Most popular REST API tools today are powerful — but many of them are cloud-connected, account-dependent, and not fully private. That never felt fully comfortable to me.

In this article, I want to introduce Fetchy, explain the design ideas behind it, and show what makes it different.

What is Fetchy?

Fetchy is a self-hosted, offline-friendly, desktop REST client focused on privacy, stability, and developer productivity. After multiple iterations and real usage in daily development work, I can confidently say: it has reached a very stable and reliable state — and I’m genuinely happy with how it performs.

Why Another REST Client?

Let’s be honest — we already have many REST clients.

But I kept running into the same concerns:

• API keys stored in cloud sync
• Forced accounts and logins
• Telemetry and background tracking
• Limited offline capability
• Vendor lock-in

Sometimes you just want a fast, local, private API client that works without asking permission from a remote server.

What makes Fetchy so Special?

Core Principles of Fetchy

• Local First: Everything is stored locally using simple data structures. Your requests, collections, environments, and history live on your system.
• Privacy by Design: No telemetry. No tracking. No background analytics.
• Offline Ready: Fetchy works fully offline. You can test local services, internal APIs, or isolated systems without internet access.

Fetchy supports all common HTTP methods including GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, and HEAD, so you can work with almost any REST API without limitations.

You can easily configure query parameters, add custom headers, and choose between different request body formats depending on your endpoint needs. Supported body types include JSON, form data, and raw text, which covers most real-world API scenarios.

Fetchy is designed to be clean and fast, making the process of creating and sending requests feel smooth and lightweight instead of complex or heavy.

Collections and Folder Organization

API projects grow very fast, and without a clear structure things can become hard to manage. Fetchy solves this by providing collections, nested folders, drag-and-drop organization, collection-level settings, and shared variables. With these features, you can group related requests, apply common configurations, and keep everything tidy as your API surface grows. This makes large API sets much more manageable and clean, especially when you are working with multiple microservices or large platform APIs where structure is critical.

Environment Variables (Dev / Test / Prod / Custom)

Switching between environments is part of daily API work, and doing it manually wastes time and causes mistakes. Fetchy supports environments with variables, so you can define reusable values such as base URLs, tokens, IDs, and dynamic parameters.

These variables can be referenced directly inside your requests using placeholders. You simply switch the environment and send the request — no manual editing required each time, which makes multi-environment testing much faster and safer.

Response Inspection That Helps Debug Faster

A REST client is not only for sending requests — it is also for understanding responses clearly. Fetchy provides a syntax-highlighted response body, detailed response headers view, status indicators, timing information, response size details, and one-click copy actions. These features help you read responses quickly and spot problems faster, which is very useful during debugging and performance checks.

Request History and Repeatability

In real development work, the same or similar requests are often sent many times. Fetchy automatically records your request history and lets you search past requests, reopen them, resend them instantly, and restore previous configurations. This reduces repeated setup work and helps you continue your testing flow without rebuilding requests from scratch.

Import Support (Easy Migration)

If you are moving from another API tool, you can migrate without friction. Fetchy supports importing from Postman collections, OpenAPI or Swagger definitions, and cURL commands.

This makes onboarding simple and lowers the switching cost, so you can start using Fetchy with your existing API definitions instead of rebuilding everything manually.

What’s Planned Next

Even though Fetchy is already very usable, I plan to extend it with:

• Pre-request scripts
• Test scripts and assertions
• Request chaining
• More automation features
• Theme customization

But these will come without breaking the core rule: keep it simple and stable.

Who Should Use Fetchy?

Fetchy is a good fit if you:

• Care about privacy
• Prefer local tools
• Work offline sometimes
• Test APIs daily
• Want clean organization
• Don’t want forced cloud sync
• Like self-hosted developer tools

Conclusion

Fetchy started as a focused idea: build a REST client that respects developer control and data privacy. It has now grown into a stable, capable, and practical tool that I personally enjoy using every day.

Made with ❤️ for developers who care about privacy

I’m always looking to improve Fetchy, so please check and star the repository to help the project grow, and feel free to contribute or share your feedback: https://github.com/akineralkan/fetchy

Reference

• GitHub - akineralkan/fetchy: A powerful, privacy-focused, self-hosted REST API client for developers who value data ownership and offline capabilities.
• Fetchy - Local REST API Client | Fetchy

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

OpenAI announces o3, achieves 87.5% on ARC-AGI, outperforms prior models

On the final day of its ’12 Days of Christmas’, OpenAI releases o3, the latest model in its reasoning series, built to solve complex, unseen problems. It moves beyond pattern-matching by generating solutions on the fly using a hybrid neural-symbolic framework.

Use Ollama with any GGUF Model on Hugging Face Hub

Ollama is an application based on llama.cpp to interact with LLMs directly through your computer. You can use any GGUF quants created by the community on Hugging Face directly with Ollama, without creating a new Modelfile

GitHub Copilot Now Free in VS Code

GitHub has announced that Copilot is now free for all users in Visual Studio Code. By signing in with a personal GitHub account, developers can access 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month. This free tier offers a choice between Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o models.

