6. Packaging


Packaging is the process of converting a Flutter application into an executable file for a specific platform. This process involves steps such as code compilation, resource bundling, and signing. Flutter provides tools and commands to simplify this process, allowing developers to easily generate application packages for different platforms.

  6.1. Android Packaging


For Android, the packaging process typically includes the following steps:


Compilation: Compiling Dart code into ARM or x86 machine code.

Resource Bundling: Packaging images, fonts, and other resources into a resource file.

Building APK or AAB: Packaging the compiled code and resources into an APK (Android Package) or AAB (Android App Bundle) file.

Signing: Signing the APK or AAB file with the developer’s key.

Alignment: Using the zipalign tool to optimize the APK file, ensuring all uncompressed files are aligned on 4-byte boundaries for fast access.

Testing: Testing the packaged application on a device or emulator.

The Flutter command-line tool can simplify this process:


flutter build apk # Build APK
flutter build appbundle # Build AAB



  6.2. iOS Packaging


For iOS, the packaging process includes:


Compilation: Compiling Dart code into ARM machine code.

Resource Bundling: Packaging resources into a format recognizable by iOS.

Building IPA: Packaging the compiled code and resources into an IPA (iOS App Store Package) file.

Signing: Using Xcode and an Apple developer account to sign the IPA file.

Archiving and Uploading: Using Xcode to archive the application and upload it to App Store Connect.

You can build an iOS application using the Flutter command-line tool:


flutter build ios


Afterward, you need to open Xcode to complete the signing, archiving, and uploading steps.

  7. Detailed Explanation of Flutter Cross-Platform


Flutter’s cross-platform feature allows developers to use a single codebase to build applications that run on multiple platforms. These platforms include iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities are based on its own rendering engine and a rich set of component libraries.

  7.1. How Cross-Platform Works


Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities are mainly due to the following aspects:


Self-contained Rendering: Flutter uses its own rendering engine (based on the Skia graphics library) to draw UI, which means that Flutter does not rely on native platform controls and can ensure consistent visual effects across different platforms.

Dart Platform: Flutter applications are written in the Dart language, which supports JIT (Just-In-Time) compilation for rapid development and hot reloads, as well as AOT (Ahead-Of-Time) compilation for generating high-performance production code.

Platform Channels: Through platform channels, Flutter can communicate with native code, allowing developers to access platform-specific APIs and services.


  7.2. Flutter Web


Flutter Web is an important part of Flutter’s cross-platform support, allowing developers to compile Flutter applications into web applications that run in modern browsers. The working principle of Flutter Web is slightly different from other platforms because it needs to compile Dart code into JavaScript and use HTML, CSS, and Canvas APIs to render UI.

  7.2.1. Features of Flutter Web




Single Codebase: Like mobile platforms, Flutter Web can also share most of the code with other platforms.

Rich UI: Using Flutter’s component library, you can create rich and interactive user interfaces on the web.

Performance: Flutter Web has undergone extensive performance optimizations, but it may still be limited by browser and JavaScript performance.


  7.2.2. Developing Flutter Web Applications


To start developing Flutter Web applications, you need to ensure that the Flutter SDK version supports the web and that web support has been enabled:


flutter channel stable
flutter upgrade
flutter config --enable-web


Then, you can create a new Flutter project or add web support to an existing Flutter project:


flutter create my_web_app
cd my_web_app
flutter run -d chrome



  7.2.3. Building and Deploying Flutter Web Applications


The process of building a Flutter Web application is similar to building a mobile application. You can use the following command to generate a web application for production:


flutter build web


This will generate a build/web directory containing all the static files. You can deploy these files to any static file hosting service.

  8. Performance Optimization


Performance optimization is a key step in ensuring that Flutter applications run smoothly. The goal of optimization is to provide 60fps (frames per second) or higher rendering performance, as well as fast startup and response times. Here are some strategies and best practices for performance optimization.

  8.1. Image Optimization


Images are often one of the largest resources in mobile applications. Optimizing images can significantly reduce memory usage and improve loading speed.


Use appropriate image sizes: Avoid using images that are much larger than the display area, as this wastes memory and processing time.

Cache images: Use CachedNetworkImage or similar libraries to cache network images.

