Month: October 2023

The HK416 .22 LR is a Heckler & Koch firearm with the look and feel of the HK416 used by many of the world’s most elite fighting forces — including Seal Team VI. In fact, Seal Team VI members were carrying HK416s when they killed Osama Bin Laden.

HK partnered with Umarex to design and build a .22 version of the HK416 that is realistic in size and feel. It is made with the same quality standards that H&K is known for. Although the inner workings are obviously different, the externals of the .22 LR version are true to its big brother.

The HK416 .22 has an aluminum receiver — no plastic like so many other .22 lookalikes. It is equipped with the same M-LOK rail interface system that’s on the HK416 5.56 model. There’s a 90-degree manual safety, functional dust cover, threaded muzzle, and it’s compatible with most AR-style arm braces. The barrel is 8.5 inches long, and the total weight with a magazine is about 6 pounds.

The trigger pull is 7 pounds with less than .25-inch take-up and a crisp break. The sights are flip-up with the rear one being fully adjustable. They flip down (out of the way) should you want to mount an optic on the top rail. There is also the HK AR pistol grip that a lot of guys like to install on their ARs because of its angle, texture, and the built-in storage compartment.

There was a little tool packet with the gun. In it was a wrench for removing the flash hider. Off it went. In its place, I screwed on a Tactical Innovations suppressor. Now my grandkids and I had a tactical-looking machine pistol. Although it is a .22 LR and isn’t fully automatic, our imaginations make up the difference for fun afternoons at the range.

 Shooting Fun for All Ages

When shooting a semi-automatic .22 for the first time, I choose my ammunition carefully. You can’t go wrong with CCI, so long as you choose some of its high-velocity rounds. I chose a box marked “Suppressor” along with some Mini-Mags, Stingers, and the new CCI clean rounds with the polymer coating. There is a bolt-speed adjustment screw that can be used to compensate between standard and high-velocity ammunition. In all my shooting, which must be more than 1,000 rounds by now, I’ve never had to make an adjustment.

The first crew to shoot with me included my middle son, his youngest son, and my grandson’s best friend. While they were getting guns laid out on the bench, I loaded the magazine for the HK416 with .22 Suppressor rounds. I handed the magazine to my son and waited for him to start shooting. I wondered if something was wrong because he seemed to be hesitating.

Then, I noticed there were holes in the target. Sitting right behind him with hearing protection on, I was not hearing that gun go off due to the suppressor. It was just like in the movies… Phhht! Phhht! Now that was fun. Unfortunately, we only had one box of those rounds.

CCI Stingers are notoriously loud for a .22, but even they were pretty quiet through the HK416 with the suppressor. We had to adjust the sights a little, which was very easy with the twist knob on the sight. Our shots were going to the left before I made a quick adjustment.

Shooting first at 7 and then at 15 yards, none of us had any trouble putting our shots within a reasonable group. There was no shortage of smiles on faces, including mine. Maybe playing army could be just as much fun as playing cowboy.

Cleaning the gun was simple. It has the standard AR pins for removing the upper from the lower, but that’s as far as the similarity goes. First off, the bolt lock on the side of the receiver is a dummy, and just there for looks. The only way to lock the bolt back is to insert an empty magazine and pull the charging handle back. You can then remove the magazine, and the bolt will stay back. By the way, the gun will shoot with the magazine removed. To put the gun into battery, pull the charging handle back and let it go.

The cleaning procedures (as described in the manual) require removing just the rear pin and pivoting the upper forward. This provides access to the barrel, which can be cleaned from the breech end using a rod or pull cord that allows a brush to be attached after inserting it in the barrel. The bolt is not removed for cleaning. In fact, I’m still trying to figure out how to get it out.

After cleaning the barrel, spray the bolt area with a good gun cleaner, brush away any dirt or grime, apply two drops of oil on the main spring, one drop of oil on the extractor, and you’re ready to pop the upper down. Then, reinstall the rear pin and you’re done. I like to cycle the bolt a few times to spread what little oil is in the receiver area.

A Very Realistic “Little Brother”

I began reading everything I could on the HK416 5.56 version to understand its history. Noted firearms trainer and former Delta Force operator Larry Vickers happened to be at HK headquarters working on another project when he saw blueprints for the HK416 in the president’s office. He was able to get in on the project in its early days. I watched a video explanation he did on the differences in the short gas-stroke piston of the HK416 versus the gas operating system of the M4.