1–800-CHATGPT

OpenAI has made voice and text communication possible with ChatGPT. In the US, you can call 1–800-CHATGPT for 15 free minutes a month or send a WhatsApp message from anywhere in the world.

Google launches Veo 2, 4K video model, and enhanced image model globally.

Google launches three new tools: Veo 2 for video generation, Imagen 3 for image creation, and Whisk for remixing visuals. These tools provide high-resolution video, accurate image generation, and creative control over visuals.

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: DALL-E
Prompt: “A cozy Christmas-themed indoor scene featuring a cheerful young woman sitting at a wooden table. She has shoulder-length dark hair, big expressive eyes, and a warm smile. She is wearing a bright red hoodie and a festive Santa hat with a white pom-pom. In front of her is an open laptop glowing softly, displaying the text ‘See you in 2025’ in a decorative font with snowflake accents. The background includes a large window showing a clear winter night sky with a full moon and snow-covered trees. Inside, there are Christmas decorations, including a lit Christmas tree adorned with ornaments, strings of fairy lights, and warm, ambient lighting creating a magical holiday atmosphere. Books and small holiday items are on the table, enhancing the cozy and festive vibe.”

🎓Highlighted Paper

Byte Latent Transformer: Patches Scale Better Than Tokens

If you wanna read older editions, you can find them on the publication page

Flash AI Digest

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

• https://openai.com/12-days/?day=12
• https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/en/ollama
• https://code.visualstudio.com/blogs/2024/12/18/free-github-copilot
  https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10193193-1-800-chatgpt-calling-and-messaging-chatgpt-with-your-phone
• https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/video-image-generation-update-december-2024/
• https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/QzryQqbS1a9l6sFmLMLt?ru=GeyikGames
• https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.09871v1

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

Harvard University Releases 1 Mililion Public Domain Books For AI Training

Harvard, with Microsoft and OpenAI, released a dataset of 1M public-domain books from Google Books to boost AI training, democratize access to quality data, and support smaller AI developers alongside licensed
content.

Meta Launched Llama 3.3 70B Instruct Model

Meta has launched the Llama 3.3 70B Instruct model, a 70-billion parameter language model optimized for multilingual dialogue. It excels in reasoning, math, and general knowledge, surpassing many models. It is available on Hugging Face.

Microsoft Introduces PHI-4: Groundbreaking AI For Complex Tasks

Microsoft has introduced Phi-4, a 14-billion parameter small language model designed for complex reasoning tasks, including mathematics. Phi-4 outperforms larger models like Gemini Pro 1.5 in math-related benchmarks.

OpenAI Launches Sora: The Future of Video Editing

OpenAI launches Sora, a cutting-edge video editor designed to simplify and elevate content creation. With AI-powered tools, creators can edit videos effortlessly and produce stunning results. Explore the future of video editing with Sora!

Google Develops AI to Autonomously Perform Computer Tasks

Project Jarvis, Google’s new AI, aims to handle online tasks like research and bookings by controlling web browsers. Powered by the upcoming Gemini model, it previews in December, enhancing user productivity through task automation.

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: Flux Schnell
Prompt: “A cartoon Santa Claus, wearing a red hat and coat with white fur trim, and a pair of jeans, plays a banjo with a joyful expression, sitting on a stool near an outdoor cafe at night, surrounded by twinkling string lights and steam rising from cups of hot cocoa, in the style of Mark Brooks’ dynamic lines and Dan Mumford’s vibrant colors, with a perfect blend of smooth textures and bold graphic elements, reminiscent of classic comic book art.”

🎓Highlighted Paper

3D-LLM: Injecting the 3D World into Large Language Models

If you wanna read older editions, you can find them on the publication page

Flash AI Digest

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

• Harvard Is Releasing a Massive Free AI Training Dataset Funded by OpenAI and Microsoft
• meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct · Hugging Face
• Introducing Phi-4: Microsoft's Newest Small Language Model Specializing in Complex Reasoning | Microsoft Community Hub

https://openai.com/index/sora-is-here/

Google's Project Jarvis: A New AI Agent That Could Transform Everyday Web Browsing

https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/iXYd72oCwrL7if4F1y42/cartoon-santa-playing-banjo-at-night-near-an-outdoor-cafe

3D-LLM: Injecting the 3D World into Large Language Models

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This article is referring: https://www.linkedin.com/games/queens/

LinkedIn, the leading professional networking platform, has made a surprising move into gaming. Most professionals use LinkedIn to search jobs and stay updated with industry news, but this unexpected feature could be a powerful tool to enhance professional growth.

The LinkedIn Queens game offers more than casual entertainment. I found that there was a perfect blend of strategic challenge and professional networking that creates an innovative way to improve decision-making skills while building professional connections.

This game deserves attention in your daily professional development routine because it can change your approach to strategic thinking at work.

Master Strategic Thinking Through Queens

The LinkedIn Queens game has become my daily brain teaser, and I’d love to share how this fascinating puzzle works.

The game shows a colorful grid where players need to place queens based on these key rules:

• Each row, column, and colored region needs exactly one queen
• Queens can’t touch each other — not even diagonally
• Every move counts, so you need to plan ahead

Queens mirrors real-life professional challenges beautifully. The game teaches you to juggle multiple factors at once, just like we do with business decisions. My critical thinking and decision-making skills have improved significantly, which proves valuable in professional settings.