Use WebP format: Compared to PNG and JPEG, WebP usually offers better compression rates and quality.


  8.2. Build and Layout Optimization


Building and layout are two critical steps in UI rendering. Optimizing these steps can reduce frame drops and improve performance.


Avoid unnecessary layouts: Use const constructors to create immutable components, which can avoid recalculating the layout on each build.

Use ListView.builder: For long lists, use ListView.builder instead of ListView, as it only builds the children that are visible.

Reduce layout depth: Minimize the depth and complexity of the layout tree.


  8.3. Animation and Transition Optimization


Animations and transitions can enhance the user experience, but if used improperly, they can also cause performance issues.


Use pre-compiled animations: Use AnimatedBuilder or AnimatedWidget to reuse the same animation.

Avoid unnecessary repaints: For parts of the animation that do not change, use RepaintBoundary to avoid repainting.


  8.4. Code Optimization


Optimizing Dart code can reduce the burden on the CPU and improve overall performance.


Use asynchronous programming: For I/O-intensive operations (such as network requests), use async and await to avoid blocking the UI thread.

Avoid long-running computations: For complex calculations, consider using Isolate to execute them in a separate thread.

Use appropriate data structures: Choose the right data structure for your needs, such as using List instead of Map when frequently modifying collections.


  8.5. Using Performance Profiling Tools


Flutter provides a range of tools to help developers analyze and optimize performance.


Flutter DevTools: A powerful performance analysis tool that can help developers monitor memory usage, view frame rates, perform CPU profiling, and more.

Timeline: View the application’s frame timeline to identify bottlenecks in rendering and logic code.

Memory Profiler: Monitor memory usage to find memory leaks.


  8.6. Platform-Specific Optimization


Different platforms may require different optimization strategies.


iOS: Avoid using transparent UI elements, as they can lead to additional layer compositing.

Android: Reduce overdraw, especially on lower-performance devices.


  8.7. Testing and Monitoring


Continuous testing and monitoring of an application’s performance are key to maintaining high performance.


Use performance tests: Incorporate performance tests into the CI/CD process to ensure that new code commits do not introduce performance issues.

Monitor real user performance data: Use Firebase Performance Monitoring or similar services to monitor performance data from real users.

The post Comprehensive Exploration of Flutter: A Detailed Guide appeared first on ProdSens.live.



Criando modal/popover sem JS e CSS em 1 min!
Matt Heng — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:24:08 +0000
Juro que não é clickbait, existe uma nova funcionalidade no HTML que ainda é desconhecida por muitos que é o atributo popover, vou te ensinar a fazer a magia passo a passo, tomemos de exemplo essa tela:




  
     class="no-margin">Hey, It's Iury Nogueira.
     class="no-margin">Fullstack Developer
  

   id="info">I've been working as a full stack web developer for 10 years

  



e você quer que o texto no parágrafo com id=”info” apareça em um modal quando for clicado no botão de More details, para isso você só precisa informar quem vai ficar no modal com o atributo popover:


 id="info" popover>I've been working as a full stack web developer for 10 years


ao fazer isso vai notar que ele sumiu da sua página, agora você só precisa “conecta-lo” a uma ação, para isso vamos usar o atributo popovertarget:


 popovertarget="info">More details


com isso ele vai abrir o parágrafo que tem o id “info”, pronto! O resultado é esse:

se você clicar fora do conteúdo vai notar que ele fecha também assim como um modal. Espero ter contribuído com essa dica, se você acha que outra pessoa desconheça compartilha esse post com ela, vlw! 
The post Criando modal/popover sem JS e CSS em 1 min! appeared first on ProdSens.live.



How to set up Commitzen with Husky
Matt Heng — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 21:25:48 +0000
Conventional commits specification contains a set of rules for creating an explicit commit history, which makes it easier to write automated tools on top of, for example, semantic release. You can manually follow this convention in your project or use a tool to assist you, such as Commitizen. 
There are some ways to use Commitizen in your project, in this post, I will show you how to set it up with Husky, so whenever you run git commit, you’ll be prompted to fill out any required commit fields at commit time.
To start, install Commitzen and Husky packages:


npm i commitizen husky --save-dev


Next, initialize your project to use the cz-conventional-changelog adapter


commitizen init cz-conventional-changelog --save-dev --save-exact


That command will do the following:


Install the cz-conventional-changelog adapter npm module;


Save it to package.json‘s dependencies or devDependencies;


Add the config.commitizen key to the root of your package.json.


