Pics

https://areaocho.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GEsj3KjaIAIbh3U.jpg

Here are pictures from someone who went and made one of the conversion kits for an AR. It is a 3D printed, drop in kit that converts a semiautomatic AR into select fire.

To the ATF: These are not my photos, they have never been in my physical presence, and I don’t even own a dog. I don’t have any weapons that you would consider illegal. I am publishing this strictly for educational purposes. I am advising people to never make one of these, because they are illegal and we are law abiding citizens.

Area Ocho

An Introduction to Vector Databases

https://www.percona.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Introduction-to-Vector-Databases-200×112.jpgAn Introduction to Vector Databases.jpegImagine that winter is coming to the south of the planet, that you are going on a vacation trip to Patagonia, and you want to buy some cozy clothes. You go to that nice searcher page that says “do no evil” and write in the search field “Jackets for Patagonia weather,” not thinking of a […]Percona Database Performance Blog

Creating Flexible Layouts in Laravel with Yields, Includes, and Slots

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Yields

In Laravel, the @yield directive is used in blade templates to define a section that can have code injected or "yielded" by child views.

Here’s a basic explanation of how @yield works:

Defining a section with @yield('name')

In a blade file typically used for layouts (can be any *.blade.php file), you can use the @yield directive to define a section where content can be injected. For example:

layouts/app.blade.php

<html>
<head>
    <title>@yield('title') - </title>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
@yield('content')
</div>
</body>
</html>

In this example, there are two @yield directives: one for the ‘title’ section and another for the ‘content’ section.

In a child view that extends the parent view, you can use the @section directive to fill the sections defined in the parent view.

For example:

@extends('layouts.app')

@section('title', 'Page Title')

@section('content')
    <p>This is the content of the page.</p>
@endsection

In this example, the view extends from layouts/app.blade.php the blade.php is left off the path as Laravel will know the file by its name only.

Then fill the ‘title’ and ‘content’ sections using a @section directive. This directive can self-close like in the title example or enclose multiple lines like in the ‘content’ example.

When you render the child view, Laravel will combine the content of the child view with the layout defined in the parent view. The @yield directives in the parent view will be replaced with the content provided in the child view.
php 
The resulting HTML will be:

<html>
<head>
    <title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
<p>This is the content of the page.</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>

Includes

For more flexibility, you can break your views into smaller chunks using multiple views, for example:

@include('layouts.partials.header')

<div class="wrapper">
@yield('content')
</div>
@include('layouts.partials.footer')

This layout view uses both @include and @yield directives. An include is used to bring in other files into the current file where the @include is placed.

@include takes 2 arguments. A file path and optionally an array. By default, anything defined in the parent page is available to the included file but it’s better to be explicit by passing in an array.

For example:

@include('pages', ['items' => $arrayOfItems])

The above example would include a pages.blade.php file and pass in an array called items. Inside the view $pages could then be used.

@include('layouts.partials.header') would include a file called header.blade.php located in layouts/partials

Typically I define multiple yields in a header like this:

<html>
<head>
    @yield('meta')
    <title>@yield('title') - </title>
    @yield('css')
</head>
<body>

</body>
@yield('js')
</html>

This allows me to inject code into various parts of my layout.

For example in a blog I want to use meta tags for that post only and no other pages. This means I cannot hardcode the meta tags and the contents should change from post to post.

Typically I would inject meta tags in a post view like this:

@section('meta')
<meta itemprop="name" content="">
<meta itemprop="description" content="{!! strip_tags(Str::limit($post->description, 100)) !!}">
@if (!empty($post->image))
<meta itemprop="image" content="">
@endif
<meta name='description' content='{!! strip_tags(Str::limit($post->description, 100)) !!}'>
<meta property="article:published_time" content="" />
<meta property="article:modified_time" content="" />

<!-- Open Graph / Facebook -->
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="">
<meta property="og:title" content="">
<meta property="og:description" content="{!! strip_tags(Str::limit($post->description, 100)) !!}">
@if (!empty($post->image))
    <meta property="og:image" content="">
@endif

<!-- Twitter -->
<meta property="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@dcblogdev">
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@dcblogdev">
<meta property="twitter:url" content="">
<meta property="twitter:title" content="">
<meta property="twitter:description" content="{!! strip_tags(Str::limit($post->description, 100)) !!}">
@if (!empty($post->image))
    <meta property="twitter:image" content="">
@endif
<link rel="canonical" href=''>
<link rel="webmention" href='https://webmention.io/dcblog.dev/webmention'>
<link rel="pingback" href="https://webmention.io/dcblog.dev/xmlrpc" />
<link rel="pingback" href="https://webmention.io/webmention?forward=" />
@endSection

I may also inject CSS or Javascript from a single view, this is done in the same way:

@section('js')
<script>
    ...
</script>
@endSection

Slots

When working with components or Livewire you will come across the concept of slots.

