Notes on software and the ideas behind it
Find the meaning
behind the code.
I’m Fred Yang. I write about software—how it works, why it behaves the way it does, and the ideas that make code easier to reason about.
Open the notebookWorking notes / 2026
Recently mapped
Architecture, reactivity, and the hidden relationships that shape frontend systems.
field note
From Scopes to Roles: Real-World First-Party App Patterns with Azure AD
OAuth is a standard for allowing third-party applications to access APIs on behalf of users. For example, when LinkedIn wants to access your Google contacts, you—the resource owner—authorize LinkedIn (the client app) via Google’s...
Follow the thread
field note
Angular Signals: The First True Reactivity Primitive
I want to explain why Angular Signals matter, without diving too deep into
technical details. Let’s start by clarifying what reactivity means and why
Signals are the first real primitive for Angular.
Follow the thread
angular
Think in Events: A Better Mental Model for NgRx Store
Many developers find @ngrx/store harder than expected, even though its individual APIs are not especially complicated. The challenge is understanding why NgRx Store separates publishers from handlers and how that separation should influence the...
Follow the thread
field note
You don't need NgRx, well almost.
While NgRx is a powerful state management library, I have seen countless
projects misuse or overuse it, leading to unnecessary complexity, wasted time,
and frustration.
Follow the thread
angular
Do I Need to Unsubscribe from an Observable in Angular?
One of the most common questions among Angular developers is: “Do I need to unsubscribe from my Observable?” The short answer is “It depends.” Not all Observables require manual unsubscription, but failing to unsubscribe...
Follow the thread