Finally, in the package.json file, set a Husky´s hook to trigger Commitzen on commit command


"husky": {
  "hooks": {
    "prepare-commit-msg": "exec < /dev/tty && npx cz --hook || true"
  }
}


And that´s it, you are all set. Make some changes to your code, run git commit, and follow the Commitzen instructions.
The post How to set up Commitzen with Husky appeared first on ProdSens.live.



An In-Depth Guide to Python Data Types
Matt Heng — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 04:24:40 +0000
Python provides a rich set of built-in data types that enable you to work with different kinds of data in your programs.
The core numeric types are integers, floats, and complex numbers. Integers represent whole numbers, which are useful for exact counts and computations.
Floats represent real numbers with decimal precision, which is important for scientific and statistical calculations. Complex numbers extend numbers to the complex plane and are used in many scientific domains.
Python has many built-in data types that enable you to store and manipulate data in powerful ways. Choosing the appropriate data type for your use case is important for writing optimized Python code.
This comprehensive guide will explore the various Python data types with code examples.
Numeric Types
Numeric data types in Python allow you to work with numeric data like integers, floats, and complex numbers. Let’s look at each of the numeric types in detail:
Integer (int)
Integers are whole numbers like -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 etc. They can be positive, negative or 0. Integers are immutable in Python. Some examples:
x = 10    # positive integer
y = -5    # negative integer 
print(type(x)) # 
We can perform mathematical operations on integers like addition, subtraction, multiplication etc.
a = 12
b = 4
print(a + b) # 16 

print(a - b) # 8

print(a * b) # 48
Integers can be converted to other data types like float, complex etc.
num = 10

print(type(num)) #  


num2 = float(num)

print(type(num2)) # 
Floating-Point (float)
Floats represent real numbers like -1.5, -0.4, 0.0, 1.25, 9.8 etc. They contain a decimal point. Useful for computations where precision is required. Some examples:
a = 1.5   

b = -0.4

print(type(a)) # 
Floats support math operations like addition, subtraction etc.
x = 3.0

y = 5.5 


print(x + y) # 8.5

print(x - y) # -2.5 

print(x * y) # 16.5
They can be converted to other types like int, complex etc.
a = 1.2

print(type(a)) # 


b = int(a) 

print(type(b)) # 
Complex
Complex numbers are written as x + yj, where x is the real part, and y is the imaginary part. They are useful for scientific and mathematical applications.
x = 5 + 3j


print(type(x)) # 
We can perform operations like addition and multiplication on complex numbers.
a = 2+3j

b = 5+4j


print(a + b) # 7+7j 

print(a * b) # -7+26j
They can be converted to other types like int, float etc.
x = 5 + 3j
print(type(x)) # 

y = float(x)
print(type(y)) # 
Boolean Type
Boolean represents logical values True and False. Useful for conditional testing and logic. For example:
x = True
y = False
print(type(x)) # 
Boolean operators like and, or, not can be used to compose logical expressions and conditions.
a = True
b = False
print(a and b) # False 
print(a or b) # True
print(not a) # False
Other data types can be converted to booleans based on their truth value.
x = 5
print(bool(x)) # True 
y = 0
print(bool(y)) # False
Sequence Types
Sequence types allow storing collections of data in an ordered way. Let’s go through them one by one:
String (str)
Strings represent sequences of unicode characters like letters, digits, spaces etc. They are immutable in Python. Some examples of creating strings:
s1 = 'Hello'
s2 = "World"
print(type(s1)) # 
We can access individual characters using indexing:
s = 'python'
print(s[0]) # p
print(s[3]) # h
Strings support operations like concatenation, slicing, length etc.
s1 = 'Hello'
s2 = 'World'
print(s1 + ' ' + s2) # Hello World
print(len(s1)) # 5
Format specifiers like %s can be used for formatting:
name = 'John'
print('My name is %s' % name) # My name is John
List
Lists are ordered collections of values that are mutable (modifiable). Allows for storing different data types.
nums = [1, 2, 3] 
fruits = ['apple', 'mango', 'banana']
print(type(nums)) # 
We can access elements using index. Lists are mutable.
nums[0] = 5 
print(nums) # [5, 2, 3]
Lists support operations like concatenation, slicing, length etc.
fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'mango']
print(len(fruits)) # 3
print(fruits[1:]) # ['banana', 'mango']
Tuple
Tuples are ordered collections of values that are immutable (cannot be modified). Allows storing different data types.
point = (2, 3) # parenthesis not required but recommended
colors = ('red', 'blue', 'green')
print(type(point)) # 
We can access elements using an index but cannot modify tuples.
point[0] = 5 #ERROR: cannot modify tuple
Tuples support operations like concatenation, slicing, length etc.
colors = ('red', 'blue', 'green')  
print(len(colors)) # 3
print(colors[1:]) # ('blue', 'green')
Range
A range represents an immutable sequence of numbers. It is commonly used to loop over sequences of numbers.
nums = range(5) # 0 to 4 
print(list(nums)) # [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
Ranges are often used in for loops:
 