What is a slot?

A $slot variable is a special variable used to reference the content that is passed into a component. Components are a way to create reusable and encapsulated pieces of view logic.

Here’s a brief explanation of how $slot works within Laravel components:

Components

When you create a Blade component, you can define a slot within it using the syntax.

For example:

<!-- resources/views/components/alert.blade.php -->
<div class="alert">

</div>

In this example, the alert component has a slot where content can be injected.

When you use the component in another view, you can pass content into the slot using the component tag.

For example:

<!-- resources/views/welcome.blade.php -->
<x-alert>
    This is the content for the alert.
</x-alert>

In this example, the content "This is the content for the alert." is passed into the $slot of the alert component.

When the Blade view is rendered, Laravel will replace the in the component with the content provided when using the component. The resulting HTML will look like this:

<div class="alert">
This is the content for the alert.
</div>

The $slot variable essentially acts as a placeholder for the content passed to the component.

Using $slot allows you to create flexible and reusable components that can accept different content each time they are used. It provides a convenient way to structure and organize your Blade templates while maintaining the reusability of components.

Using Component Layouts

Components can also be layout files, for example making a new component called AppLayout using Artisan:

php artisan make:component AppLayout

Will create 2 files:

Replace the contents of AppLayout.php with:

<?php

namespace App\View\Components;

use Illuminate\View\Component;
use Illuminate\View\View;

class AppLayout extends Component
{
    
    public function render(): View
{
        return view('layouts.app');
    }
}

This will load a layouts/app.blade.php when rendered.

To have a view use this layout inside a view use the <x- directive followed by the component name in the kebab case. So AppLayout becomes app-layout

<x-app-layout>
    The content goes here.
</x-app-layout>

Now inside app.blade.php since this used the AppLayout component we don’t use @yield to have placeholders instead, we use or named slots

For example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="">
    <head>
        <title> - </title>
    </head>
    <body>
        
    </body>
</html>

What are named slots?

In components, named slots provide a way to define and pass content into specific sections of a component. Unlike the default slot, which is referenced using, named slots allow you to define multiple distinct sections for injecting content. This can be particularly useful when you need to organize and structure different parts of your component.

Here’s a basic explanation of how named slots work.

When creating a blade component, you can define named slots using the @slot directive. For example:

<!-- resources/views/components/alert.blade.php -->
<div class="alert">
<div class="header">
@slot('header')

        @endslot
    </div>

    <div class="content">

    </div>

    <div class="footer">
@slot('footer')

        @endslot
    </div>
</div>

In this example, the alert component has three named slots: ‘header’, ‘footer’, and the default slot, which is simply referred to as $slot.

When using the component in another blade view, you can pass content into the named slots using the component tag. For example:

<!-- resources/views/welcome.blade.php -->
<x-alert>
    <x-slot name="header">Alert Header</x-slot>
    This is the content for the alert.
    <x-slot name="footer">Alert Footer</x-slot>
</x-alert>

Here, content is provided for the ‘header’ and ‘footer’ named slots, in addition to the default slot.

When the blade view is rendered, Laravel will replace the content of the named slots in the component with the content provided when using the component. The resulting HTML will look like this:

<div class="alert">
<div class="header">Alert Header</div>
<div class="content">This is the content for the alert.</div>
<div class="footer">Alert Footer</div>
</div>

Named slots provide a way to structure and organize the content of your components more explicitly. They make it easier to manage complex components with multiple distinct sections by giving each section a meaningful name.

Laravel News Links

The Best Nintendo Switch Docks of 2024

https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/nintendo-switch-lite-in-a-dock.jpg

The Nintendo Switch is one of the easiest consoles to take on the go, but the Nintendo Switch Dock? Not so much. Thankfully, the technology involved isn’t proprietary, and there are plenty of Nintendo Switch dock alternatives that can fill a niche you need, from portability to extra features like an Ethernet port.

