I’ve been asked this question one too many times now to not write about it. Hash Table Review: A hash table, often called a hash map, is a data structure that maps keys to values. Hash tables combine lookup, insert, and delete operations efficiently by sending the key to a…

The purpose of Searching Algorithms is to give users the ability to check for an element or retrieve an element from the data structure where it’s stored. Two Common Types of Search Algorithms 1. Sequential Search: The list or array is traversed sequentially and every element is checked; example: Linear…

AlphaFold2 Since the late 1970s, research has been conducted to understand how a protein’s structure could be determined solely from its amino acid sequence, and this past year Google may have helped propel that understanding forward through AlphaFold (2). Currently, researchers use laboratory techniques like x-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy…

What are data structures and why does it matter for coding? When given a set of data values, the data can be formatted to fit certain parameters (or structures) to improve data access, manipulation, and modification. …

SQL stands for Standard Query Language and is the standard language for relational database management systems. Using SQL, data in a database can be manipulated with commands pertaining to CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete). Quick pause, let’s review Table Basics — Unlike object-oriented programming language, a relational database system holds…

Why Data Structure Matters: When designing a new application or program which relies on a multitude of algorithms, the speed of how data is obtained, retrieved, and gathered affects the efficiency of the program and ultimately the user experience itself. …

What is ORM and what is it used for? ORM is the abbreviation for object-relational mapping and is a technique to communicate between two typically incompatible forms of data manipulation and storage. There are multiple models for how we can store data in databases, and using a relational database is…

Before we step into ActiveRecord, let’s take a step back and briefly discuss model-view-controller (MVC). MVC is a software design pattern used to divide a software program into three components: the model, view, and controller. By doing this, the separated internal representations of information allow for separation of responsibilities, thus…