Kyle Shevlin

Hi, I'm Kyle Shevlin! I'm a software engineer with expertise in React , Astro, TypeScript and frontend web development.

I am also a writer, speaker and coding instructor. This is my personal site where I share all the content I create.

I write articles and create courses that focus on breaking software concepts down to their fundamentals. Check out one of my posts or courses. Toggle footnote If you like what you read, then sign up for my newsletter, too.

I hope you enjoy your time here and thank you for visiting.

1. “Refactor” is Not a Scary Word

   178 strokes bestowed

   At some point, “refactor” became a scary word, striking fear into the hearts of any manager who hears it. Let's reclaim the word, remove that fear, and recognize we cannot be good software engineers without developing an ability to refactor code effectively.

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   Tags

   RefactoringSoftware EngineeringThoughts
2. Fun Coding Exercise: Pyramid Slide Down

   98 strokes bestowed

   Sharing a fun coding exercise I came across and what the solution taught me. Plus, a few bonus steps you can take in the solution, too.

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   Tags

   Data Structures and AlgorithmsJavaScriptTypeScript
3. Algorithm: Sliding Window

   36 strokes bestowed

   Let's learn a technique useful in string or array problems called the 'sliding window', where we use two pointers to expand and contract a subview of our data.

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   Tags

   Data Structures and AlgorithmsJavaScriptTypeScript
4. The Consciousness Lottery

   448 strokes bestowed

   For years now, I've been using the phrase “the consciousness lottery” in conversation and I wanted to put it into writing finally. Come learn what it is and why you should add it to your vernacular.

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   Tags

   ThoughtsPhilosophy
5. How I Built “Test Your Focus”

   78 strokes bestowed

   In my previous post, I used a "Test Your Focus" mini-game as a metaphor for describing my ADHD. Let's learn how to build it using React.

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   Tags

   ReactJavaScriptTypeScript
6. What ADHD Feels Like to Me

   1221 strokes bestowed

   While we have made great progress in understanding ADHD, it can still be difficult for some to grasp the impact it has on those who struggle with it. Let me show you what having ADHD sometimes feels like to me with a simple interactive game.

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   Tags

   ThoughtsProductivity
7. Prefer Explicit Maps

   217 strokes bestowed

   Sometimes we write unnecessary complexity without realizing it. Let's see how we often do this with ternaries and learn how using a map will remove complexity and improve maintainability.

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   Tags

   TypeScriptJavaScript
8. My git Workflow for Refactoring

   32 strokes bestowed

   Refactoring is a key part of my development process. Let me show you the git workflow I use to make refactoring just another step in building features or other code changes.

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   Tags

   GitSoftware EngineeringProductivity
9. Never Call new Date() Inside Your Components

   1716 strokes bestowed

   Calling impure functions with side effects like new Date() or Math.random() is a disaster waiting to happen. Learn what to do instead.

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   Tags

   ReactJavaScriptTypeScriptFunctional Programming
10. Composable Flourishes

    68 strokes bestowed

    Learn how we can use composition to create subtle, pleasant animations that can be used on any component in our applications.

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    Tags

    AstroJavaScriptCSS