The HK416 runs cooler and cleaner, making it a favorite with military and law enforcement units around the world. Of course, this .22 version is not the same gun. However, it does make the same size holes in paper and handles the same. That makes it a good, inexpensive option for training tactical types — as well as a ton of fun for those of us who don’t clear houses and bust bad guys for a living.

I dug around and found a Bushnell Trophy Red Dot sight, which I installed on my gun. I did have to remove the existing sights to make this change, but that was no problem. I simply loosened a screw on each and slid them off the back of the rail.

HK Parts supplies a pistol brace adapter for this gun, and I found a stabilizing brace at Cheaper Than Dirt. There is also a 30-round magazine available. With the CCI suppressor ammo loaded in the HK416, my crew is ready to ping steel plates, pop Tannerite targets, and just have fun in general — with safety always the number one priority.

HK416 .22 LR Specifications

Action: Semi-automatic
Barrel Length: 16.1inches
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 10 rounds
Frame Finish: Black
Stock: Collapsible

A .22 For Home Defense?

I’ve been watching the introduction of new .22 guns, especially ones that are models of higher caliber firearms, and thinking not only about their use for training, but for defense. For years, I’ve heard stories about how hitmen preferred .22s. I’ve found documentation about the OSS using suppressed High Standard and Colt Woodsman pistols in .22 caliber for close-up elimination of enemies of state.

There’s no doubt a .22 with effective shot placement could be an effective defensive round. Of course, we all want bigger calibers because we aren’t all that good with a gun, are we? Up through my 50s, I was a .45 ACP man. In my 60s, I was still talking .45 ACP but shooting more 9mm. Now that I’m in my 70s, for some reason I’m shooting a lot of .22s, though still carrying a 9mm.

Will I ever carry a .22 for self-defense? I don’t think so, but I’m not making any promises. I do know that for home defense, the HK416 with .22 High-Velocity Hollow Points loaded would do the job. Knowing that gives me a reason to practice with it. Never mind that practicing with it is more fun than I could have imagined.

The HK416 is priced reasonably and uses cheap ammo. It might make a good addition to your .22 caliber gun arsenal; it sure did to mine. With a MSRP of $449, you’ll find it under $400.

What piques your interest in the HK416 .22 LR the most — plinking, militaria collecting, tactical training or something else? Share your answer in the Comment section.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to make web requests in Laravel 10 using Guzzle. We’ll explore the basics of making GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests with the Guzzle HTTP client library. It’s an essential skill in web development, and Guzzle makes it user-friendly in Laravel 10.

In the past, developers used cURL for similar tasks, but now we have more powerful tools like Guzzle, which we’ll look at here.

We’ll cover the following examples:

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle GET Request Example: How to perform a GET request using Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle POST Request Example: Sending POST requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle PUT Request Example: Making PUT requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle DELETE Request Example: Sending DELETE requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to use Guzzle for different types of HTTP requests in Laravel 10. This knowledge will enable you to work more effectively with external APIs and web services.

 

Step 1: Download Laravel

Let us begin the tutorial by installing a new laravel application. if you have already created the project, then skip following step.

composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app

 

Step 2 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL GET Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http get request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts', [HttpPostController::class, 'index']);

php artisan make:controller HttpPostController

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function index()
    {
        $response = Http::get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
    
        $jsonData = $response->json();
          
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

 

Step 3 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL POST Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http post request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/store', [HttpPostController::class, 'store']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function store()
    {
        $response = Http::post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', [
                    'title' => 'This is test from Nicesnippest.com',
                    'body' => 'This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body',
                ]);
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

Output:

Array
(
    [titile] => This is test from Nicesnippest.com
    [body]  => This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body
    [id] => 101
)

 

Step 4 : Laravel 10 HTTP Curl PUT Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http put request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/update', [HttpPostController::class, 'update']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function update()
    {
        $response = Http::put('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1', [
                    'title' => 'This is test from Nicesnippets.com',
                    'body' => 'This is test from Nicesnippets.com as body',
                ]);
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }

Output:

Array
(
    [titile] => This is test from Nicesnippest.com
    [body]  => This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body
    [id] => 1
)

 

Step 5 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL DELETE Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http delete request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/delete', [HttpPostController::class, 'delete']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
   
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function delete()
    {
        $response = Http::delete('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1');
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

 

Step 6 : Laravel 10 API with Response:

We will create very simple http request full example. we need to create simple route to call controller method. so let’s create it:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts', [HttpPostController::class, 'index']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
 