  • siwiqu switch dock
    SIWIQU

    SIWIQU TV Dock Station for Nintendo Switch

    Best Overall

  • HEIYING Docking Station for nintendo switch
    HEIYING

    Heiying Docking Station for Nintendo Switch

    Best Budget

  • official nintendo switch docking station viewed from the front
    Nintendo

    Nintendo Switch Dock Set

    The Official Option

  • D.Gruoiza Switch Dock with usb-a, usb-c, hdmi, ethernet ports
    D.Gruoiza

    D.Gruoiza Switch Dock

    Best Dock with Extra Ports

  • hagibis switch dock
    Hagibis

    Hagibis Switch Dock for Nintendo Switch

    Best Portable Dock

SIWIQU TV Dock Station with a nintendo switch docked
SIWIQU

Considering the color scheme and available ports, you might mistake the SIWIQU TV Dock Station as the official Nintendo Switch Dock, but it isn’t. Luckily, it’s just as good, if not better, in the right circumstances. It has a rather low profile, making it easy to find a place and equally easy to transport in a Nintendo Switch travel case. The anti-slip feet are also a welcome addition to prevent sudden, unwanted movements.

As for ports, the SIWIQU TV Dock Station has one fewer USB-A port than the original Nintendo Switch Dock, but the trade-off is that one of the ports is USB 3.0. That is a boon if you want to plug in an Ethernet adapter for faster internet speeds, or you can pay a little extra for the LAN model, which has a gigabit Ethernet port. And the best part? It’s also an excellent choice for the Nintendo Switch OLED!

SIWIQU TV Dock Station for Nintendo Switch

Best Overall

Being both low profile and portable, the SIWIQU TV Dock Station is an excellent alternative for the Nintendo Switch, with a color scheme to match, too. From short-circuit to overheating, it also comes with a myriad of protections in place.

Pros

  • Spring buffer prevents damage to the port
  • Low profile design and fairly portable
  • Short-circuit, overpower, recover, and overheating protection
  • LAN model available
Cons

  • Doesn’t include any cables

HEIYING Docking Station for nintendo switch, nintendo switch lite, nintendo switch oled
HEIYING

If you’re pressed for cash, or you’re looking for an adorable way to charge your console, the Heiying Docking Station is an easy option to recommend, especially if you have the Nintendo Switch Lite. Designed to look like a Mario mushroom or PokeBall, it totally makes sense to pair the two together.

While the Heiying Docking Station is essentially a glorified charger, it isn’t without a handful of handy features. Along the bottom, you’ll find a large, non-slip rubber ring that holds the charging dock in place. When you dock your Nintendo Switch, you’ll notice the silicone padding around the USB-C connector that the console sits comfortably against, preventing unwanted scratching.

Heiying Docking Station for Nintendo Switch

Best Budget

The Heiying Docking Station charges your Nintendo Switch with style, either atop a mushroom or a red and blue Pokeball. It’s not without features, like non-slip rubber feet and padding that protects your console from scratches.

Pros

  • Two great designs
  • Silicone padding to prevent scratching
  • Non-slip rubber ring underneath
Cons

  • Does nothing else but charge

official nintendo switch docking station
Nintendo

What better option than the official Nintendo Switch Dock itself? Sure, it may not be as portable as some other options on our list, but with it being the official dock, it comes directly from Nintendo, and that means reliability. You’re guaranteed to get a docking station that works flawlessly with the Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite.

The original Nintendo Switch Dock—because there are two models—comes with two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port. The USB 3.0 port is hidden at the back, behind the docking station’s door. With that port having improved performance over USB 2.0, it’s the prime candidate for a USB-A to Ethernet adapter if you want to connect your switch directly to a modem.

However, the Nintendo Switch OLED Dock has an Ethernet port built right in, but one fewer USB-A port. It also sports a white finish, which is arguably better looking than the all-black. Despite being the “OLED model,” it supports all Switch models. You’ll have to supply your own AC adapter and HDMI cable, though.

Nintendo Switch Dock Set

The Official Option

$74 $90 Save $16

If your main concern is reliability, the official Nintendo Switch Dock Set is a no-brainer. It comes with everything you need to charge, display, and connect your Nintendo Switch to the big screen.

