MCP Protocol: a New AI Dev Tools Building Block

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MCP Protocol, introduced by Anthropic in November 2024, boosts IDEs' AI capabilities, allowing seamless integration between developer tools and AI models. It serves as a universal interface, akin to a “USB-C port,” enhancing productivity by enabling natural language interactions with databases, source control, and more directly from IDEs. While early adopters include popular tools like VS Code and Cursor, security concerns remain. Developed by David Soria Parra and Justin Spahr-Summers, MCP is gaining rapid traction among developers, signifying a shift in how developers engage with various tools and enhancing AI's functional scope.

https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/mcp

Why Google Code Assist May Finally Be the Programming Power Tool You Need

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Google Code Assist now features Gemini 2.5 in its free tier, improving its capability significantly compared to last year's version. The individual, standard, and enterprise variants cater to different user needs. New agent capabilities include generating software from specifications, migrating code, implementing features from GitHub, code reviews, generating tests, testing AI models, and creating documentation. Despite the advancements, challenges remain regarding the practical implementation and the reliability of features across different tiers. Overall, Gemini Code Assist has potential as a powerful programming tool.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-google-code-assist-may-finally-be-the-programming-power-tool-you-need/

Ask Hackaday: Vibe Coding

Vibe coding, trending in software development, involves describing a problem to an AI language model, which generates code. While supporters praise its efficiency and interactivity, critics warn that it may lead to a disconnect between developers and understanding their code, potentially fostering poorer coding practices. This discussion at Hackaday raises questions about AI's role in programming and its implications for both learning and software quality.

https://hackaday.com/2025/04/09/ask-hackaday-vibe-coding/

Encourage the AI Coding Skeptics, Curb the Enthusiasts, says Software Exec at Dev Talk • DEVCLASS

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Software exec Birgitta Böckeler highlights the need to balance AI coding skeptics and enthusiasts at QCon conference. She asserts AI coding, while evolving to improve productivity, presents challenges and risks, emphasizing responsible usage. Caution is urged against over-reliance on AI as it may exacerbate code quality issues. Teams should foster both experimentation and skepticism, valuing contributions from all members regardless of their stance on AI.

https://devclass.com/2025/04/09/encourage-the-ai-coding-skeptics-curb-the-enthusiasts-says-software-exec-at-dev-talk/

Apache ECharts

Apache ECharts is an open-source JavaScript visualization library offering over 20 chart types, powerful rendering capabilities (Canvas/SVG), and professional data analysis features. Its responsive design allows for extensive customization. The active community promotes healthy development and third-party extensions, while accessibility features enhance usability for individuals with disabilities. For more information, visit the Apache ECharts website.

https://echarts.apache.org/en/index.html

Fifty Years of Open Source Software Supply Chain Security

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50 Years of Open Source Software Security: Explores the historical challenges in software supply chain security, illustrating via incidents like the 1974 Multics report and the recent xz attack on Debian. It defines open source software supply chain attacks and vulnerabilities, emphasizing the necessity for improved defenses. Key solutions include understanding supply chains, authenticating software with cryptographic signatures, making builds reproducible, quickly identifying and fixing vulnerabilities, and funding open-source projects. The essay stresses the ongoing evolution in software reuse practices and highlights that without proper investments and security measures, risks persist in the open-source ecosystem.

https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3722542

PostgreSQL BM25 Full-Text Search: Speed Up Performance With These Tips

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PostgreSQL Full-Text Search (FTS) can outperform dedicated search engines when optimized correctly. A benchmark showed significant speeds, with optimizations yielding a ~50x performance increase by pre-calculating and storing the tsvector, and configuring GIN indexes properly. Common pitfalls include calculating tsvector on-the-fly and using the default GIN index setting (fastupdate=on), which hinders performance. For advanced ranking tasks, the VectorChord-BM25 extension may be required, offering better relevance scoring than standard methods. Optimal configurations reveal that standard FTS is faster than often perceived.

https://blog.vectorchord.ai/postgresql-full-text-search-fast-when-done-right-debunking-the-slow-myth

Git Turns 20: a Q&A With Linus Torvalds

Git, created by Linus Torvalds 20 years ago, transformed software development with its decentralized design, conceived out of necessity after losing access to proprietary tools. Initially, Torvalds aimed to solve his own frustrations with existing systems like CVS and BitKeeper, leading to efficient patch application and a focus on stability and performance. Git allowed for easy local work and sharing, which simplified its adoption for both professional and personal projects. Despite early challenges, Git gained traction, ultimately becoming integral to software collaboration worldwide, supported by its effective maintenance and community involvement.

https://github.blog/open-source/git/git-turns-20-a-qa-with-linus-torvalds/

20 Years of Git. Still Weird, Still Wonderful.

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Git celebrates 20 years as a dominant version control system, evolving from Linus Torvalds' initial project for tracking directory contents. It was created to address frustrations with existing systems in the Linux community and has since transformed software development. Scott Chacon shares his journey with Git, from using it in unique ways at a startup to co-founding GitHub and creating educational resources. Git's initial purpose as a content tracker persists, celebrating its quirky yet impactful legacy in developer collaboration and project history management.

https://blog.gitbutler.com/20-years-of-git/

The Best Programmers I Know

Summary: The best programmers possess traits such as deep knowledge of their tools, the ability to read and understand error messages, problem breakdown skills, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to helping others. They emphasize continual learning, maintain patience, avoid guessing, prefer simplicity in code, and value reputation-building. Great developers communicate effectively, manage relationships across all levels, remain curious, and respect the learning process for themselves and others. Overall, excellence in programming is about dedication, humility, and a desire to understand and help.

https://endler.dev/2025/best-programmers/

How I Wrote the Notes App of My Dreams (no Coding Required)

User crafted personalized note-taking app, “Doolee,” using AI tools (vibecoding) without coding skills. The app design mimics sticky notes, features task management, multi-device sync, and allows for continuous improvements. The process was engaging despite some AI limitations, and user invested around $300 for development. Experience highlighted inefficiencies in traditional productivity apps, emphasizing user-customized solutions as future possibilities.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91309330/vibecoding-replit

Hurl

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Hurl is a command-line tool for running and testing HTTP requests using a plain text format. It supports chaining requests, capturing values, and evaluating queries across various API types (REST, SOAP, GraphQL) and formats (XML, JSON). Hurl is lightweight, efficient, and integrates well with CI/CD pipelines, offering features like response assertions, cookie management, and performance testing. It is built on Rust and powered by libcurl, ensuring fast and reliable HTTP operations.

https://hurl.dev/

How I Would Learn To Code (If I Could Start Over)

Egor Howell shares his coding journey and offers advice for learning programming. He emphasizes the value of coding, starting with a single language relevant to one's career goals, and warns against “tutorial hell.” Encouraging practical projects right after basic courses, he stresses the importance of mastering fundamentals without chasing trends. Documentation and sharing learning experiences online can enhance visibility to potential employers. Despite fears over AI impacting programming jobs, Howell reassures that coding skills remain essential and unlikely to be replaced by AI.

https://towardsdatascience.com/how-i-would-learn-to-code-if-i-could-start-over/

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