Software Development

Distributed Systems Programming Has Stalled

An analysis of distributed systems programming models reveals limitations in current approaches: external-distribution, static-location, and arbitrary-location paradigms. Despite advancements in distributed systems over the last decade, programming models haven't fundamentally improved, leading to ongoing challenges with concurrency, fault tolerance, and versioning.

Securing tomorrow's software: the need for memory safety standards

Memory safety vulnerabilities have been a persistent security challenge costing billions, prompting a call for industry-wide standardization and secure-by-design practices. Recent advancements in memory-safe languages like Rust and hardware technologies offer promising solutions for widespread adoption. Google advocates for establishing a common framework to assess memory safety assurances and drive industry-wide adoption of secure practices.

The Engineering Design Revolution - A History of CAD

David E. Weisberg chronicles the 80-year evolution of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) through extensive interviews with industry pioneers and detailed company histories. The comprehensive 650-page document covers CAD's development from its 1950s origins through the early 2000s, offering insights into the technology, companies, and individuals who revolutionized engineering design.

What is it?

Exult is an open-source project recreating the classic 1990s RPG Ultima VII for modern operating systems while maintaining original plot and graphics. Recent updates include version 1.10.1 with critical bugfixes for Windows and Android platforms, following a major 1.10 release that introduced significant combat improvements and Android port completion.

Do You Really Want to be Doing This When You're 50?

A former programmer reflects on the frustrations of modern software development, highlighting challenges like incomplete domain knowledge, complex APIs, and constant technological evolution. The author expresses preference for small, manageable programming projects while suggesting that high-pressure development may be better suited for younger developers.

GitHub - abeisgoat/slime_os: An app launcher for the PicoVision

Slime OS is an app launcher designed for PicoVision and other RP2040/RP2350 devices, featuring a 32-color mode with 400x240 internal resolution. The experimental software currently supports specific hardware configurations and includes libraries for graphics, intents, controller identification, and keyboard input, though some functionality remains incomplete.

20 years working on the same software product

A software developer shares his 20-year journey with PerfectTablePlan, a table seating planning software launched in 2005, which grew from a personal wedding tool to a successful commercial product. The desktop application, built with C++ and Qt, has served high-profile events and remained profitable despite industry changes, while allowing the creator to maintain a balanced lifestyle business.

These years in Common Lisp: 2023-2024 in review - Lisp journey

A comprehensive overview of Common Lisp ecosystem developments from 2023-2025, highlighting significant advancements in implementations, tools, and community growth, including HackerNews' migration to SBCL and major updates to editors like Lem 2.0. The document showcases active development across multiple areas including GUI frameworks, web development tools, and new implementations, demonstrating Common Lisp's continued evolution and practical applications.

Tcl the Misunderstood

A comprehensive exploration of Tcl programming language's core concepts, highlighting its powerful features including dynamic command substitution, runtime flexibility, and built-in event-driven programming capabilities. The article defends Tcl's legitimacy as a serious programming language while explaining its unique approach to command-based programming and list manipulation.

My Washing Machine Refreshed My Thinking on Software Effort Estimation — Cosive

A personal experience installing a washing machine reveals parallels with software development estimation challenges, where unexpected obstacles turned a '10-minute job' into a 4-hour endeavor. The narrative illustrates how 'unknown unknowns' and seemingly trivial differences can significantly impact project timelines, particularly relevant in ever-evolving technology environments.

Vim After Bram: A Core Maintainer on How They’ve Kept It Going

Following Bram Moolenaar's passing in August 2023, Vim maintainer Christian Brabandt and the community worked to ensure the text editor's continuity, facing infrastructure challenges while maintaining development momentum. The project successfully transitioned leadership, released Vim 9.1 in January 2024, and now operates in maintenance mode while focusing on community health and backward compatibility.

A Descent Into the Vᴏ̈ʀᴛᴇx | TigerBeetle Blog

TigerBeetle has introduced Vörtex, a non-deterministic testing harness designed to complement their existing Deterministic Simulation Testing by testing compiled binaries and client libraries under real-world conditions. The system injects network faults and simulates process failures through a supervisor-managed architecture, having already uncovered several significant bugs in its first four months of operation.

Extensible Wasm Applications with Go

Go 1.24 introduces enhanced WebAssembly capabilities with the go:wasmexport directive and WASI reactor support, enabling better integration between Go functions and Wasm hosts. The update allows developers to export Go functions to WebAssembly and build long-running reactor modules, expanding possibilities for Go-based Wasm applications.