In the tech world, there is a constant flow of changes and keeping up with them means the choice for tools and technologies which are the most appropriate to invest your time in. In 2025 the best programming language or technology stack to learn really depends on your personal aims, hobbies, and apps you are going to create.
The interest in Java is dropping. February 2025 TIOBE programming community index. C++, which has long been the cornerstone of system programming and performance-critical applications, has officially overtaken Java to take second place in the TIOBE programming language popularity index. A new report from the Java vendor Azul claims that 88% of companies are considering moving off of Oracle Java to another alternative as a result of rising costs and restrictive policies from Oracle, among other issues.
The growing trend in the world of software development: speed matters. C++, Go, and Rust are gaining popularity because the need for computing power increases faster than speed of CPUs is increasing, sothere is a growing interest to the fast programming languages. While C++ is establishing itself, other fast languages are making significant strides. Go continues its top 10 ranking, while Rust has reached an all-time high.
Python still holds its place at the top of the programming world. Since the number of trained experts in the software industry is not enough to cover the growing need, professionals from many other fields are taking over programming skills with the help of Python. This ensures that Python maintains its position even as speed continues to be emphasized in programming language choices. Programs written with Python are often notoriously slow and inefficient. Python 3.14, due out later this year, is set to receive a new type of interpreter that can boost performance by up to 30% with no changes to existing code. Write Python like it’s 2025 and check Python Libraries That Will Make You Feel Like a Data Wizard.
There are also innovative alternatives to the popular languages are gaining steam—and one of them could be the perfect fit for your next project. Top programming languages to learn in 2025: Python, JavaScript, Rust, and more – maybe also Go. Check out also those 11 cutting-edge programming languages to learn now or decide it is better for you to not going to learn a new programming language this year.
Microsoft is actively pushing Visual Studio Code extensions for many uses and even replacing existing separate tools. GitHub Copilot is advertised as your AI pair programmer tool in Visual Studio Code. Check the Best VS Code Extensions to Boost Your Productivity.
Best Backend Frameworks for 2025: A Developer’s Guide to Making the Right Choice The stakes for choosing the right backend framework have never been higher. With the explosion of AI-powered applications, real-time processing requirements, and microservices architectures, your framework choice can make or break your project’s success.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating at an astonishing pace, quickly moving from emerging technologies to impacting coding a lot AI tools have come heavily to the coding. Coders use AI to help their coding in many ways. You can write code quickly. How to refactor code with GitHub Copilot. How To Build Web Components Using ChatGPT. There are also warnings that Using GitHub Copilot is one sure-fire way to never actually learn how to do coding.
The web has come a long way from static HTML pages to dynamic and highly interactive applications. When traditional JavaScript-based web apps struggle with performance-intensive tasks, WebAssembly (WASM) promises to enable near-native performance on the web. Read Why WebAssembly (WASM) is the Future of High-Performance Web Apps.
JavaScript in 2025 will see advancements in serverless architectures, integration with WebAssembly, adoption of microfrontends, and more. JavaScript is also a fighting field. Deno filed a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Oracle’s trademark in November 2024. Oracle will not voluntarily release its trademark on the word “JavaScript”. Building Modern React Apps in 2025 – A Guide to Cutting-Edge Tools and Tech Stacks
The open source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment Node.js will soon support TypeScript by default, without extra configuration. Node 23 will be able to run TypeScript files without any extra configuration. Express is an extremely commonly used web server application framework in Node.js.
Open Source in 2025: Strap In, Disruption Straight Ahead article takes a look for new tensions to arise in the New Year over licensing, the open source AI definition, security and compliance, and how to pay volunteer maintainers. For good news check out Top Open Source Projects to Watch in 2025 and 13 top open-source tools you must use for your next big project in 2025.
The Mobile Development Tech Stack for 2025 selection is important because the right tech stack can make or break your mobile app. The mobile development tech stack for 2025 is rich with opportunities.