This game works well for professional growth because it builds on constraint programming principles. Playing Queens isn’t just about solving puzzles — it helps you practice structured problem-solving that’s crucial in logistics, manufacturing, and operations management. Players learn to think systematically, review different scenarios, and make decisions within clear boundaries. These skills directly apply to workplace challenges.

Boost Your Professional Network Through Gaming

LinkedIn’s Queens game is more than just a puzzle solver — it changes how we network on the platform. The game has become my favorite ice-breaker to connect with professionals and gives me many ways to interact with my network.

The social features make Queens really fun. After solving each daily challenge, I can:

• Share my score with specific connections
• Post results to my LinkedIn feed
• Talk strategy with other players
• Get colleagues to join the fun

Sharing game scores starts conversations naturally. Rather than sending a basic “Let’s connect” message, I now talk about game strategies and problem-solving approaches. The daily discussions help me build relationships with professionals in a variety of industries.

Queens builds team spirit too. Playing the game helps improve my company’s position on the leaderboard. My colleagues and I work together to boost our ranking, which creates a great sense of teamwork.

The game works perfectly as a casual ice-breaker to restart or deepen professional relationships. Seeing a connection play today’s puzzle gives me a good reason to reach out and talk about our different solving methods.

Pro tip: Queens becomes a powerful networking tool when you stay active in the community and turn game chats into meaningful professional discussions.

Enhance Workplace Performance with Daily Challenges

Strategic breaks during work hours have become my secret weapon to stay productive, and LinkedIn’s Queens game fits right into this strategy. A newer study, published in Harvard Business Review shows that regular breaks can boost both well-being and improved productivity.

My daily work routine has improved a lot since I started playing Queens. A LinkedIn News India poll showed that 72% of professionals agree that word games and puzzles work great as mental exercises. These benefits have made a real difference in my work:

• Improved problem-solving capabilities
• Better concentration between tasks
• Better mental flexibility
• Lower work-related stress
• More creative thinking

The sort of thing i love about this game is its design that enables quick, meaningful breaks. LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief Daniel Roth points out that these games work best in short bursts — perfect to start your day or take a quick break between projects.

Queens helps build resilience, which is a vital workplace skill — this amazes me the most. Daily challenges help me develop what experts call a “continuous improvement mindset” where I turn setbacks into chances to learn. This mindset has changed how I handle tough situations at work.

Smart timing makes a big difference. Research shows daily puzzles have cognitive benefits, so I play Queens during natural work transitions. This helps me stay focused while making sure the game doesn’t take over my day. It’s interesting that 40% of players get into the game through shared links, which shows how it has become part of many professionals’ daily routines.

Conclusion

LinkedIn’s Queens game is much more than a platform feature. It brings together smart thinking, networking and professional growth in one place. Playing the game daily has taught me to make better decisions and connect with other professionals in a meaningful way.

The game challenges you while keeping things social. That’s why it fits perfectly into any professional’s daily schedule. Regular gameplay has made me better at solving problems and getting work done. Quick gaming breaks refresh my mind and help build stronger relationships with colleagues.

The Queens game shows how professional networking continues to progress. People can form real connections by simply sharing their puzzle scores. This game is a chance to think more strategically and grow your network. The benefits go way beyond the virtual board and make your workday more engaging.

helping your application remain clean, maintainable, and scalable.

If you find this article interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other articles. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, app creation, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a professional developer for many years or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

• https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/queens-game/
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/queens-game_queens-no-139-activity-7241340065510047745-KUxr
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/queens-game-using-cp-alireza-soroudi-2hbke?utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=articles_sitemaps
• https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6863543
• https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6287691
• https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6269510
• https://www.reworked.co/learning-development/linkedin-launchesgames-hub-to-foster-professional-connections/
• https://careers.queensu.ca/sites/carswww/files/uploaded_files/TipSheets/LinkedIn%20%5B2%5D%20-%20Navigating%20Resources%20and%20Building%20Brand.pdf
• https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/gaming/linkedin-unveils-3-thinking-oriented-games-to-help-users-enhance-productivity-network-better-9303088/
• https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/08/linkedin-releases-tango-game-after-launch-of-queens-puzzle-in-may.html
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-resilience-lessons-from-antworks-wimax-leodie-anders-drachen-t3yuf

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

Perplexica: AI Powered Search Engine

Perplexica is an open-source AI-powered searching tool or an AI-powered search engine that goes deep into the internet to find answers. Inspired by Perplexity AI, it’s an open-source option that not just searches the web but understands your questions.

Andrew Ng’s AISuite Lets You Test Multiple LLMs by Changing One String

AISuite is an open-source Python package for integrating multiple LLMs. Developers switch LLMs by specifying <provider>:<model-name>. It supports various providers and focuses on chat completions.

Android 16 and Agent Gemini

Google will position its own artificial intelligence model, codenamed “Gemini”, as an “agent” in version 16 of the Android operating system. This means that Gemini will be able to take action and extract information on your behalf in your installed applications

World’s Most Flexible Sound Machine Debuts

Using text and audio as inputs, a new generative AI model from NVIDIA can create any combination of music, voices and sounds.