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        $response = Http::get('http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
          
        echo "<pre> status:";
        print_r($response->status());
        echo "<br/> ok:";
        print_r($response->ok());
        echo "<br/> successful:";
        print_r($response->successful());
        echo "<br/> serverError:";
        print_r($response->serverError());
        echo "<br/> clientError:";
        print_r($response->clientError());
        echo "<br/> headers:";
        print_r($response->headers());
    }
}

Output:

status:200
ok:1
successful:1
serverError:
clientError:
headers:Array
(
    [Date] => Array
        (
            [0] => Thu, 12 Mar 2020 06:08:58 GMT
        )
    [Content-Type] => Array
        (
            [0] => application/json; charset=utf-8
        )
    [Transfer-Encoding] => Array
        (
            [0] => chunked
        )
    .....
)

Read More : Laravel 10 Accessor and Mutator Example

I hope it can help you…

In this tutorial, we will learn how to make web requests in Laravel 10 using Guzzle. We’ll explore the basics of making GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests with the Guzzle HTTP client library. It’s an essential skill in web development, and Guzzle makes it user-friendly in Laravel 10.

In the past, developers used cURL for similar tasks, but now we have more powerful tools like Guzzle, which we’ll look at here.

We’ll cover the following examples:

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle GET Request Example: How to perform a GET request using Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle POST Request Example: Sending POST requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle PUT Request Example: Making PUT requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

Laravel 10 HTTP Guzzle DELETE Request Example: Sending DELETE requests with Guzzle in Laravel 10.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to use Guzzle for different types of HTTP requests in Laravel 10. This knowledge will enable you to work more effectively with external APIs and web services.

 

Step 1: Download Laravel

Let us begin the tutorial by installing a new laravel application. if you have already created the project, then skip following step.

composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app

 

Step 2 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL GET Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http get request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts', [HttpPostController::class, 'index']);

php artisan make:controller HttpPostController

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function index()
    {
        $response = Http::get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
    
        $jsonData = $response->json();
          
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

 

Step 3 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL POST Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http post request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/store', [HttpPostController::class, 'store']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function store()
    {
        $response = Http::post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', [
                    'title' => 'This is test from Nicesnippest.com',
                    'body' => 'This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body',
                ]);
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

Output:

Array
(
    [titile] => This is test from Nicesnippest.com
    [body]  => This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body
    [id] => 101
)

 

Step 4 : Laravel 10 HTTP Curl PUT Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http put request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/update', [HttpPostController::class, 'update']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function update()
    {
        $response = Http::put('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1', [
                    'title' => 'This is test from Nicesnippets.com',
                    'body' => 'This is test from Nicesnippets.com as body',
                ]);
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }

Output:

Array
(
    [titile] => This is test from Nicesnippest.com
    [body]  => This is test from Nicesnippest.com as body
    [id] => 1
)

 

Step 5 : Laravel 10 HTTP cURL DELETE Request Example:

Here, we will see how to send curl http delete request in laravel 10, let’s update route file code and controller file code. you can see output as well:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts/delete', [HttpPostController::class, 'delete']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
   
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
  
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    /**
     * Write code on Method
     *
     * @return response()
     */
    public function delete()
    {
        $response = Http::delete('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1');
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
      
        dd($jsonData);
    }
}

 

Step 6 : Laravel 10 API with Response:

We will create very simple http request full example. we need to create simple route to call controller method. so let’s create it:

routes/web.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
  
use App\Http\Controllers\HttpPostController;
  
/*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Web Routes
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Here is where you can register web routes for your application. These
| routes are loaded by the RouteServiceProvider within a group which
| contains the "web" middleware group. Now create something great!
|
*/
  
Route::get('posts', [HttpPostController::class, 'index']);

app/Http/Controllers/HttpPostController.php

<?php
  
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
  
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
 
class HttpPostController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        $response = Http::get('http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
  
        $jsonData = $response->json();
          
        echo "<pre> status:";
        print_r($response->status());
        echo "<br/> ok:";
        print_r($response->ok());
        echo "<br/> successful:";
        print_r($response->successful());
        echo "<br/> serverError:";
        print_r($response->serverError());
        echo "<br/> clientError:";
        print_r($response->clientError());
        echo "<br/> headers:";
        print_r($response->headers());
    }
}

Output:

status:200
ok:1
successful:1
serverError:
clientError:
headers:Array
(
    [Date] => Array
        (
            [0] => Thu, 12 Mar 2020 06:08:58 GMT
        )
    [Content-Type] => Array
        (
            [0] => application/json; charset=utf-8
        )
    [Transfer-Encoding] => Array
        (
            [0] => chunked
        )
    .....
)

Read More : Laravel 10 Accessor and Mutator Example

I hope it can help you…

Software engineering interviews often involve several rounds. Data structures and algorithms are one of the critical areas that employers may test. As such, it’s a no-brainer that you need to sharpen your data structures and algorithms (DSA) skills if you want to ace technical interviews.