Must-Know 2025 Developer’s Roadmap and Key Programming Trends article says that in the world of coding trends, one thing is clear: classic languages like Java, Python, and JavaScript are still important, but they’re being joined by new favorites such as Go and Rust. And when you ask “Is JavaScript or Python 2025?” the answer is rarely simple – and could be that you need both.
Here are some points:
Python’s Growth in Data Work and AI: Python continues to lead because of its easy-to-read style and the huge number of libraries available for tasks from data work to artificial intelligence. Tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch make it a must-have.
JavaScript and Its Ongoing Role in Building Website: JavaScript (and by extension, TypeScript) is the basic building block. JavaScript is still essential for web work, running both the parts you see on a site and the behind-the-scenes work, but many coders are now preferring TypeScript for business projects. Try building a small web app using React.
The Rise of Go and Rust: For those looking at future coding languages 2025, Go and Rust are getting a lot of attention.
Java, C++, and C#: The Reliable Favorites: Even in 2025, there’s no ignoring that languages like Java, C++, and C# are still important. Java continues to be a top choice for large business applications and Android app development, while C++ is key in systems work and game development.
There are several shifts that every aspiring coder should keep in mind:
Adding Artificial Intelligence to Coding: The future of coding is closely linked with AI
Building for the Cloud: With cloud computing becoming common, languages that handle many tasks at once and run fast (like Go and Rust) are more important than ever.
The Need for Full-Stack Skills: Coders today are expected to handle both the front part of websites and the back-end work. JavaScript, along with tools like Node.js and modern front-end libraries, is key.
Focus on Safety and Speed: With online security becoming a big issue, languages that help avoid mistakes are getting more attention. Rust’s features that prevent memory errors and Go’s straightforward style are good examples.
Keep Learning and Stay Flexible: One thing that never changes in tech is change itself. What is popular in 2024 might be different in 2025.
Here’s a simple table that sums up some facts in plain language:
| Language | 2025 Trend | Main Advantage | Resource Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python | Leads in data work and AI | Easy to read, lots of tools | GeeksforGeeks |
| JavaScript | Essential for building websites | Works everywhere on the web | Snappify |
| TypeScript | Becoming popular in large projects | Helps catch errors early | Fullstack Academy |
| Go | Growing quickly in cloud computing | Fast and handles many tasks at once | Nucamp |
| Rust | New favorite for safe, low-level coding | Prevents common memory mistakes | The Ceres Group |
| Java | Still important for big business and Android work | Runs on many types of systems | Wikipedia |
Best Dev Stacks to Learn in 2025lists the top development stacks for 2025 to be:
1. MERN Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js)
2. MEVN Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Vue.js, Node.js)
3. JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, Markup)
4. T3 Stack (Next.js, TypeScript, tRPC, Tailwind CSS, Prisma)
5. Flutter Stack (Flutter, Firebase)
6. PERN Stack (PostgreSQL, Express.js, React, Node.js)
7. Django Stack (Django, PostgreSQL, React/Angular)
8. DevOps Stack (Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Terraform)
9. AI/ML Stack (Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, FastAPI)
10. Blockchain Development Stack (Solidity, Ethereum, Hardhat)
11. Spring Boot + React Stack
10 hot programming trends — and 10 going cold
Hot: Repatriation
Not: Cloud bills
Hot: AI partners
Not: Human pair programming
Hot: Rust
Not: C/C++
Hot: Wasm
Not: Interpreters
Hot: CPUs
Not: GPUs
Hot: Zero-knowledge proofs
Not: Digital signatures
Hot: Trustworthy ledgers
Not: Turing-complete ledgers
Hot: GraphQL
Not: REST
Hot: Static site generators
Not: Single-page apps
Hot: Database configuration
Not: Software programming
What’s trending in Software-driven Automation (SDA) in 2025? Here are some predictions:
1. Virtual Safe Control – A new and novel concept introduced by CODESYS and SILista, making it possible to implement Functional Safety controller reaching SIL2 or even SIL3 level, using generic hardware with help of software virtualisation. This will significantly decrease cost of hardware and speed up development cycle.
2. Open platforms – This trend started already last year, and now we’re seeing more and more automation vendors coming this way. #ctrlXOS opened the game, and there are other vendors like Phoenix coming the same way with their PLCnext Virtualised.