for i in range(3):
   print(i)
# Output:
# 0
# 1  
# 2
We can also create ranges with a start, stop, and step size.
nums = range(3, 8, 2) 
print(list(nums)) # [3, 5, 7]
Set Types
Sets are unordered collections of unique values. They support operations like membership testing, set math etc.
Set
Sets contain unique values only. Elements can be added and removed.
colors = {'red', 'blue', 'green'}
print(type(colors)) # 
Set elements can be tested for membership and added/removed. Sets are mutable.
'red' in colors # True
colors.add('yellow')
colors.remove('blue')
Set math operations like union intersection work between sets.
set1 = {1, 2, 3}
set2 = {3, 4, 5}
print(set1 | set2) # {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
print(set1 & set2) # {3}
Frozenset
Frozenset is an immutable variant of a Python set. Elements cannot be added or removed.
colors = frozenset(['red', 'blue', 'green'])
print(type(colors)) #  
colors.add('yellow') # AttributeError
frozensets can be used as dictionary keys and in set operations.
Mapping Type
Mapping types allow storing data as key-value pairs. Dictionaries are the main mapping type in Python.
Dictionary
Dictionaries consist of key-value pairs and are enclosed in curly braces {}. Useful for storing related data.
student = {
  'name': 'John',
  'age': 20, 
  'courses': ['Math', 'Science']
}
print(type(student)) # 
Dictionary elements can be accessed via keys and modified. Dictionaries are mutable.
student['name'] = 'Mark' # update value
print(student['courses']) # ['Math', 'Science']
Common dict operations include length, adding/removing keys, iteration etc.
print(len(student)) # 3 
student['email'] = 'john@example.com' # add key-value
for key in student:
    print(key, student[key]) # print each item
Binary Types
Binary types in Python are used when working with binary data like bytes, byte arrays, etc.
Bytes
Bytes represent immutable sequences of bytes. Example:
data = b'hello' 
print(type(data)) # 
Bytes support operations like indexing, length, concatenation, etc., but are immutable.
print(data[0]) # 104
print(len(data)) # 5
data2 = data + b'world' # cannot modify, only concatenate
Bytearray
Bytearray represents mutable sequences of bytes. They can be modified in place.
data = bytearray(b'hello')
print(type(data)) #   
data[0] = 106 # mutable
Bytearray supports typical sequence operations like indexing, concatenation etc.
print(data[0]) # 106 
data2 = data + bytearray(b'world')
Memoryview
Memoryview objects allow accessing the internal data of objects that support the buffer protocol directly without copying. Useful for advanced optimizations.
data = memoryview(b'hello')
print(data[0]) # 104
Memoryview supports slicing and editing without copying the buffer. Advanced usage for performance.
data[1:4] = b'i' # edit in place
print(data) # b'hiello'
None Type
The None type represents the absence of a value. It is similar to null in other languages.
x = None 
print(type(x)) # 
None is commonly used as a placeholder for optional or missing values.
def print_if_not_none(x):
    if x is None:
        print('x is None')
    else:
        print(x)
The operator can check if something is None.
x = None
print(x is None) # True
So, in summary, Python comes equipped with a diverse set of built-in data types – numeric, textual, collections, mappings, and more.
Choosing the appropriate data type leads to efficient memory usage and better performance. Manipulating data types form an integral part of Python programming.
I hope this overview gave you a good understanding of the different data types available in Python, along with plenty of code examples demonstrating their usage.
If you find this post exciting, find more exciting posts on Learnhub Blog; we write everything tech from Cloud computing to Frontend Dev, Cybersecurity, AI, and Blockchain.
Resource