Who is David Mayer and Why Won’t ChatGPT Say His Name?

David de Rothschild, adventurer and eco-activist, charts a unique path beyond his banking lineage. Despite his fame, ChatGPT avoids his name, raising questions of a “digital gag order” or a strange glitch in AI’s programming

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: Google Imagen
Prompt: “hyper-realistic image of a slimey wacky snail holding an envelope in its mouth, set in a dimly lit, soft, natural environment with a hint of mist. The snail should have exaggerated, cartoonish features, with large, expressive eyes that make it look curious and endearing. Its shell should be textured with fine details and subtle highlights. Add small water droplets on the snail’s body and eyes, enhancing its wet, slimy look. The background should be softly blurred city street, giving a sense of depth and mystery”

🎓Highlighted Paper

Star Attention: Efficient LLM Inference over Long Sequences

[2411.17116] Star Attention: Efficient LLM Inference over Long Sequences

If you wanna read older editions, you can find them on the publication page

Flash AI Digest

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

GitHub — ItzCrazyKns/Perplexica: Perplexica is an AI-powered search engine. It is an Open source alternative to Perplexity AI

GitHub — andrewyng/aisuite: Simple, unified interface to multiple Generative AI providers

Android 16 may give Gemini new power over your apps — Android Authority

Fugatto, World’s Most Flexible Sound Machine, Debuts | NVIDIA Blog

What’s going on with ChatGPT and the name ‘David Mayer’? | Mashable

Snail mail — Snail mail

[2411.17116] Star Attention: Efficient LLM Inference over Long Sequences

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

Google Launches Gemini AI Bot App For IOS Users

Google has introduced its ChatGPT rival, “Gemini,” as a dedicated app for iOS. The AI bot aims to revolutionize how users interact with technology, providing a seamless and intelligent conversational experience

Github Copilot Will Support Models From Anthropic, Google and OpenAI

GitHub enhances its Copilot tool with AI models from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI, allowing developers to choose the best fit for coding tasks. The new ‘Spark’ tool also simplifies web app development using natural language prompts.

AI-DA’S Alan Turing Portrait Sells For $1.1 Million

The AI-powered humanoid robot artist Ai-Da’s portrait of Alan Turing, the father of artificial intelligence, was sold for $1.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction, reaching 10 times its estimated value.

Introuducing Yolo11: Breakthroughs in Real-Time Object Detection

YOLO11, the latest in the Ultralytics YOLO series, excels in real-time object detection with unmatched accuracy, speed, and efficiency. With its improved architecture and training methods, YOLO11 suits diverse computer vision tasks.

ChatGPT Introduces Advanced Developer Integration

ChatGPT for macOS now integrates with VS Code, Xcode, and Terminal, offering real-time coding aid. Exclusive to ChatGPT Plus/Teams users, wider support is planned. An advanced version launches in Jan 2025 to expand its tools.

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: Dall-E
Prompt: “Stunning image of a cute adorable mummy listening to music, moody, grainy, noisy, concept art, Meaningful Visual Art, Detailed Painting, Digital Illustration, Unreal Engine 5, 32k maximalist, hyperdetailed fantasy art, 3d digital art, sharp focus, masterpiece, fine art.”

🎓Highlighted Paper

1-bit AI Infra: Part 1.1, Fast and Lossless BitNet b1.58 Inference on CPUs

[2410.16144] 1-bit AI Infra: Part 1.1, Fast and Lossless BitNet b1.58 Inference on CPUs

If you wanna read older editions, you can find them on the publication page

Flash AI Digest

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

Download the Gemini app for iPhone today

GitHub Copilot will support models from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI — The Verge

AI Robot Artist’s Turing Portrait Fetches $1.1 Million at Sotheby’s — Decrypt

YOLO11 🚀 NEW — Ultralytics YOLO Docs

Work with Apps on macOS | OpenAI Help Center

Wrap music — AI Generated Artwork — NightCafe Creator

[2410.16144] 1-bit AI Infra: Part 1.1, Fast and Lossless BitNet b1.58 Inference on CPUs

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Architectural integrity in software development is essential for creating scalable, maintainable systems. One of the most effective tools for enforcing architectural rules in Java is ArchUnit.

This powerful testing library ensures that the architecture of your system adheres to predefined rules, providing confidence that your architecture remains solid and is not compromised by anti-patterns.

In this article, I am going to explain the basics of ArchUnit, a tool that helps architects maintain clean, structured, and scalable applications by defining and enforcing architectural rules.

What is ArchUnit?

ArchUnit is a testing library for Java that helps developers define and test architecture-specific rules. It allows you to enforce the design and layering of your application by creating unit tests that check for architectural violations in your codebase.

ArchUnit enables you to prevent cyclical dependencies, enforce proper package structures, and maintain a clear separation of concerns. These principles are critical in ensuring that your code remains clean, structured, and easy to maintain.

Why Use ArchUnit?