3. Model-based Design (MBD) – An old concept but not yet fully utilised in development. Maybe because lack of well integrated toolchains in the past. But now we’re seeing more and more industrial players adopting the methodology in their product development.
4. AI, of course, but how? Naturally AI can assist in efficient software development and testing. Also some algorithm optimisation and condition monitoring with AI and ML has been seen.
384 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/m__mdy__m/protocol-agnostic-framework-9p2
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anime.js, a JavaScript animation engine
https://flowingdata.com/2025/04/10/anime-js-a-javascript-animation-engine/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Git is More Popular than Linux: Torvalds
Linus Torvalds reflects on 20 years of Git.
https://news.itsfoss.com/torvalds-on-git/#google_vignette
Tomi Engdahl says:
More and faster: New proposals changing Python from within
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3959525/more-and-faster-new-proposals-changing-python-from-within.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/use-python-in-excel-with-no-coding-experience/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.cloudflare.com/secrets-store-beta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/GCC-15-Usability-Improvements
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/snappytuts/the-most-overpowered-python-scripts-ever-written-159f
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/resource_bunk_1077cab07da/pythons-best-feature-youre-not-using-5ed8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linus Torvalds built Git in 10 days – and never imagined it would last 20 years
Git is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Here’s why Torvalds never intended for it to stick around.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-built-git-in-10-days-and-never-imagined-it-would-last-20-years/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/04/11/tracing-the-how-the-linux-kernel-handles-the-shebang/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/is-tailscale-the-safest-way-to-access-your-home-network-remotely/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/18/splintering_cve_bug_tracking/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Choose your own architecture
The heart of software architecture, part 3
https://itnext.io/choose-your-own-architecture-92c56b12f7b0
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/copyleftdev/vibe-coding-with-intent-a-testers-perspective-3f5d
Tomi Engdahl says:
Git turns 20: A Q&A with Linus Torvalds
To celebrate two decades of Git, we sat down with Linus Torvalds—the creator of Git and Linux—to discuss how it forever changed software development.
https://github.blog/open-source/git/git-turns-20-a-qa-with-linus-torvalds/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.cloudflare.com/workflows-ga-production-ready-durable-execution/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why We Built OpenAlgo in Python — Not Go, Rust, or as an EXE
https://www.marketcalls.in/openalgo/why-we-built-openalgo-in-python-not-go-rust-or-as-an-exe.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.howtogeek.com/nanazip-7-zip-alternative/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kotlin, Swift, and Ruby losing popularity – Tiobe index
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3956262/kotlin-swift-and-ruby-losing-popularity-tiobe-index.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://analyticsindiamag.com/ai-news-updates/github-copilot-adds-vibe-coding-abilities/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/wraith/the-art-of-context-a-game-changing-approach-to-task-management-3664
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoftin teknologiajohtajalta melko karu kuva koodauksen tulevaisuudesta – mutta toisaalta tunnelissa on myös valoa
https://muropaketti.com/tietotekniikka/tietotekniikkauutiset/microsoftin-teknologiajohtajalta-melko-karu-kuva-koodauksen-tulevaisuudesta-mutta-toisaalta-tunnelissa-on-myos-valoa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft CTO breaks down how he sees software developer jobs evolving in the next 5 years
https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-cto-ai-generated-code-software-developer-job-change-2025-4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Three Of The Best Vibe Coders Break Down This AI Revolution In Code
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/2025/04/15/three-of-the-best-vibe-coders-break-down-this-ai-revolution-in-code/
Tomi Engdahl says:
There is no Vibe Engineering
You’ve probably heard about “vibe coding” by now. The term was recently coined by Andrej Karpathy in his tweet. Andrej defines Vibe Coding as “a new kind of coding, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists”. The key difference between vibe coding and normal coding is that the engineer doesn’t interact with the codebase directly, and instead converses with the agent and inspects the final outcome.