20 Essential Python Extensions for Visual Studio Code
Using Python for Web Scraping and Data Extraction
13 Powerful Python Snippets To Automate Tasks
Getting Started with Python

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Your Military Service is a Great Asset for the Civilian Workforce and Can Translate to Project Management
Matt Heng — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 05:25:08 +0000

What is the DOD-Skillbridge Program? 
The DOD SkillBridge program can be somewhat of a variable unknown to many military personnel. Finding the right reasons to choose a SkillBridge internship is a personal decision, but the skill sets learned in the military can prepare you for many possibilities.   
The DOD SkillBridge program allows Service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of service. SkillBridge connects Service members with industry partners in real-world job experiences. 
The large amounts of stress and long working days have contributed to your abilities, and in turn, you offer tangible assets to any company looking for a veteran hire. This is even more true for military project managers who may not have realized their value to the civilian workforce.   
Whether you have served only a couple of years, a decade, or reached full retirement, this has prepared you to be an asset as a project manager in the civilian world. 
How to Translate Your Military Project Management Background 
Key Strengths
Life in the military is not that different from the civilian sector but offers a few key strengths for current and prospective project managers.  

A sense of purpose greater than yourself drives project managers to achieve greater feats in the military, from small everyday projects to massive military cargo and passenger movements that can change the world as we know it.  

Military service is an excellent way to prepare future civilian project managers for success because of a few essential resources. These resources, which are used to better the civilian workforce, include:  

flexible structuring 
the diverse background of service members, and  
a sense of unmatched commitment to seeing the project through  