A well-architected codebase is like a well-designed building with clear and logical pathways. If the rooms (or modules) are connected in a disorderly manner, it can be difficult to navigate. Similarly, without a clear and enforceable structure, your codebase can quickly become a tangled web of dependencies, making maintenance and scaling challenging.

How Does ArchUnit Work?

ArchUnit operates by analyzing the compiled bytecode of your classes. You can define rules in simple Java code, which are then enforced by running tests. These rules can be as straightforward or complex as your architecture demands. By using ArchUnit tests, you can catch architectural violations early on, reducing the risk of accumulating technical debt

Avoiding Hidden Issues with ArchUnit

A poorly managed codebase can hide undetected issues that may later disrupt development stages. These hidden problems might include tight coupling between classes, broken architectural principles, or complex dependencies. By using ArchUnit, you can prevent these issues by identifying them early. ArchUnit allows you to enforce best practices from the start, reducing the likelihood of these issues appearing as the codebase grows.

Common Use Cases for ArchUnit

ArchUnit can be used to enforce a range of architectural decisions. Here are a few common use cases:

Enforcing Package and Layer Structures: Define and validate the intended relationships between packages and layers.

@Test
public void testNoOtherPackagesAreAccessedFromApiPackage() {
  ArchRule rule =
      classes()
          .that()
          .resideInAPackage("..api")
          .should()
          .onlyDependOnClassesThat()
          .resideInAnyPackage("lombok..", "java..", "javax..", "mypackage.api..");

  rule.check(importedClasses);
}

Classes Should Not Depend on Deprecated Classes: Identify deprecated usages early on before they are removed.

@Test
public void classesShouldNotDependDeprecatedClasses() {
  ArchRule rule =
      noClasses()
          .should()
          .dependOnClassesThat()
          .areAnnotatedWith(Deprecated.class)
          .because("Classes should not depend on deprecated classes");
  rule.check(importedClasses);
}

Rest Controller Classes Should Not Be Called From Others: This helps to protect the MVC pattern of the codebase, ensuring that controllers are not called in between.

@Test
public void controllerClassesShouldNotBeCalledFromOtherClasses() {
  ArchRule rule =
      noClasses()
          .should()
          .accessClassesThat()
          .areAnnotatedWith(org.springframework.stereotype.Controller.class)
          .because("Controller methods should not be accessed by any classes");
  rule.check(importedClasses);
}

Interfaces Should Start with ‘I’ Notation: If you have such naming conventions, it is good to ensure these with ArchUnit.

@Test
public void restInterfacesShouldStartWithINotation() {
  ArchRule rule =
      classes()
          .that()
          .areInterfaces()
          .should()
          .haveSimpleNameStartingWith("I")
          .because("Interfaces should start with I notation");
  rule.check(importedClasses);
}

Tests Should Have Assertions: Many tests are written without assertions just to achieve line coverage. You can enforce assertions with the following rule:

public ArchCondition<JavaMethod> callAnAssertion =
    new ArchCondition<>("a unit test should assert something") {
      @Override
      public void check(JavaMethod item, ConditionEvents events) {
        for (JavaMethodCall call : item.getMethodCallsFromSelf()) {
          if ((call.getTargetOwner()
                      .getPackageName()
                      .equals(org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.class.getPackageName())
                  && call.getTargetOwner()
                      .getName()
                      .equals(org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.class.getName()))
              || (call.getTargetOwner()
                  .getName()
                  .equals(com.tngtech.archunit.lang.ArchRule.class.getName()))
              || (call.getName().contains("check") || call.getName().contains("verify"))) {
            return;
          }
        }
        events.add(
            SimpleConditionEvent.violated(
                item, item.getDescription() + "does not assert anything."));
      }
    };

@BeforeEach
public void setUp() {
  importedClasses =
      new ClassFileImporter()
          .withImportOption(ImportOption.Predefined.ONLY_INCLUDE_TESTS)
          .importPackages(APP_PACKAGE_ROOT);
}

@Test
  public void unitTestsShouldAssertSomething() {
    ArchRule rule =
        methods()
            .that()
            .areAnnotatedWith(Test.class)
            .should(callAnAssertion)
            .because("Unit tests should assert something");
    rule.check(importedClasses);
  }

Utility Classes Should Be Stateless: Utility classes should have no states and contain static methods that don’t need to have states at all. This rule ensures that.

@Test
public void utilityClassesShouldBeStateless() {
  ArchRule rule =
      classes()
          .that()
          .haveSimpleNameContaining("Utility")
          .should()
          .haveOnlyFinalFields()
          .because("Utility classes should be stateless");

  rule.check(importedClasses);
}

Built-In ArchUnit Rules: Although you can write your own rules, ArchUnit also provides predefined rules. Here are a few examples:

@Test
public void builtInArchUnitRules() {
  GeneralCodingRules.NO_CLASSES_SHOULD_THROW_GENERIC_EXCEPTIONS.check(importedClasses);
  GeneralCodingRules.NO_CLASSES_SHOULD_USE_FIELD_INJECTION).check(importedClasses);
}

Bonus: Extra Rules & Examples: You can find many more examples suited to your architecture in the ArchUnit example repository

ArchUnit/archunit-example at main · TNG/ArchUnit

Conclusion

While architectural issues may not be immediately apparent, their long-term consequences can significantly impact a system’s maintainability, scalability, and performance.