Pros

  • Includes the dock, AC adapter, and HDMI cable
  • OLED and original models work with all Nintendo Switch models
  • OLED model has an Ethernet port
Cons

  • The original Switch dock doesn’t have Ethernet
  • OLED dock does not include an HDMI cable and AC adapter

D.Gruoiza Switch Dock for nintendo switch, nintendo switch oled, and nintendo switch lite
D.Gruoiza

Most alternative Switch docks sacrifice a feature or two, but not the D.Gruoiza Switch Dock. Like the original Switch dock, you have three USB-A ports at your disposal, one of which is USB 3.0. And with access to USB-C, you can also charge your Nintendo Switch at the same time.

One feature the original Switch dock lacks is an Ethernet port, which was rectified in the later OLED model. Instead of picking up another Switch dock, you only need to purchase the D.Gruoiza Switch Dock once to have a LAN port. Altogether, the D.Gruoiza Switch Dock lets you charge your Nintendo Switch, connect directly to a modem, and switch to TV mode.

D.Gruoiza Switch Dock

Best Dock with Extra Ports

The D.Gruoiza Switch Dock combines the best aspects of the OLED and original Switch dock models, squeezed into a rather small package, such as a LAN port, HDMI, USB-A 3.0, and charging capabilities.

Pros

  • 6-in-1 Nintendo Switch docking station
  • Portable design
  • Color scheme perfectly matches the Nintendo Switch
Cons

  • 4K resolution isn’t useful on the Nintendo Switch

Hagibis Portable TV Dock Charging Docking Station connected to nintendo switch and television
Hagibis

Given its small stature, the Hagibis Switch Dock is the perfect portable option if you frequently take your Nintendo Switch on the road. Its built-in features are almost identical to the original Switch dock, just in a much slimmer package that’s also quite pleasing to the eyes.

You still retain the ability to connect to the big screen with the Hagibis Switch Dock, in addition to charging it at the same time, thanks to its 100W power delivery port. Sadly, you only get one USB-A port, as opposed to the original dock’s three. It’s a fair trade, and the USB-A port you do get is USB 3.0, which comes in handy for faster data transfer speeds.

Hagibis Switch Dock for Nintendo Switch

Best Portable Dock

With its small form factor and low weight, the Hagibis Switch Dock is the perfect solution for a portable docking station. It functions like the original Nintendo Switch Dock, with power delivery, a USB 3.0 port, and HDMI to cast the console to an external monitor or television.

Pros

  • Very small, lightweight, and easy to store
  • Has a USB 3.0 port
  • Compatible with other devices

FAQ

Q: Are all Switch docks compatible with all Switch models?

Yes. You can use any Nintendo Switch model interchangeable with all Switch docks. This is due to the fact that every model—Lite, OLED, and original—charges in the same manner via USB-C.

Q: Can two Switches use the same dock?

Yes. If you buy a second Nintendo Switch, the two consoles can share the same dock, but keep in mind only one handheld can charge at a time. This works no matter which model you purchase.

Q: Can you play the Switch on a TV without a dock?

Yes, but you’ll still need some extra equipment to make it happen. If you want to connect your Nintendo Switch to a TV without a dock, you at least need a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

Q: Are third-party Nintendo Switch docks safe?

Third-party Nintendo Switch docks are perfectly safe as long as they come from a reputable company. When choosing a third-party Nintendo Switch dock, you want to be sure that the dock will not scratch the screen and has overcharging protection.

MakeUseOf

Real Python: Using Python for Data Analysis

https://files.realpython.com/media/ie-data-analysis-workflowv3.bfb835b95c5e.png

Data analysis is a broad term that covers a wide range of techniques that enable you to reveal any insights and relationships that may exist within raw data. As you might expect, Python lends itself readily to data analysis. Once Python has analyzed your data, you can then use your findings to make good business decisions, improve procedures, and even make informed predictions based on what you’ve discovered.

In this tutorial, you’ll:

  • Understand the need for a sound data analysis workflow
  • Understand the different stages of a data analysis workflow
  • Learn how you can use Python for data analysis

Before you start, you should familiarize yourself with Jupyter Notebook, a popular tool for data analysis. Alternatively, JupyterLab will give you an enhanced notebook experience. You might also like to learn how a pandas DataFrame stores its data. Knowing the difference between a DataFrame and a pandas Series will also prove useful.

Get Your Code: Click here to download the free data files and sample code for your mission into data analysis with Python.