https://serce.me/posts/2025-31-03-there-is-no-vibe-engineering
Tomi Engdahl says:
Unshittification: 3 tech companies that recently made my life… better
Enshittification is not the only option
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/unshittification-3-tech-companies-that-recently-made-my-life-better/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://libreqos.io/
https://github.com/LibreQoE/LibreQoS
A Quality of Experience and Smart Queue Management system for ISPs. Leverage CAKE to improve network responsiveness, enforce bandwidth plans, and reduce bufferbloat.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Consolidating Observability Tools Is a Smart Move
A unified observability platform reduces complexity, breaks down silos, and enhances operational agility.
https://thenewstack.io/why-consolidating-observability-tools-is-a-smart-move/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Test
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building a Student REST API with Flask and Docker
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webdev
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programming
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docker
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beginners
Hey there! I recently built a REST API to manage student records using Flask, Flask-SQLAlchemy, and SQLite, and shared it in my last post. Now, I have taken it to the next level by containerizing it with Docker, making it portable and consistent across machines.
https://dev.to/techondiapers/building-a-student-rest-api-with-flask-and-docker-42en
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vibe Coding is Getting Out of Hand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuFBVzjANEo
AI is great and all, but this Mindless vibe coding is not helping anyone.
Why I stopped using AI code editors
https://lucianonooijen.com/blog/why-i-stopped-using-ai-code-editors/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/04/23/floss-weekly-episode-830-vibes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Abusing DuckDB-WASM To Create Doom In SQL
https://hackaday.com/2025/04/23/abusing-duckdb-wasm-to-create-doom-in-sql/
These days you can run Doom anywhere on just about anything, with things like porting Doom to JavaScript these days about as interesting as writing Snake in BASIC on one’s graphical calculator. In a twist, [Patrick Trainer] had the idea to use SQL instead of JS to do the heavy lifting of the Doom game loop. Backed by the Web ASM version of the analytical DuckDB database software, a Doom-lite clone was coded that demonstrates the principle that anything in life can be captured in a spreadsheet or database application.
The role of JavaScript in this Doom clone is reduced to gluing the chunks of SQL together and handling sprite Z-buffer checks as well as keyboard input. The result is a glorious ASCII-based game of Doom which you can experience yourself with the DuckDB-Doom project on GitHub. While not very practical, it was absolutely educational
https://github.com/patricktrainer/duckdb-doom
DuckDB-DOOM is an experimental game that demonstrates the power of SQL for computational tasks. The entire game logic, including 3D raycasting, enemy AI, collision detection, and rendering is implemented using SQL queries running in DuckDB’s WebAssembly build.
Tomi Engdahl says:
JavaScript Framework Reality Check: What’s Actually Working
Looking beyond the hype to assess how Qwik, SolidJS, SvelteKit and Fresh are performing in real production environments.
https://thenewstack.io/javascript-framework-reality-check-whats-actually-working/
There’s a peculiar energy in the JavaScript ecosystem. It’s part excitement, part fatigue. With each passing month, a new framework promises better developer experience, smaller bundles, or more elegant SSR (Server-side rendering). But somewhere between the GitHub stars and conference talks, the question lingers: what’s actually being used in production, and is it really better?
We’re past the point where chasing the newest tool is novel. Today’s devs are asking sharper questions: How well does this scale? Is the ecosystem stable? Are the trade-offs worth it in the long term?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cubicles are a software development anti-pattern
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3967262/cubicles-are-a-software-development-anti-pattern.html
Developers don’t need open office spaces that foster spontaneous collaboration. They need a quiet place for deep concentration
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/silentwatcher_95/timing-attacks-in-nodejs-4pmb
Tomi Engdahl says:
Living in the future: Using C++26 at work
https://herbsutter.com/2025/04/23/living-in-the-future-using-c26-at-work/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kokonainen mobiilisovellus muutamassa tunnissa? Tekoäly mullistaa parikoodauksen
Suvi Korhonen21.4.202510:12TekoälyOhjelmointiOhjelmistokehitys
Uudet työkalut mahdollistavat sovelluskehityksessä uudenlaisen nopeamman ja intensiivisemmän tiimityöskentelyn.