Hidden architectural flaws often lead to technical debt, where even small changes become challenging, dependencies become entangled, and the codebase becomes more difficult to understand and modify. Over time, this hinders productivity and increases the risk of introducing bugs.

ArchUnit provides a robust, proactive solution, enabling teams to define and enforce architectural rules directly in their code.

ArchUnit helps prevent architectural drift and keeps the code aligned with its intended structure. Integrating ArchUnit tests into your CI/CD pipeline adds an additional safeguard, encouraging disciplined practices and helping your application remain clean, maintainable, and scalable.

If you find this article interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other articles. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, app creation, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a professional developer for many years or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

Unit test your Java architecture

Stackademic 🎓

Thank you for reading until the end. Before you go:

• Please consider clapping and following the writer! 👏
• Follow us X | LinkedIn | YouTube | Discord | Newsletter | Podcast
• Create a free AI-powered blog on Differ.
• More content at Stackademic.com

Ensuring Clean Architecture with ArchUnit was originally published in Java and Beyond on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

GameGen AI: Simplifying Game Asset Creation for Devs

Google Research, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, has introduced GameNGen, the first real-time neural model-powered game engine. This innovative system simulates gameplay environments, such as the classic DOOM, at over 20 frames per second on a single TPU. Human testers struggled to distinguish between real and AI-simulated footage. The engine operates by training a reinforcement learning (RL) agent to play, using its actions and observations as data for a diffusion model. This model predicts future frames, enabling seamless long-term gameplay simulation with high-quality visuals.

GitHub integrates OpenAI’s new models

OpenAI has introduced a preview of its new o1 series AI models, including o1-preview and o1-mini, available for developers through GitHub Copilot and Models on Azure. These models, designed for advanced reasoning, enable deeper understanding of code constraints and edge cases, leading to more efficient results. Users can toggle between models in Visual Studio Code’s Copilot Chat to handle tasks ranging from simple API explanations to complex algorithm design. The models are also available for testing in GitHub Models, with opportunities for future integration into custom applications.

NotebookLM Summarizes YouTube Videos and Audio with New Feature

Google’s AI-powered note-taking tool, NotebookLM, has received an update allowing it to summarize YouTube videos and audio files. This new feature enhances the tool’s ability to assist users in processing multimedia content efficiently

Amazon Partners with Anthropic’s Claude AI for Alexa’s Next Evolution

Amazon is set to launch a revamped version of Alexa, powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI, in October 2024. This upgrade comes after Amazon’s in-house AI models struggled to meet performance benchmarks. The “Remarkable” version of Alexa will use generative AI to handle complex tasks like conversations, shopping advice, and home automation, while a free “Classic” version remains available. Amazon plans to charge $5 to $10 monthly for the new service, aiming to boost revenue. With Alexa lagging behind competitors like ChatGPT, this move is seen as critical for the division’s future success.

Meta Launched, Llama 3.2 at Connect 2024

Llama 3.2 has officially launched, marking an advancement in AI capabilities. Released by Hugging Face in collaboration with Meta, Llama 3.2 introduces both multimodal and text-only models, including the highly anticipated Llama 3.2 Vision. The Vision model supports visual reasoning, document question answering, and image-text retrieval with real-world applications like infographics and document processing. With sizes ranging from 1B to 90B parameters, these models offer scalable solutions for both consumer GPUs and large-scale enterprises. Llama Guard 3 adds enhanced input classification, ensuring safe AI interactions.

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: RealVisXL
Prompt: “Hyper realistic cute teddy bear sitting in a leaf boat made out of leaves, in a puddle, alone on rainy day. Raincoat. Hyperdetailed, realism, blurry background, incredible composition, dynamic lighting, meticulously composed concept art, masterpiece, mystic fog, digital illustration, Volumetric lighting”

🎓Highlighted Paper

Gandhi, Kanishk, et al. “Human-like Affective Cognition in Foundation Models.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.11733 (2024).

Human-like Affective Cognition in Foundation Models

If you wanna read older editions, you can find them on the publication page

Flash AI Digest

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

• Llama can now see and run on your device - welcome Llama 3.2
• Ask Claude: Amazon turns to Anthropic's AI for Alexa revamp
• NotebookLM adds audio and YouTube support, plus easier sharing of Audio Overviews
• Try out OpenAI o1 in GitHub Copilot and Models
• GameNGen

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When we think of tennis and software development, it might seem like comparing apples and oranges. However, when you dig deeper into the personalities and playing styles of tennis legends, you start to notice striking similarities between the skills needed on the tennis court and those required in software development. Both fields demand a combination of technical mastery, mental agility, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of improvement. Just like legendary tennis players bring unique strengths to the court, developers bring diverse approaches to coding and problem-solving.

In this article, we’ll explore how the qualities of some of the greatest tennis players mirror key traits in a developer’s journey, helping us better understand the parallels between these two demanding disciplines.