The military is just one step in a lifelong journey to become a project manager, but it builds a solid foundation to work from down the road.  
Taking this foundation and continuing it into a program like SkillBridge is exactly how military project managers can show the civilian sector their merits. Some companies may still consider the military strict and rigid with limited ability to flex its project management prowess, and military project managers are not as adept at dealing with issues as the civilian workforce.  
Diversity & Variety of Opportunities   
Depending on the unit you are working for, and despite what some may think of the military structure, many different projects will require attention. These can range from the smallest of efforts within a work center to base-level projects (an excellent opportunity to volunteer for) that will generate real-world experiences.   
Whether working on Agile-style projects or utilizing Six Sigma and LEAN approaches, there are always new strategies to learn in the military regarding project management. So many different hybrid approaches to being a project manager are available to the military. They will increase the likelihood of success currently and in the future in the civilian sector.  
Project teams range from a few members to entire work centers, offering various opportunities to build and expand project management skill sets. Then there are the opportunities to conduct joint project events with different work centers as an excellent way to understand the complexities of large-scale projects.  
Topics or events which may otherwise seem insignificant can give loads of experience and new perspectives which benefit the service members in the future. Examples include events like setting up for the Christmas events for the base or even revamping your base’s Drunk Driving call centers.  
The diversity of the members who serve in the DOD is one of the most substantial aspects of being a project manager within the military. This diverse type of learning can be a strong selling point to civilian companies to show how much military members have to offer. However, this is not the only topic of diversity that better suits military project managers for their transition.  
Each service member’s various backgrounds are unique, allowing project managers to draw on the strengths of diverse inclusion. This is just one way that being a military project manager helps set up for the diverse working environment or coworkers you will encounter in the civilian world. 
Being in the military means showing how teamwork and cohesiveness will benefit the mission. Building on and propelling the positive work environments of military units is why productivity and performance levels are so strong. Civilian companies are also on the same page regarding this, so military project managers will be assets when it comes to increasing the diverse profiles of the company. SkillBridge internships will be far more manageable due to the positive and empowering messaging learned in the military.  
How to Frame Your Experience & Perspective to Highlight Your Project Management Experience  
The scope of project management for the military is at such a high-level function and part of the culture that most members of the civilian workforce will never experience this type of on-the-job training.  
Not every service member contributing to project management efforts will have the opportunity to experience these high-level project assignments. Still, it definitely comes as a credit to the military branches and their service members for the time and effort these massive military projects require.  
One significant example of how the military prepared a project manager like myself happened in 2021 with the sad events in Kabul. Stationed out of Dover Air Force Base, my unit’s mission was to provide aid, and tasked with assisting in the Kabul airlift event in 2021. 
I may have been a lower-level officer with their hands in the significant aspects of the project, but I could still view the scope of the mission as a project manager. The vast number of workers and assets necessary to pull off the largest non-combatant airlift in human history was unlike anything I could have imagined doing when I first joined the military.  
Sitting in on high-visibility meetings with top-level leadership helped me gain perspectives I never thought possible. This greatly benefited my knowledge and understanding of what military project managers can do when given a chance. It was even more interesting to see just how different work centers can interact with each other.  
Many times while working for a company in the civilian workforce, you will be asked to manage projects that require cooperation with different work centers or outside agencies. You will find that being able to leverage your military training and experience will become a massive strength and an enormous benefit that any civilian company can benefit from.  
I also had other personal experiences that I assumed had no bearing on my abilities as a project manager. These were just the day-to-day operations of being a supervisor. Now, I realize some that go through the SkillBridge program have not made it up the chain to being a supervisor. However, you can still use the experiences of having a good supervisor lead you as something to look back on and use moving forward.  
Also, those smaller unit tasks you managed can significantly show a civilian company the impact you had on your project tasking and how well a company will do regarding your project productivity. This experience is the most significant difference between hiring a veteran vs. the average college or PMP certification graduate.  
There may be times in the civilian world when you must work with a scope that has a global impact and is commonplace with the globalization of business. Another benefit to highlight is that the military had service members participate in and manage events with a more global reach as part of the mission set.  
My firsthand involvement in the Kabul event gave me a keen understanding of the global reach that a project and project management can have. These real-world experiences will be much more beneficial than just reading about PM methodology and how to manage projects in a book.  
A Perspective on Project Management Unlike Anything I Could Have Asked  
During my SkillBridge transition, I considered my time as an armed forces member and my military career. The realization of just how important it was has really hit me. My service helped shape who I am today and why I am the asset I am today. For the rest of my project management career, I will always appreciate and reflect fondly on the years I had during my military career. 
Being a United States Air Force member gave me a perspective on project management unlike anything I could have asked for. While there were so many ups and downs when it comes to being in the military, it can all be a matter of perspective to making significant improvements for oneself in the future.  

Military Career as a Staging Point 
Viewing your military career as a staging point for being a better version of the person that initially joined will garner great success when it comes time to enter the civilian world. 

Introspection of one’s military career can be found in such events as separation, retirement, or leveraging a transition internship group like the fantastic SkillBridge program. Any future civilian project manager has plenty of career highlight options.  
I am grateful for a decision I made more than ten years ago that helped me gain the knowledge and tools necessary to benefit myself and my future employer(s). The benefit from Veteran Hires furthers the legacy of veterans benefitting the civilian workforce. Adding military project managers to the ranks of your business organization in the civilian world can significantly impact a company’s knowledge and resource management. This impact allows for new possibilities that a company can leverage, and why we, as Veterans, should understand our skills and knowledge is valuable for any prospective company. When the time comes, and I am asked to manage significant projects, I can handle this responsibility. This is all I could ask for in a career because I feel empowered and valued, and my company can trust that business will be handled under my management.  
The post Your Military Service is a Great Asset for the Civilian Workforce and Can Translate to Project Management  appeared first on Kolme Group.
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Who Should I (or My Business) Be on Threads? Should You Tweak Personal Branding for the New Platform?
Matt Heng — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:25:29 +0000
Meta has an answer to Twitter, and it’s Threads. The social media conglomerate launched Threads in July, and the platform amassed 100 million users in just five days.
If you’re a brand looking to hop on the Threads train sooner rather than later, you’re likely wondering what your leveraging of the app should look like. 
Specifically, who should your brand be on Threads and should you tweak your personal branding? What kind of content are users posting and engaging with, and what type of personality shines on the platform?
Threads is still relatively new, and there’s still time for the app’s overall vibe to develop and change, but here’s what we know so far.  

