Karson Kalt
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Connecting The useFilterManager Hook to FilterConfig with Query Parsing Wiring up the FilterManager to a Filter config for modular, well-tested, scalable UI
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Building Config-Driven Rendering for a Data Explorer with Filtering A walkthrough of how we use a config-driven system to define filter behavior across different data explorer views Covers dynamic SQL-backed filters, input types, and rendering logic—all declaratively mapped and easy to scale
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Designing an Encapsulated Filter State Manager for Query Building Designing a predictable, composable filter state manager for query-building UIs. Covers API encapsulation, deduplication, and SQL query generation using React hooks.
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Building a Scalable Architecture Pattern to Migrate Off Supabase and Ship Quickly How I layered our Supabase app to stay modular, testable, and ready to scale
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Cleaning Up Routing with Type Safety in React A lightweight approach to centralizing and type-checking route definitions using React Router and TypeScript.
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Managing View State and Client-side Routing in SPAs A scalable routing approach to address routing challenges and illustrates a common pattern involving a collection rendering and routing in React.
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Functional Programming in Ruby with Blocks and Procs Contrasting object-oriented programming against functional programming. Introduces the concept of functional programming in Ruby through the lens of blocks and procs. Also touching on code modularity and reusability.
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Recursive Thinking Using recursion in algorithmic challenges. Talking about transitioning from iterative to recursive thinking, identifying base cases and the recognition of patterns.
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Building Efficient Algorithms Using Memoization and Closures in Javascript Looking at the essentials of memoization and closures in JavaScript, exploring how these techniques can significantly optimize algorithms. Through a simple example of multiplying numbers, I look at the concept of caching solutions to enhance efficiency and speed in programming tasks.
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Understanding 'this' in JavaScript Navigating the concept of this in JavaScript can be a tricky, especially for those accustomed to the straightforward self in object-oriented languages like Ruby or Python. I contrast this with self, and dive into JavaScript's prototypal inheritance to explain why this behaves the way it does.
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What is a 'Hash' and How to Build one from Scratch in Ruby In this article, I explore what a hash is, starting from the basics and moving towards understanding their underlying structure and then illustrate how to build one from scratch.
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Using Query Parameters in Rails Controllers Sharing learnings from my personal project, Houseplant Helper, on efficiently handling query parameters in Rails. I go over a scalable approach using the request object and the .send method within controllers, demonstrating how to dynamically respond to query parameters across an application..
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Using React and Rails to build a SPA Demonstrating learnings from my personal project, OnRotation, a web app aimed at helping electronic music fans identify tracks played by DJs. I highlight the challenges and solutions in developing a user-friendly platform for music identification and go over the project architecture and how I designed the application.
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Building a Turn-based Game Using JS and Rails I share learnings from building my personal project, GamePage, a web application that allows two players to engage in the classic board game "Reversi" (also known as "Othello"). I detail the project's architecture, including a Rails API backend and a JavaScript-manipulated front end, highlighting the seamless integration between the two technologies to offer a dynamic single-page application experience.
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Building a Web App with Rails A guide to building a web app with Rails for my personal project, Houseplant Helper, an application designed to assist users in tracking their plant watering schedules. The article talks about MVC architecture, ActiveRecord, and the strategic implementation of partials to manage views.
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Building a Web App Using Sinatra and ActiveRecord A walkthrough of my personal proejct, Kickflip, a web application designed for skateboarders to track local skateparks, share new tricks, and encourage engagement through a check-in feature. The application uses Sinatra and ActiveRecord for a Model-View-Controller (MVC) setup, and discusses the integration of the geocoder gem to enhance park search functionality by converting addresses into geographical coordinates.
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My First Ruby CLI Program Sharing my journey as I continue the Flatiron School curriculum. I share learnings from a personal CLI project, DJ Booth, designed to track songs played by DJ. I also discusses nokogiri and open-uri gems due to the lack of an API from 1001 Tracklists.
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Why I am Studying Software Engineering Growing up, one of my favorite books was "The Way Things Work". In the book, a cartoon woolly mammoth takes apart and explores the inner workings of everyday tools and machines. From giant faucets to oversize locks, the charming, slow-moving character explores everything that amazed me as a kid.
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karsonkalt.dev As1 Social A user-owned social networking app that empowers individuals to control their data, customize their content experience, and participate in platform governance. Developed by The Democratic Economy LLC, it aims to reshape digital interactions by eliminating intrusive ads and opaque algorithms, fostering a community-driven digital environment.
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JupiterOne Dashboard Query Variables Enhanced our dashboard system and query language to allow hydrating queries with query variables, enhancing rollup data visualization and enhancing interactivity in dashboards. Resulted in more powerful insights by allowing users to update numerous query views simultaneously.
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JupiterOne Data Explorer A way to inspect a graph database with config driven rendering for scalable UI. Features include the ability for users to save custom views and an AI model to create custom views. Dynamically fetches properties by class/type and provides drill-down insights.
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JupiterOne Smart Classes Developed a system for users to define and create custom "smart classes," enabling them to classify and query critical assets based on unique business criteria. Empowered users to tailor their data organization and streamline querying of the assets essential to them.
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JupiterOne Natural Language Querying Designed and developed the integration of generative AI into our search experience, converting natural language to our query language. Implemented a vector database embedding cache, improving query response times and reducing operational costs. Implemented Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques including fuzzy matching and stop word filtering to enhance search precision.
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JupiterOne Design System Development Spearheaded the development of JupiterOne's design system, including creation of a comprehensive component library, design tokens, and theming system. Helping to streamline the development process and enabling engineers to focus on core feature development.
Software Engineer & UX Designer
I collaborate across product, design, and engineering to ship work that balances architecture, speed, and user value.
Just set up my own for-hire dev shop and calling it ... drum roll ... karsonkalt.dev. Just started working on As1 Social and leading a team of 4 engineers. It's somewhat of a new domain using React Native -- but all the patterns I know in react mostly apply. The mission for this project is really exciting, data self-sovereignty in social media. Can't wait to share more soon.
Past statuses
Professional Services
I provide comprehensive digital solutions tailored to meet your business needs. My expertise spans the full development lifecycle, ensuring seamless integration from concept to deployment.
Technical Leadership
Providing strategic direction and oversight for complex
projects
User Experience (UX) Design
Crafting intuitive and engaging user interfaces
Full-Stack Web Development
Building responsive and scalable web applications
Mobile Application Development
Creating cross-platform mobile apps for iOS and
Android
Cloud Infrastructure & DevOps
Implementing reliable and efficient cloud solutions