https://www.tivi.fi/uutiset/kokonainen-mobiilisovellus-muutamassa-tunnissa-tekoaly-mullistaa-parikoodauksen/1f90ec28-1c54-4fe9-bf7d-1b6106dbcaee
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/teen-coder-shuts-down-open-source-mac-app-whisky-citing-harm-to-paid-apps/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Companies are Moving Away from Docker
Docker hasn’t exactly crashed. More and more teams are adopting hybrid strategies.
https://analyticsindiamag.com/ai-features/why-companies-are-moving-away-from-docker/
For years, when you said “containers”, you meant Docker. It was the go-to solution for developers who wanted to package, ship, and run applications—basically anything DevOps—consistently across various environments.
But here we are in 2025, and the tide is turning. While Docker is still around, it’s no longer the undisputed king of the container world. Developers and companies are beginning to explore alternatives—some cautiously, others full throttle. The shift away from Docker is a symptom of a maturing container ecosystem.
Docker hasn’t exactly crashed. More and more teams are adopting hybrid strategies using Docker for local development, but switching to Podman or containerd for staging and production. Then there are those who are ditching Docker entirely in favour of fully open, modular stacks.
Docker doesn’t seem to be evolving fast enough. Let’s start with the licensing drama. A few years back, Docker made the decision to put Docker Desktop behind a paywall for larger organisations.
According to a recent blog by Devlink Tips, while individual developers and small teams could still use it for free, enterprise users were now being asked to cough up for something they previously got at no cost, and arguably, without substantial improvements.
This didn’t sit well with a lot of teams, especially the open-source crowd and budget-conscious startups. It forced many to rethink their dependencies and ask the uncomfortable question: “Is Docker really worth it?”
To some extent, it does not make sense for an enterprise to ask this question just because a tool becomes paid, as people express in the discussions, that it should be something they should be willing to pay for.
But Price Isn’t the Only Issue
Docker Desktop needs to emulate a Linux environment through virtual machines, and that’s where things get messy for any system not running Linux. Builds slow down, CPUs heat up, fans start to scream, and battery drains on Windows and macOS.
Security, too, has become a real concern. Docker relies on a daemon that runs with root privileges. While Docker has tried to patch things up over time—introducing user namespaces and rootless mode—it still feels like security was an afterthought rather than a design principle.
Alternatives like Podman, which runs without a central daemon and can operate entirely rootless, are built with security as a core feature.
Then there’s Docker’s architecture itself. The cloud-native world has moved toward specialisation and modularity. Today, Kubernetes is the default orchestrator for many, Helm handles packaging, and runtimes like containerd focus solely on container lifecycle management.
Recent developments indicate that Docker is adapting through improved Docker Hub features and enhanced Kubernetes support, but the platform now competes in a market where 36% of developers use cloud-based container tooling.
Some started moving away from Kubernetes for similar reasons, resulting in further decline.
The February 2025 Nucamp analysis revealed enterprise trends where 68% of organisations are adopting multi-cloud strategies, which require cloud-agnostic tooling.
Docker initially focused on its own orchestration tool, Docker Swarm, rather than embracing Kubernetes, which has since become the dominant container orchestration platform. This strategic misstep led to Docker losing ground in enterprise container orchestration, pushing companies to adopt Kubernetes and alternatives instead.
These shifts do not eliminate Docker, but rather reposition it as one component in layered architectures that combine multiple container technologies.
There is also growing concern about vendor lock-in. While Dockerfiles are widely used, they’re not governed by an open standard like OCI (open container initiative) image specifications.
Quite a Few Players to Fill the Gap
Podman is a favourite among teams focused on security and compliance. Built by Red Hat, it offers nearly identical CLI commands to Docker, which makes switching a breeze.
Then there’s containerd, the container runtime that was once part of Docker and has since taken on a life of its own under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.
Kubernetes now uses containerd by default, following the deprecation of Docker support in version 1.24. It’s light, fast, and laser-focused on just one job: managing containers. This makes it ideal for production workloads across cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, and Azure.
