Distilled Side-Effects

Microsoft's AirSim is a simulation platform originally designed for training autonomous vehicles, particularly drones, cars, and other robotic systems. Initial launched and developed AirSim an open-source project in 2017, aimed at providing a realistic simulation environment for researchers and developers working on autonomous systems. It was built on the Unreal Engine, allowing for highly realistic simulations. Of course it can be integrated with Azure (name a MS product that can’t be) Azure cloud platform enables large-scale simulations that require significant computational resources. AirSim has been used extensively in research and development for training AI models, especially in reinforcement learning, computer vision, and control systems for autonomous vehicles. The most recent updates before 2023 were focused on enhancing the platform's capabilities, such as more accurate physics, better integration with machine learning frameworks, and e...

What’s in the Box – Common Software Testing Types and Related Software Software testing is essential for ensuring that applications perform as expected, are free from critical bugs, and meet the requirements of users. Various testing types target different aspects of a software's functionality, security, and performance. Here's a breakdown of the common software testing types and the tools used for each. 1. Unit Testing Purpose: Validate that individual parts of the codebase function as expected. Common Tools: JUnit (for Java) NUnit (for .NET) pytest (for Python) Jest (for JavaScript) 2. Integration Testing Purpose: Ensure that combined components or services work together correctly. Common Tools: Postman (API testing) Selenium (UI-based integration testing) PyTest (with plugins for integration tests) SoapUI (for testing web services) ...

Raise your hand if you find telling stories with data challenging. If you’ve ever counted the number of books on the subject, you're not alone. &nbsp For data analysts (or those aspiring to be), much of your day involves taking numbers and giving them meaning. If I say “150” and just leave that number hanging, what does it mean? Is it the price of a watch, a percentage increase in stock, or the distance a train has traveled? &nbsp As an analyst, your job is to define numbers and give them context. For example, “150” could be the number of cars your company didn’t rent out over the weekend. That might represent 50% of your rentable vehicles, which in turn means revenue could be down by 30% compared to last weekend. &nbsp While those insights can be verbalized or written down, the real challenge comes when you have to present them visually. What type of graph should you use? Which colors, data points, and legends will best convey the story behind the number...

I just realized that for the past seven years, I've been practicing essential Agile software development. After improving my skills by completing Google's Technical Documentation Course, I dove right into an Agile course. &nbsp But what exactly is Agile? How much does it cost, where can you get it, and is it a rub-on cream or a pill? Well, it’s free (unless you go for an Agile certification), and you’ll find it in the “best practices” section of project management. Depending on your team lead, you might get the cream (for a part of the project) or the pill (for the entire project). &nbsp The point is, Agile is a process for managing projects, as opposed to other management methods, and here's how it differs from other Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) models: &nbsp Iterative and Incremental: Agile is characterized by iterative development, where the project is broken down into small, manageable units called "sprints" (usually 2-4 w...

Integrating Power BI and Visual Studio Code (VS Code) can significantly enhance the experience of developing and managing Power BI reports. Here are several ways you can leverage VS Code to work with Power BI. VBA can be used for custom visuals in Power BI allowing for unique data visualizations tailored to specific business needs. VS Code can be used to develop these visuals using tools like the Power BI Visuals Tools (pbiviz).   The basics Setup: Install Node.js. Install the Power BI Visuals Tools (npm install -g powerbi-visuals-tools). Create a new visual (pbiviz new). Open the project in VS Code and start coding. For debugging use VS Code’s debugging features to test and debug your custom visuals before deploying them. Unknown by most and not used by the know is Power BI REST API. The Power BI REST API allows for programmatic access to Power BI service features. You can use VS Code to write scripts in languages like...

Microsoft is often accused of not engaging with the open-source community, but this isn’t entirely true. There are several stable open-source tools available for Power BI Desktop. For those familiar with these tools, there are even more options, including some created specifically for Power BI in the cloud. Many of these tools are free and can be easily installed and learned. Among the ones listed below, three are particularly geared towards serious developers and can be used either standalone or integrated into environments like Visual Studio Code. These tools can help automate and simplify various tasks in your pipeline. It's important to note that, according to Microsoft documentation, "External tools aren't supported in Power BI Desktop for Power BI Report Server, and Microsoft will not provide support, even for paid subscribers, if the issue can be reproduced with Microsoft tools, such as SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), or sample code that uses the p...

Using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to clean data in Excel can significantly enhance your ability to automate repetitive data cleaning tasks. How to Use VBA in Excel Open the VBA Editor: Press `Alt + F11` to open the VBA editor. Insert a Module: In the VBA editor, go to `Insert` > `Module` to insert a new module. Copy and Paste Code: Copy the desired VBA code and paste it into the module. Run the Macro: Press `F5` to run the macro or go back to Excel, press `Alt + F8`, select the macro, and click `Run`. Here are some common data cleaning tasks you can automate using VBA in Excel: Removing Duplicates You can use VBA to remove duplicate entries from a dataset. Accessibility Text – vba Sub RemoveDuplicates() Dim ws As Worksheet Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1") ws.Range("A1").CurrentRegion.RemoveDuplicates Columns:=Array(1), Header:=xlYes End Sub Trimming Whitespace Trimming leading and trailing whitespace from data i...