Roger Federer: The Elegant Generalist

Federer’s game is defined by a smooth, graceful style, blending technical mastery with creativity and precision. He’s known for his all-around game, excelling at every stroke whether it’s a one-handed backhand, forehand, or net play. This versatility is what keeps him at the top of his game even against younger, faster players. With 20 Grand Slam titles, Federer has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

As developers, we can get inspired from Federer to the “Full-Stack Developer” or “Generalist.” These developers are skilled across multiple domains: front-end, back-end, and even some DevOps. Like Federer’s complete game, full-stack developers have the ability to handle everything from design to deployment. Federer’s calm under pressure and ability to adapt his game are crucial qualities for developers working across different technologies, juggling multiple responsibilities with grace.

Versatility
Aim to master a range of skills across your stack to become a well-rounded, reliable developer who can adapt to any challenge, just like Federer adapts his game on the run.

Rafael Nadal: The Relentless Specialist

Nadal is often described as the ultimate warrior on the court. His never-say-die attitude and powerful baseline game, especially on clay courts, have earned him the nickname “The King of Clay.” Nadal’s game is built on endurance, grit, and relentless consistency. His mental toughness is one of his greatest weapon. He’s known to outlast opponents by grinding them down over time. With 22 Grand Slam titles, he is one of the best tennis legends of all times.

Nadal represents the specialist developer someone who has carved out a niche and continuously hones their expertise. Whether it’s a DevOps engineer mastering Kubernetes or a back-end specialist perfecting APIs, specialists thrive by digging deep into a specific area of development. Just as Nadal has mastered the clay surface, these developers focus on specific tools, languages, or platforms, becoming go-to experts.

Focus and Resilience
If you’re passionate about a particular area of technology, don’t be afraid to specialize and keep pushing your limits. Your expertise will make you a valuable asset in any team.

Novak Djokovic: The Strategist

Djokovic is known for his exceptional defense, consistency, and mental toughness. He excels at turning defense into offense, retrieving seemingly impossible shots with precision and control. His return of serve is among the best in tennis, allowing him to neutralize even the strongest players. What truly sets Djokovic apart is his unmatched mental calmness in high-pressure situations, where he often successes in the toughest matches. With 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has cemented his legacy as one of the most mentally resilient and successful players in the sport’s history.

Djokovic represents the calm and composed software developer someone who remains level-headed under pressure. Just as Djokovic stays focused in the toughest moments, these developers shine when the stakes are high, whether it’s fixing a critical production bug or delivering a high-priority feature on a tight deadline. Their calm demeanor allows them to think clearly, troubleshoot effectively, and make sound decisions when others might panic.

Mental Calmness in High-Pressure Situations
In software development, staying composed in challenging situations is a critical skill. When faced with tight deadlines, difficult bugs, or unexpected issues, maintaining mental calmness enables you to think strategically and make better decisions. By emulating Djokovic’s mental toughness, you can handle high-pressure environments with confidence and poise, making you a crucial asset to any team.

Serena Williams: The Powerhouse

Serena Williams is best known for her powerful and aggressive playstyle, combining explosive serves, precise groundstrokes, and incredible athleticism. Her serve, one of the most dominant weapons in tennis, often puts her in a commanding position right from the start. Serena excels at dictating points and staying ahead of her opponents, always looking to take initiative. Beyond her physical prowess, what truly defines Serena is her proactive approach; she anticipates challenges, adapts her strategies, and takes control of the match, ensuring she’s always a step ahead. With 23 Grand Slam titles, Serena’s proactive mindset has led her to legendary success.

Serena represents the proactive software developer someone who doesn’t wait for problems to arise but anticipates them and takes action to prevent potential setbacks. Just as Serena’s commanding serve and strategic anticipation give her the edge in matches, these developers are always looking ahead, identifying potential risks in code, optimizing workflows, and ensuring smooth project execution. They lead by example, pushing projects forward before issues even surface.

Proactivity in Software Development
In software development, being proactive is key to success. Like Serena takes control of the court, proactive developers take ownership of their projects, foreseeing challenges and implementing solutions before they become problems. By continuously improving processes and staying one step ahead, they not only prevent roadblocks but also enhance overall team performance. Adopting Serena’s proactive mindset will make you an invaluable team member, always ready to tackle the next challenge before it even arises.

Channeling the Greats into Your Career

In conclusion, the world of tennis offers valuable insights for software developers, highlighting that success in both arenas stems from a unique blend of skills, mindset, and approach. Legends like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Serena each embody distinct traits — versatility, specialization, mental resilience, and proactivity — demonstrating that different paths can lead to greatness. However, they also share common ground in their unwavering dedication, relentless work ethic, and a commitment to continuous improvement. These athletes understand the importance of setting goals, learning from setbacks, and pushing their limits, which has propelled them to the pinnacle of their sport.

Embracing the traits that resonate most with you allows for personal growth and career advancement. Whether you strive to be a well-rounded generalist, a dedicated specialist, a calm strategist, or a proactive leader, adopting these characteristics can significantly impact your effectiveness in the fast-paced tech landscape. By drawing inspiration from these athletes, you can cultivate your skills and attitudes, pushing the boundaries of what you can achieve. The parallels between tennis and software development remind us that, regardless of the field, dedication to continuous improvement and adaptability is key to achieving greatness. Keep your passion alive and let your unique strengths shine as you navigate your career.