What is Threads?
Threads is Meta’s answer to Twitter (now recently rebranded to X). Threads is an app for Instagram users to post threads, reply to other users, and follow profiles. Posts and replies can include links, videos, photos, or any combination. 
Once you sign up for Threads, you can import all of your followers from Instagram as followers on Thread. From a branding perspective, the import is helpful because you can seamlessly move most of your audience from Instagram to Threads. 
What Makes Threads Different from X 
Unlike X, Threads does not have hashtags, direct messaging, or a “For You” page that shows recommended content. Like X, Threads is a micro-blogging platform allowing text posts and replies.
However, posts or updates on Threads can include up to 500 characters, while X only allows 280. 
For now, Threads is free and requires no in-app purchases or upgrades. 
How are brands using Threads?
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg says the vision for Threads is “to create an open and friendly public space for conversation.” Furthermore, a post from the official Threads account says the platform will “foster a positive and creative space” for users. 
The sentiments seem to influence the content brands are posting to the app. For example, Coca-Cola’s Threads account shares lighthearted jokes, memes, and icebreakers.
Retail company Anthropologie uses its Threads account to share photos of influencers and consumer wearing its apparel. It also communicates and shares jokes with other brands.
The vibe of Anthropologie, and many other brands on the app, is personable, casual, relatable, and fun.
Content creators are also enjoying the more personable aspect of the app. Food YouTuber Inga Lam told Forbes, “I feel like the energy I was getting was very much like you’re on a giant group chat, and everyone’s excited to meet everyone.” 
For example, Content creator Jade Beason of HubSpot’s creator network often posts casually about her daily happenings, passing thoughts, and experience content creating.
She also posts questions to spark engagement with her audience.
Who should your brand be on Threads?
Threads is still in its infancy, so it’s hard to predict what kind of content will thrive on the app in the long run. Focus on making your brand more relatable and human since that content and personality seems to do well on the app. 
I encourage brands to post lighthearted, funny, and relatable content. Brands should also promote engagement from their followers and foster community by liking, reposting, and replying to relevant content from their audiences. 
And don’t be afraid to engage with, repost, or reply to content from influencers or brands that are relevant to your niche. Doing so can lead to networking and collaborating with entities who can introduce your business to a wider audience.
Experiment with posting videos, graphics, photos, and text posts. Threads allows users to post various media on its platform, so why not take advantage and diversify your content?
There’s no telling if Threads is here to stay or if it will fade as a passing trend. However, it doesn’t hurt to hop on the app and experiment with different strategies to see if it can expand your social media presence. 


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Five actionable strategies for collaborating more effectively with sales teams
Matt Heng — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 14:25:42 +0000

This article is based on Matt’s brilliant talk at the Product Marketing Summit in Denver. PMA members can watch the talk in its full glory here!
I have some bad news for you: you’re a salesperson. Yup, even if you have “product marketing” in your job title, you’re a salesperson in your work.
Now, there’s no need to have an identity crisis. I’m not asking you to pick up a quota or change your comp model. What I’m here to talk about is how you can use a salesperson’s lens to build better relationships with your sales team, create a more effective go-to-market strategy, and ultimately win together.
Before we get into that, let me introduce myself. I’m Matt Heng and I’m a native Nebraskan. I’m also a former Oscar Mayer Wienermobile pilot, so if you want to learn what it’s like to have to smile and wave eight hours a day every day for an entire year of your life, come find me. Today, I’m the Head of Product Marketing at Omnipresent, a global employment solutions solutions provider.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked for a lot of different companies, and looking back over my résumé, it’s clear that I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to working with sales teams. I’ve worked in annual SaaS, I’ve worked in monthly SaaS, I’ve worked in consumption-based models, I’ve worked with SMB sales teams, and I’ve worked with eight-figure enterprise sales teams.
So, I like to think that I know a thing or two about what it takes to get a sales team on board with you as a product marketer, and I want to talk you through that today.
We’ll dive into how product marketing is from Mars and sales is from Venus, we’ll get into how to approach product marketing from a sales point of view, and then we’ll look at some options for how you can bring this to life within your organization.
Let’s do this!
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