Fortunately, there are many websites you can use to learn about DSA and practice your understanding.

These are some of the best platforms for practicing your knowledge of data structures and algorithms through coding challenges. These websites support various programming languages, so whichever you’re familiar with, you’re good to go.

LeetCode is one of the best platforms to prepare for technical interviews. It’s packed with a variety of problems that you can solve, touching on different areas including common to advanced data structures and algorithms.

If you’re starting your journey, you can use the platform’s crash course to learn about the basics and gain the confidence and skills to start solving problems. The platform also provides editorial solutions to problems, showcasing the best approach for when you’re stuck.

You can also view solutions from other LeetCode users. For advanced users, LeetCode has regular weekly and bi-weekly contests where you can compete with others to solve problems, gain points, and climb the ranks.

HackerRank is another solid platform for practicing your DSA skills. It includes a variety of topics and languages but, most importantly, dedicated sections for data structures and algorithm problems. Like LeetCode, you can sort the coding challenges by difficulty level (Easy, Medium, and Hard).

You can also sort questions by their subdomains, like search, arrays, trees, heaps, sorting, graph theory, dynamic programming, and recursion. The site covers all the data structures every developer should be familiar with.

Under each question, there’s an editorial section with answers, another for discussions, where you can seek clarification and help from your peers, and a leaderboard.

Preparing for an upcoming technical interview? If so, you can make use of HackerRank Kits that let you practice specific DSA skills. HackerRank also has contests, but they are less frequent than LeetCode’s.

Codewars is not as streamlined as the first two websites. Its challenges might seem a bit random, but you can use its filters to only display challenges related to DSA. You can view data structures by selecting the Data Structures tag and algorithms by selecting the identically named tag.

You can sort the challenges by difficulty level using Codewars’ Japanese martial arts-inspired system (the lower the number, the harder the problem). Don’t let the ranking system confuse you, though. The most important point is polishing your DSA skills by solving challenges on the platform.

Codility is a platform that is dedicated to helping companies hire software developers. Still, in addition to that, it also offers a section for training. The app has various lessons but is very limited relative to the first three sites in this list. Codility divides its training into three categories: challenges, lessons, and exercises.

You can jump in and take on any problem, but what makes Codility unique is that it gives you a timeframe to find your solution. Other platforms just track the time you take to solve a problem, except for contests and challenges.

This is particularly important if you have an interview soon because it ensures that, as much as you are practicing your problem-solving skills, you’re sharpening your time-management skills at the same time.

HackerEarth has several sections, including a practice tab that covers data structures, algorithms, interview preparation, mathematics, basic programming, and more. The algorithm section comprises nearly a thousand problems, while the algorithms section has over 350 problems. After signing up, you need to select the languages you use. Still, you can use any language to solve the challenges.

The platform also has an editorial section under each problem, which showcases the solution and the thought process behind it. You can practice further questions under the specific subdomain by checking for similar problems.

Like HackerRank and LeetCode, the Discussions tab is where you can chat with other students about the challenges you’re facing while tackling a problem. HackerEarth also includes regular challenges and a leaderboard if you’re the competitive type.

Techie Delight has nearly 600 problems on its platform. Unlike most of the professional sites in this list, this one’s free, and you don’t have to create an account to practice. When you visit the site, the first problem is waiting for you to solve. We recommend using the filters available to make good use of the site. Use the category and tags filter to display data structure or algorithm-related problems.

It may sound perfect, but there’s one drawback to using Techie Delight. At the time of writing, it only supports three programming languages: Python, Java, and C++. So you’ll need to be familiar with one of these three languages to use the site. There’s also no editorial section and no discussions tab that you can use to seek assistance when stuck.

With over 600 problems on the platform, InterviewBit is another solid site for DSA practice. It categorizes its questions according to different factors including difficulty, topics, and companies. For DSA practice, use the topic filter to drill down the questions displayed by specific subdomains under data structures or algorithms. When you navigate to a question’s tab, InterviewBit goes a mile extra by including a Hints tab.

It divides the Hints tab into three, with increasingly detailed steps on how to go about solving the problem. Viewing a hint deducts 10% from your score. A suggested approach to the solution reduces the final score by half, and you don’t get a score at all if you view the complete solution. You can use this clever feature to learn, practice, and test yourself as you see fit.