The key is to find your strengths, stay adaptable, and continually refine your skills.

By drawing inspiration from these tennis greats, you can shape a software development career that is as enduring and impactful as their legendary performances on the court.

This analogy-driven approach will not only help you see your career through a different lens but also remind you that, like in tennis, the journey to success in software development is about mastering the fundamentals, maintaining mental toughness, and constantly evolving. Keep playing your game, and who knows — you might just become the Federer or Serena of the coding world!

If you find this article interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other articles. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, app creation, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a professional developer for many years or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

Welcome to Flash AI Digest, your biweekly update on the latest in artificial intelligence! Each edition brings you:

• AI News: Key developments, breakthroughs, and trends shaping the AI landscape.
• Image Generation Spotlight: Creative and cutting-edge visual innovations powered by AI.
• Highlighted Paper: A featured research paper, offering deep insights into the future of AI technology.

Stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve with Flash AI Digest!

🗞️ News

Apple Intelligence: AI-Powered Tools for Enhanced Productivity and Expression

Apple Intelligence introduces a suite of AI-powered features designed to make writing, communication, and content creation more effortless across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Writing Tools assist with summarizing text, drafting replies, and adjusting tone. Image Playground lets users create custom visuals, while Focus modes prioritize notifications based on importance. Siri is enhanced with better contextual understanding and integration with ChatGPT. All these features are built with privacy at the core, ensuring personal data remains secure and accessible only to the user.

OpenAI Releases o1-preview & o1-mini Language Models

OpenAI introduces the o1 series, new AI models designed for advanced reasoning tasks in science, coding, and math. These models excel at solving complex problems, outperforming previous versions in fields like physics, chemistry, and programming. The o1-preview is now available for ChatGPT and API users, with o1-mini offering a faster, cost-effective option. These models have improved safety protocols and are being evaluated in collaboration with U.S. and U.K. AI Safety Institutes. Though early in development, future updates will include broader capabilities like browsing and file uploads.

Google Integrates Gemini AI into Chrome Address Bar

Google has integrated the Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot into Chrome’s address bar. You can interact with Gemini using the command “@gemini”.

Microsoft Copilot Expands: AI-Enhanced Excel, PowerPoint, and More

Microsoft 365 Copilot has introduced powerful new features across its suite of applications, most notably in Excel, where it assists users with formulas, Python-based data analysis, and text-based data searches. In PowerPoint, it can create entire presentations from prompts, incorporating AI-generated images. New features also enhance Teams, Outlook, and Word, streamlining tasks like meeting summaries, email prioritization, and document drafting. Copilot Pages offers collaborative capabilities, and customizable AI Agents help automate tasks. These updates aim to make Microsoft 365 more efficient for both individual and enterprise users.

YouTube Integrates AI to Help Creators with Ideas, Titles, and Full Video Production

YouTube is enhancing its platform with new AI-powered features to streamline the creative process. The Inspiration Tab in YouTube Studio suggests video ideas, titles, thumbnails, and even outlines for creators, acting as a comprehensive brainstorming tool. The integration of DeepMind’s Veo in YouTube Shorts allows creators to generate AI-driven videos and backgrounds through the new Dream Screen feature, though these clips are limited to six seconds to avoid awkward AI results. Additionally, YouTube’s auto-dubbing feature will support more languages, and creators can interact with fans through new AI tools in the Communities section. As YouTube embraces AI to make content creation easier, there are concerns that it may lead to a flood of similar-looking AI-generated videos, but it also offers creators an opportunity to produce content faster and more efficiently.

🖌️ AI Image Generation Spotlight

Model: Dall-E
Prompt: “Stunning image of a cute adorable wacky tired looking bunny with a cloud above his head that is raining, moody, grainy, noisy, concept art, Meaningful Visual Art, Detailed Painting, Digital Illustration, Unreal Engine 5, 32k maximalist, hyperdetailed fantasy art, 3d digital art, sharp focus, masterpiece, fine art”

🎓Highlighted Paper

Jim Waldo and Soline Boussard. 2024. GPTs and Hallucination: Why do large language models hallucinate? Queue 22, 4, Pages 10 (July/August 2024), 15 pages.

GPTs and Hallucination: Why do large language models hallucinate?: Queue: Vol 22, No 4

If you find this post interesting, kindly consider liking and sharing it with others, allowing more people to come across it.

If you’re curious about technology and software development, I invite you to explore my other posts. You’ll find a range of topics that delve into the world of coding, artificial intelligence, and the latest tech trends. Whether you’re a many years professional developer or just starting, there’s something here for everyone.

References

• Apple Intelligence and Siri
• Use the Gemini web app to get answers in Chrome
• Microsoft Copilot can now help with Excel formulas, make PowerPoints, and more
• YouTube will use AI to generate ideas, titles, and even full videos
• GPTs and Hallucination: Why do large language models hallucinate?: Queue: Vol 22, No 4

https://openai.com/index/introducing-openai-o1-preview/

📰 AI News Biweekly was originally published in Flash AI Digest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.