Hey there! I’m back and absolutely thrilled to share my last two weeks at Echelon Fit. Oops, I overlooked my update last week, so let’s dive into a double update, shall we?
On October 2nd, I got the amazing chance to connect the popular searches API to the search page. A few challenges arose when collaborating with our senior developer, especially when merging our RecyclerView Adapters. We spent quite some time tackling a bug due to merge conflicts, and guess what? It was all because an ArrayList wasn’t initialized properly, leading to a runtime error. It was an eye-opening moment for me; there’s always something new to learn, even with seemingly small issues. Engaging with the senior developer was a real treat. I cherish those moments when I get to discuss code in depth.
By October 4th, I was fully engrossed in the active search suggestions task. Multithreading caught my attention, and I was super excited about it! My task involved creating a scheduled thread pool with a cancellable future. As users type, it debounces the network call by 500 ms. If the input changes within that timeframe, the function re-adjusts, encapsulating the essence of the debounce logic. I managed to generalize this debouncing idea, making it reusable. It felt like a small achievement!
On October 5th, I dove into some design adjustments. While they seemed mainly cosmetic, I noticed a discrepancy in the top navigation bar’s design across the app. Every screen had its unique representation of the top nav bar. I’m keen to ensure everything matches the given designs, so I flagged it for discussion. Awaiting feedback on that!
October 7th was a blend of design tweaks and a deeper dive into a runtime crash issue. While adjusting the workout difficulty sorting was straightforward, the crash was a real puzzle. The issue emerged when selecting and then clearing a filter. The solution? Preventing an unnecessary API call when no filters are active. This issue highlighted some opportunities for code optimization, making me wonder about the potential of Jetpack Compose for the project.
From the 7th onwards, I tackled a couple more bugs. Completing nine tickets in two weeks feels like a milestone, especially considering my college commitments and my full-time job. Excitingly, I took a small initiative to try out Jetpack Compose for the search page. I made sure not to tweak the existing dependencies and created some handy extension functions. I finished this in a day, which made me appreciate the efficiency of Jetpack Compose. I’ve shared this with the senior developer and project manager, and we’re discussing its potential for future use.
All in all, this journey has been exhilarating! I’m constantly learning and growing. If there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s the importance of presenting oneself effectively. Maybe it’s time to polish my résumé? Onwards and upwards!