CRI-O is another lean and mean container runtime, built specifically for Kubernetes.
It appears that some companies are shifting away from Docker due to its missed orchestration leadership, business model issues, security and complexity concerns, erosion of community confidence, feature bloat, and the emergence of more secure and efficient alternatives.
But Docker might catch up again soon, that is, if it wants to.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dev.to/this-is-learning/a-decade-of-solidjs-32f4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Beyond the Bare Minimum: How Software Engineers Can Truly Stand Out
https://dev.to/wraith/beyond-the-bare-minimum-how-software-engineers-can-truly-stand-out-4a2b
Continuous learning. Ask any accomplished person in the world today and they’ll tell you this is one of the keys to success. It’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s a must if you hope to make anything of yourself in this life…and it’s no different for software engineers.
Software engineering isn’t static. New programming languages emerge, frameworks evolve, security threats adapt, and cloud services expand at a dizzying pace. If you’re not actively learning, you’re actively becoming outdated. In this field, staying still means falling behind, and falling behind means becoming irrelevant.
Why does continuous learning matter? It’s not just about personal satisfaction, though that’s certainly a plus.
So, what does going above and beyond look like in today’s software engineering landscape? Brace yourself, because it’s a lot more than just staying current:
Mentoring Others: Are you guiding junior engineers or running onboarding sessions?
Open Source Contributions: Are you actively contributing to or maintaining projects, not just using them?
Speaking at conferences: When was the last time you presented at a meetup, webinar, or conference?
Publishing Technical Content: Have you written any in-depth blog posts or tutorials lately?
Developing Internal Tools: Are you building solutions that improve your team’s workflow?
Driving Architectural Decisions: Are you leading major technical initiatives or setting coding standards?
Community Leadership: Are you organizing meetups or hackathons? Are you leading or moderating online discussions?
Teaching and Training: Have you run any internal workshops or guest lectured at a coding school?
Contributing to Standards: Are you participating in working groups or helping define industry best practices?
What sets these activities apart?
They require initiative—you’re not just consuming knowledge. You’re creating and sharing it.
They have impact—your actions benefit more than just yourself.
They demonstrate leadership—you’re setting direction and inspiring others.
While continuous learning keeps you afloat, going above and beyond can make you indispensable and highly respected in your field
Tomi Engdahl says:
MarkItDown: Microsoft’s open-source tool for Markdown conversion
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3963991/markitdown-microsofts-open-source-tool-for-markdown-conversion.html
MarkItDown offers a simple and powerful way to convert documents and media files into Markdown for fine-tuning LLMs or building retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems.
The rapid evolution of generative AI has created a pressing need for tools that can efficiently prepare diverse data sources for large language models (LLMs). Transforming information that is encoded in various file formats into a structure that LLMs can readily understand is a significant hurdle. Addressing this, Microsoft has open-sourced MarkItDown, a powerful utility designed to convert file content into Markdown.
MarkItDown is an open-source Python utility that simplifies converting diverse file formats into Markdown. With its robust capabilities, MarkItDown addresses challenges in document processing and plays a pivotal role in workflows involving LLMs.
Project overview – MarkItDown
MarkItDown is available both as a Python library and a command-line tool.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Hidden Cost of AI Coding
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
https://terriblesoftware.org/2025/04/23/the-hidden-cost-of-ai-coding/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ashishb.net/programming/python-in-production-2/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Software Developer Interview Prep Roadmap (With Resources)
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systemdesign
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coding
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softwareengineering
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article.
https://dev.to/somadevtoo/the-software-developer-interview-prep-roadmap-with-resources-332l
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kids in Schools Are Skipping Lunch to Vibe Code
For kids, though, vibe coding is less about mastering complex programming languages like Python or JavaScript and more about creativity, problem-solving, and storytelling.
