Dead Code

Jared talks with Sabine Schmaltz, an OCaml Developer Advocate at Tarides, about how she went from learning Standard ML in a demanding university course to getting hired for an OCaml role despite only having written “Hello, World,” and what she’s building now: FeedMansion, a tool to improve multi-account social posting and make OCaml community content more engaging with better summaries/teasers. Sabine explains her pragmatic stack—an OCaml backend using the minimalist Dream framework, a SolidJS frontend, and OCaml-based static site generation with MLX (a JSX-like approach that gives type-checked HTML)—and notes that OCaml’s syntax can feel foreign, which is part of why projects like Reason/ReScript help. They dig into where the real friction is today: not OCaml itself, but managing LLM-assisted coding responsibly, dealing with tooling/documentation transitions (like keeping agents on Dune instead of older opam-first guidance), and handling cases where LLMs stumble—such as complex typed database queries—where she used OCaml’s PPX system to generate safer code. The conversation widens to community building via FUN OCaml (Berlin 2024, Warsaw 2025, planning 2026), what’s new in OCaml (multicore support and effect handlers), the value and risk of AI-generated open source contributions, and Sabine’s advice for introducing OCaml at work: start small, choose problems where OCaml shines (DSLs/codegen, reliable services), and help the ecosystem by open-sourcing missing building blocks like API clients.Links:Hindley–Milner type systemStandard MLOCamlReScriptReasonML / ReasonTaridesX/Twitter: @sabine_s_GitHub: @SabineBluesky: @sabine.shDream (OCaml web framework)SolidJSMLX (.mlx / JSX for OCaml)TyXMLOpamFUN OCamlICFP (International Conference on Functional Programming)OCaml Workshop 2025SemgrepDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

Jared interviews Steve Klabnik (Rust author and longtime OSS contributor) about JJ (Jujutsu), a newer version control system that can operate on Git repos via pluggable backends so you can adopt it locally without forcing teammates to switch, while getting a simpler, more flexible workflow. Steve explains JJ’s core shift: no staging/index—your working copy is effectively a mutable commit you shape as you work, making it easier to split, squash, and rewrite history without juggling Git’s extra layers and flags, and even “stash” becomes just more visible commits. He highlights JJ’s stable change IDs (so you can refer to work even as hashes change), its conflict model where rebases complete immediately and mark conflicted commits for later resolution (great for many parallel branches), and features like jj absorb (auto-placing review fixes into the right earlier commits) and jj undo (a full operation history that makes experimentation feel safe). Steve also teases work on a JJ-native collaboration/review product inspired by Gerrit-style patch workflows.Links:Jujutsu (jj) on GitHubJujutsu docsSteve’s Jujutsu tutorial“I see a future in jj” (Steve Klabnik)East River Source Control (ERSC)jj CLI referencejj absorbjj undoWorking with Gerrit (jj docs)Git commit “trailers” / metadataGit hooksGit LFSPerforce Helix CoreSapling SCMMercurialGitButlerThe Rust Programming Language (“The Book”)Steve Klabnik’s sitewhy the lucky stiff (Wikipedia)Dead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

In this episode, GitHub engineer Joel Hawksley breaks down the evolution of GitHub’s UI architecture—from Rails views to ViewComponent to React—and the tradeoffs behind each step. ViewComponent emerged as a practical, backwards-compatible way to eliminate duplicated UI logic in GitHub’s massive Rails monolith, ultimately supporting thousands of components and becoming a key driver of consistency and accessibility. Joel explains how hard UI correctness is compared to backend systems, how keyboard-only tests surfaced real accessibility regressions, and why ViewComponent v4 streamlines the project as it enters a stable, long-term support phase. He also discusses why GitHub increasingly leans on React for complex, app-like behavior: developer enthusiasm, design-system tooling, CSS encapsulation, and the need to manage frontend–backend sync at scale. The conversation closes with reflections on the realities of open-source maintenance and the importance of stability as ViewComponent’s future.Links:Joel Hawksley’s WebsiteViewComponent WebsiteViewComponent GitHub RepoPrimer ViewComponentsPrimer ViewComponents RepoPhlex WebsitePhlex GitHub RepoHerb GitHub RepoReActionView GitHub RepoWCAG Accessibility StandardsRails Strict Locals DocumentationDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

In this Dead Code episode, Jared and ReScript contributor Josh Vlk explain why ReScript is a strongly typed, sound language for web development that compiles to JavaScript, offers first-class React support, and favors a “one right way” approach (built-in formatter, no linters) over TypeScript’s configurable sprawl. They trace its evolution from Reason/BuckleScript to today’s standalone ReScript, with v12 shedding legacy OCaml baggage, adding a rewritten Rust compiler for major speed, native monorepo support, zero-cost JS bindings, and automated upgrade fixes. The pair highlight how variant types and exhaustive pattern matching naturally model complex business logic and make refactors safe and fast, often resulting in less code and fewer bugs. Adoption can be incremental—drop a rescript.json, compile alongside TS/JS, and start with a small component or state reducer. Jared closes by urging developers to try it, noting ReScript’s consistency may also make it especially friendly for AI-assisted coding.Links:ReScriptTypeScriptReasonMLBuckleScriptOCamlRust“ReScript Has Come a Long Way — Maybe It’s Time to Switch from TypeScript” by Josh Vlk“Domain Driven Design Made Functional” by Scott Wlaschin (F# / functional programming concepts)ReScript ForumsReScript DocsReScript Packages on npm – Community bindings and librariesJosh Vlk on BlueskyJosh’s website Dead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