Master Data Structures and Algorithms Using Coding Challenges

We’ve listed the best websites for practicing data structures and algorithm concepts. These sites allow you to practice DSA in various programming languages, including popular high-level ones like Python, Java, and JavaScript alongside even low-level ones like C, C++, and Rust.

Most of these sites include solutions and the thought process behind solving a problem, which can be helpful while starting your journey to DSA mastery.

Key Takeaways

• The len() function is useful for determining the number of items in a list, saving time and code compared to manual calculation.
• The append() function adds a new item to the end of a list, allowing for easy modification based on conditions or user input.
• The extend() function adds multiple items to an existing list at once, simplifying the process of modifying a list with new elements.

Lists form an essential part of data structures and algorithms in Python. They play an important role, and ignoring them in your projects is almost impossible.

Due to the large importance of lists, Python provides some built-in functions to perform common list operations. These functions aim to help developers work faster and easier.

1. The len() Function

Use the len() function to get the number of items inside a list. Here’s an example:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code", 1.2]
list_length = len(my_list)
print(list_length)  

Without the len() function, you would have to manually calculate length, like in this example which uses a Python for loop:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code", 1.2]
count = 0

for i in my_list:
    count += 1

print(count) 
 

From this example, it is obvious that the len() function saves some code. Ensure you use it whenever the need arises.

2. The append() Function

The append() function adds a new item to the end of your list. A good use of this is to add an item to your list after your code fulfills a certain condition. Here’s a simple example:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code", 1.2]
question = input("Do you love Python?: ").lower()

if question == "yes":
    my_list.append("Python is the best!!") 
else:
    my_list.append("You should try Python") 

print(my_list)
 

This example uses an if statement to add a certain sentence to the initial list based on the user’s input.

The append() function can add only one item at a time to your list. Instead of the append function, you can use an operator instead:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code", 1.2]
my_list += ["Python is the best!!"]
 

Using the addition operator will ultimately be less efficient because it doesn’t modify your initial list. Instead, it creates a new list in memory and adds a new item to it. The append() function modifies your initial list directly.

3. The extend() Function

The extend() function is a built-in function that adds several items to an existing list at once. It takes in the new items as an argument and modifies your existing list with the argument. Here’s how to use the extend() function:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code", 1.2]

my_list.extend(["item", "muo", 350])

print(my_list)
 

The extend() function can only take one argument, so you should add all your items to a list like the code above.

4. The reverse() Function

The reverse function simply rewrites your list in the reverse order. Here’s an example of the reverse function in use:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code"]

my_list.reverse()
print(my_list) 
 

To reverse a list without using the reverse() function, you would need to slice your list. Here’s an example:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code"]

reversed_list = my_list[::-1]
print(reversed_list) 
 

In the above example, my_list[::-1] creates a reversed copy of the original list. This means you’ll have two lists in memory, which is not the best approach if you simply want to reverse the original list.

5. The insert() Function

The insert() function modifies a list and adds an item to it like the append() function. However, the insert() function allows you to specify the index (position) of your new item in the list. Here’s an example:

 my_list = [1, 2, 3, "hello", "rice", "code"]

my_list.insert(0, "first") 
print(my_list) 
 

From the above code, this is the correct syntax to use the insert() function:

 your_list.insert(index, new_list_item)
 

6. The sort() Function

The sort() function takes a list of a particular data type and rearranges the elements in ascending order. Here’s an example:

 my_list = [1, 2, 10, 30, 3, 2.4]
my_list2 = ['code', 'rice', 'zion', 'hello']

my_list.sort()
my_list2.sort()

print(my_list) 
print(my_list2) 
 

If you use the sort() function on a list with different data types, such as strings and numbers, you will get a TypeError.

7. The count() Function

The count() function counts the number of times a specific element occurs in a list and returns the value to you. Here’s how to use it:

 my_list = ['code', 10, 30, 'code', 3, 'code', 'rice', 5]
print(my_list.count('code')) 
 

Performing such an operation without the count() function would require you to write more code. Here’s an example:

 my_list = ['code', 10, 30, 'code', 3, 'code', 'rice', 5]
count_code = 0

for item in my_list:
    if item == 'code':
        count_code += 1

print(count_code) 
 

The len() function will return the total number of elements in a list, while the count() function will return the number of times a specific element occurs in a list.

Using List Functions to Write Better Code

When working with lists in Python, it is important to use the available list functions to write efficient and clean code. They generally save you from writing complex and time-consuming code.

List functions enable you to easily perform common list operations, giving you more time to focus on other parts of your code.