About Methodical Function

Why this site exists

Programming is more than making things work. It’s understanding why they work, where they break, and how to shape them so they stay reliable under pressure. MethodicalFunction is a place for that kind of engineering: curious, precise, and deeply practical. We explore functions the way a watchmaker studies gears—one tooth at a time—until the whole movement makes sense.

What “methodical” means here

  • Start with the real problem. We begin with a story from production: the failing job, the spiky latency, the brittle UI state. No toy problems, no fake drama.
  • Name the idea. Plain-language definitions first, so a beginner could explain it to a friend.
  • Map the trade-offs. There are always options. We compare them honestly and say when each one shines.
  • Prove it in code. We implement the idea in multiple languages where it actually belongs.
  • Pressure-test. Benchmarks, edge cases, failure modes, and how to monitor it once it ships.

How we explore a function

Each deep dive follows a consistent arc so you can learn fast and retain more:

  1. Story first. A concrete scenario that shows why the topic matters.
  2. Student-friendly “what it is.” Definitions with metaphors that don’t insult your intelligence.
  3. Alternatives. 3–4 approaches with pros, cons, and “use when…” guidance.
  4. Language-agnostic core. Pseudocode and diagrams that capture the essence.
  5. Implementations. Working examples in languages that fit the problem (often C/C++, Python, Go, and JavaScript; React when it’s a UI concern).
  6. Production notes. Pitfalls, performance, security, distributed systems, and observability.
  7. Exercises + answers. Deliberate practice so ideas become skills.
  8. Sources. Specs, papers, and respected posts so you can go deeper.

What you’ll find

  • Deep, readable articles that explain one idea thoroughly instead of fifteen ideas shallowly.
  • Patterns and anti-patterns that come with guardrails, not just code you can copy.
  • Reference pieces you’ll return to when you’re on a deadline and need the clean version fast.
  • Series that build real mastery: concurrency, caching, HTTP correctness, state management, testing strategies, and more.

Who this is for

  • Engineers who care about clarity and craft.
  • Learners who want explanations that stick.
  • Teams that need material they can share as the “this is how we do it” doc.

If you copy code from here, you should feel confident shipping it and explaining it to a colleague five minutes later.

Why I write

I love programming because it rewards curiosity with understanding and patience with elegance. The moment a stubborn bug dissolves or a design clicks into place feels like discovering a clean proof. Writing here is my way of paying that feeling forward: turning hard-won lessons into pages you can use to build better systems and better habits.

— Joshua Morris

Keep up

  • Browse the /log/ for recent posts and archives by date.
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed for new articles.
  • Leave a comment on articles with questions or improvements; good ideas become updates.

If this site helps you ship better code, it’s doing its job.