In this episode, Dave Copeland discusses Brut, his Ruby web framework built atop Sinatra that prioritizes “simple over easy” design principles. Brut replaces traditional MVC with pages, forms, and handlers, uses Flex for HTML generation, Sequel for database access, and lightweight tools like BrutCSS and BrutJS for styling and interactivity, emphasizing direct alignment with web standards. It eliminates free-form parameter hashes by injecting structured objects, mirrors HTML for form validations, and defaults to a strict, Postgres-only setup with non-nullable fields, required foreign keys, and built-in observability through OpenTelemetry and a strict Content Security Policy. Dave and Jared also discuss modern browser-based CSRF protections, the philosophy behind Brut’s defaults, and how Dave aims to refine it toward a 1.0 release with real-world apps and clear migration paths for Rails developers, positioning Brut as a lightweight, standards-aligned alternative within the Ruby ecosystem.Links:BrutSinatraHanamiSequelTachyonsTailwind CSSOpenTelemetryPostgreSQLMDN Web DocsElektron DigitaktAbleton LiveActiveRecordCoffeeScriptContent Security Policy (CSP)Rich Hickey – “Simple Made Easy” talkBurg.rbDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

Jared talks with Adam Tornhill, founder of CodeScene, about the psychology of programming and how understanding human cognitive limits leads to better software. Adam explains that since working memory can only juggle a few items at once, developers must rely on chunking and good abstractions to manage complexity. His Code Health metric, based on detecting “ugliness” like long functions and low cohesion, shows that healthy code enables teams to deliver features up to ten times faster with far fewer defects. They discuss how God classes become coordination bottlenecks, how behavioral code analysis reveals hotspots where improvement matters most, and why learning different programming paradigms sharpens thinking. Adam emphasizes that writing readable, well-named, modular code benefits both humans and AI tools—because clarity, consistency, and thoughtful naming make code easier to understand, maintain, and extend.Links:CodeSceneYour Code as a Crime SceneWorking MemoryGod Class / God ObjectDomain-Specific Languages (DSLs)Dead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

Jared sits down with Trail of Bits security engineer Matt Schwager to discuss the persistent security risks of Ruby’s Marshal library. Matt explains that while Marshal (and Python’s Pickle) makes serialization simple and fast for tasks like caching, its “serialize anything” design has led to over a decade of recurring vulnerabilities. Despite repeated patches, new bugs and exploitation gadgets keep surfacing, often hidden in defaults or legacy code, as seen in Rails caching and RubyGems.org. Matt argues that this reflects a fundamental trade-off between ergonomics and security, suggesting alternatives like JSON are safer, though less convenient. He highlights mitigation strategies such as documentation, static analysis, and fuzzing with his tool Ruzzy, while also pointing to broader Ruby risks like eval misuse, SSRF, and supply chain issues. Jared reflects on the cultural tension in Ruby between ease of use and security, wondering if safer defaults could help developers avoid these common pitfalls.Links:Trail of Bits BlogRuby Marshal documentationPython Pickle documentationJSONYAMLTOMLMessagePackRails Caching GuideRubyGems.orgRubyGems source on GitHubRuzzy on GitHubAFL on GitHubSemgrep RegistryBlack Hat USA 2017 TalkDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

In this Dead Code episode, Jared talks with longtime Rubyist and former Rails Core member Kasper Timm Hansen about “riffing,” a sketch-first approach to software design. Instead of jumping straight into migrations and production code, Kasper opens a scratch Ruby file—mixing real and pseudo-code with short prompts—to explore names, relationships, and system flow without worrying about correctness. The practice surfaces unknowns early, conserves mental stamina, and produces lightweight artifacts that can guide teams or even become executable prototypes. Kasper shares stories from client work, a RailsConf demo, and workshops showing how riffing helps uncover design flaws, generate stronger options, and make domain modeling more collaborative. He encourages developers to treat code like sketches, be less precious about early ideas, and embrace riffing as a fun, low-cost way to boost creativity and resilience in software design.Links:Spinel CoopRailsConf 2024 Talk (YouTube)RailsConf 2024 Slides (Speaker Deck)Kasper’s websiteKasper’s GitHubDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript

On this episode of Dead Code, Jared talks with Justin Searls, co-founder of Test Double, about programming workflows, decision-making, and the evolving role of developers. They explore how the order and tempo of thought matter more than static code, why tackling the riskiest problems first can shape better outcomes, and how Justin’s idea of the “full-breadth developer” expands a programmer’s role to include product vision and context. The conversation touches on Agile and XP roots, consulting realities, and how AI coding agents can both accelerate and complicate work. The episode wraps with Justin encouraging blogging and direct connection, while Jared reflects on building a “grand unified theory” of how programmers decide their next step.Links:Sign up at jardo.dev/anarchyagile to enter the 50th episode giveaway!Test DoubleJustin Searls: Find his writing, projects, and podcast Breaking Change at justin.searls.coGrowing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests by Steve Freeman & Nat PryceExtreme Programming Explained by Kent BeckThe Secrets of Consulting by Jerry WeinbergClojure REPLSolidusSwiftDataCloudKitCursorClaude CodeDead Code Podcast Links:MastodonXJared’s Links:MastodonXtwitch.tv/jardonamronJared’s Newsletter & WebsiteEpisode Transcript