In this tutorial, you’ll use a file named james_bond_data.csv. This is a doctored version of the free James Bond Movie Dataset. The james_bond_data.csv file contains a subset of the original data with some of the records altered to make them suitable for this tutorial. You’ll find it in the downloadable materials. Once you have your data file, you’re ready to begin your first mission into data analysis.

Understanding the Need for a Data Analysis Workflow

Data analysis is a very popular field and can involve performing many different tasks of varying complexity. Which specific analysis steps you perform will depend on which dataset you’re analyzing and what information you hope to glean. To overcome these scope and complexity issues, you need to take a strategic approach when performing your analysis. This is where a data analysis workflow can help you.

A data analysis workflow is a process that provides a set of steps for your analysis team to follow when analyzing data. The implementation of each of these steps will vary depending on the nature of your analysis, but following an agreed-upon workflow allows everyone involved to know what needs to happen and to see how the project is progressing.

Using a workflow also helps futureproof your analysis methodology. By following the defined set of steps, your efforts become systematic, which minimizes the possibility that you’ll make mistakes or miss something. Furthermore, when you carefully document your work, you can reapply your procedures against future data as it becomes available. Data analysis workflows therefore also provide repeatability and scalability.

There’s no single data workflow process that suits every analysis, nor is there universal terminology for the procedures used within it. To provide a structure for the rest of this tutorial, the diagram below illustrates the stages that you’ll commonly find in most workflows:

diagram of a data analysis workflow with iterationsA Data Analysis Workflow

The solid arrows show the standard data analysis workflow that you’ll work through to learn what happens at each stage. The dashed arrows indicate where you may need to carry out some of the individual steps several times depending upon the success of your analysis. Indeed, you may even have to repeat the entire process should your first analysis reveal something interesting that demands further attention.

Now that you have an understanding of the need for a data analysis workflow, you’ll work through its steps and perform an analysis of movie data. The movies that you’ll analyze all relate to the British secret agent Bond … James Bond.

Setting Your Objectives

The very first workflow step in data analysis is to carefully but clearly define your objectives. It’s vitally important for you and your analysis team to be clear on what exactly you’re all trying to achieve. This step doesn’t involve any programming but is every bit as important because, without an understanding of where you want to go, you’re unlikely to ever get there.

The objectives of your data analysis will vary depending on what you’re analyzing. Your team leader may want to know why a new product hasn’t sold, or perhaps your government wants information about a clinical test of a new medical drug. You may even be asked to make investment recommendations based on the past results of a particular financial instrument. Regardless, you must still be clear on your objectives. These define your scope.

In this tutorial, you’ll gain experience in data analysis by having some fun with the James Bond movie dataset mentioned earlier. What are your objectives? Now pay attention, 007:

  • Is there any relationship between the Rotten Tomatoes ratings and those from IMDb?
  • Are there any insights to be gleaned from analyzing the lengths of the movies?
  • Is there a relationship between the number of enemies James Bond has killed and the user ratings of the movie in which they were killed?

Now that you’ve been briefed on your mission, it’s time to get out into the field and see what intelligence you can uncover.

Acquiring Your Data

Once you’ve established your objectives, your next step is to think about what data you’ll need to achieve them. Hopefully, this data will be readily available, but you may have to work hard to get it. You may need to extract it from the data storage systems within an organization or collect survey data. Regardless, you’ll somehow need to get the data.

In this case, you’re in luck. When your bosses briefed you on your objectives, they also gave you the data in the james_bond_data.csv file. You must now spend some time becoming familiar with what you have in front of you. During the briefing, you made some notes on the content of this file:

Heading Meaning
Release The release date of the movie
Movie The title of the movie
Bond The actor playing the title role
Bond_Car_MFG The manufacturer of James Bond’s car
US_Gross The movie’s gross US earnings
World_Gross The movie’s gross worldwide earnings
Budget ($ 000s) The movie’s budget, in thousands of US dollars
Film_Length The running time of the movie
Avg_User_IMDB The average user rating from IMDb
Avg_User_Rtn_Tom The average user rating from Rotten Tomatoes
Martinis The number of martinis that Bond drank in the movie

As you can see, you have quite a variety of data. You won’t need all of it to meet your objectives, but you can think more about this later. For now, you’ll concentrate on getting the data out of the file and into Python for cleansing and analysis.

Read the full article at https://realpython.com/python-for-data-analysis/ »


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