https://analyticsindiamag.com/global-tech/kids-in-schools-are-skipping-lunch-to-vibe-code/
Vibe coding isn’t for the Gen Z developers anymore—it’s a playground viral trend. Kids are getting in on the action and catching the vibe-code fever like their grown-up counterparts. Recently, Lovable founder Anton Osika shared a post on X that said, “Kids might actually be better at using Lovable than adults. Unlimited creativity, no fear.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Agentic IDEs: Next Frontier in Intelligent Coding
How AI-powered development environments are evolving from assistants to autonomous collaborators, reshaping the future of software creation.
https://thenewstack.io/agentic-ides-next-frontier-in-intelligent-coding/
Especially in the last couple of years, integrated development environments (IDEs) have come a long way from their humble beginnings as glorified text editors. What once merely color-coded your syntax and gave you the occasional autocomplete suggestion is now an entire ecosystem of intelligent tools.
But even with AI copilots becoming the norm, we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. The next step isn’t just about smarter suggestions, it’s about autonomous agents that can reason, adapt, and act within your IDE. Welcome to the age of agentic IDEs.
Forget passive autocomplete. Agentic IDEs are about to change the way developers think about productivity, creativity, and collaboration.
What Makes an IDE ‘Agentic’?
To understand what differentiates agentic IDEs from their predecessors, we need to move past the buzzwords. An agentic IDE doesn’t just react to prompts or queries. It understands context, maintains memory, sets goals, makes decisions, and learns from your coding style over time.
Imagine you’re building a multi-service application. A traditional AI copilot might help you write an endpoint or suggest a better regex. An agentic IDE, on the other hand, could recognize you’re working on an authentication flow, propose an architecture, refactor repetitive logic across files, spin up necessary Docker containers, write tests, and document your code — all while maintaining a dialogue about your intent. It has initiative. It’s not just helping you code; it’s collaborating with you.
Agentic systems don’t just answer questions. They pursue outcomes.
The Core Building Blocks
So, what makes these environments possible? It’s not magic, it’s the convergence of several maturing technologies that, together, shift the IDE from reactive to proactive.
LLMs with persistent memory: Instead of stateless autocomplete, agentic IDEs leverage models that remember what you’ve built across sessions, modules, and even projects. This memory enables a nuanced understanding of codebases and continuity of logic that typical AI assistants can’t match.
Planning and goal-setting modules: These let agents break down tasks, assess sub-goals, and iterate as they receive feedback or run into roadblocks. They can adapt mid-task, reprioritize steps, and handle multi-stage operations that resemble real-world development patterns.
Tool-use abilities: The agent isn’t limited to code generation; it can execute shell commands, interact with APIs, trigger builds, or query internal documentation. Essentially, it can wield the entire development environment like a developer does, with the added benefit of speed and scale.
Autonomous decision-making: With reinforcement learning, feedback loops, or symbolic planning, agents can choose when to act and when to pause and ask. This enables a form of self-directed problem solving, where agents can go beyond instructions to pursue desired outcomes.
Together, these aren’t just additive, they’re transformative. They push the boundaries of what an IDE is supposed to be, evolving it from “smart assistant” to “autonomous co-developer” that collaborates on equal footing with its human counterpart.
What’s Already Happening
You don’t have to imagine for long. Early forms of agentic IDEs are already surfacing. Projects like Cursor, Continue, and Codeium are integrating LLMs that can recall and reason more deeply about your project state. LangChain and AutoGen are enabling frameworks for chaining agent actions. Microsoft’s Copilot Workspace is a preview of what goal-based development might look like in practice.
Meanwhile, open source players are experimenting with embedding agents inside familiar environments like VS Code and JetBrains.
Tomi Engdahl says:
When deploying agentic IDEs, you should also be aware of:
Trust and verification: How do you trust what the agent builds? We already struggle with hallucinations in LLMs; adding autonomy amplifies that risk.
Debugging agent behavior: When something breaks, how do you trace it? Not just the code, but why did the agent decide to take that action?
Security and sandboxing: Agents that can run commands and access files pose a unique security risk if not tightly sandboxed.
Developer agency: There’s a danger of developers becoming too passive, letting the agent lead the build. It can even lead to burnout from constant, repetitive actions that pale in comparison to traditional coding.
https://thenewstack.io/agentic-ides-next-frontier-in-intelligent-coding/