Building a secure and efficient MQTT-HTTP gateway with Node.js

One of my recent projects involved creating a Node.js script that acts as a gateway or middleware, capturing messages from an MQTT broker and relaying (streaming) them on the HTTP side via GET requests. Similarly, it should also handle POST requests from the HTTP side and publish them to the...

Building a simple customer management system in PHP with MySQL

Creating a customer management system (CMS) is a great way for beginners to learn PHP and MySQL. This hands-on project will guide you through the process of building a simple CMS from scratch, covering database design, CRUD operations, and form handling. What is a customer management system? A customer management...

Unlocking Text from Embedded-Font PDFs: A pytesseract OCR Tutorial

Extracting text from a PDF is usually straightforward when it’s in English and doesn’t have embedded fonts. However, once those assumptions are removed, it becomes challenging to use basic python libraries like pdfminer or pdfplumber. Last month, I was tasked with extracting text from a Gujarati-language PDF and importing data...

The indie blogger’s guide to seamless commenting: meet giscus

Indie bloggers are on the constant lookout for tools that simplify their work while keeping costs low and user experience seamless. One of the most overlooked aspects of running a blog is finding the right comment hosting system. Enter giscus, a modern solution that stands out among its peers for...

The emotional toll of Agile: burnout in the name of agility

There is no doubt that over the last few years, Agile methodologies have gained prominence as a means to foster flexibility, innovation, and responsiveness to change. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly effective approach lies a troubling reality: the emotional toll it can take on teams. This article delves...

Working with JSON data in PHP and MySQL: storing and retrieving complex structures

In the ever-evolving world of web development, the ability to manage complex data structures efficiently is vital. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) has become a standard for data exchange due to its lightweight format and ease of use. If you’re working with PHP and MySQL, understanding how to store and retrieve...

Handling large datasets in PHP: best practices for database management

When dealing with vast amounts of data in PHP, the challenges are not just technical but strategic. Efficiently managing large datasets ensures that web applications remain fast, responsive, and user-friendly. In this guide, we’ll explore essential practices such as pagination, batch processing, and crafting efficient SQL queries. Why handling large...

Escaping the pseudo-innovation loop: why we need real progress, not just syntactic sugar

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, we often celebrate every new tool, library, or framework as a breakthrough. Headlines scream about the “next big thing” in coding, and developers rush to adopt the latest trend, eager to stay ahead of the curve. But amidst this frenzied pace, an unsettling...

Optimizing PHP and MySQL for high-traffic websites

Managing a high-traffic website effectively requires a robust and well-optimized backend to handle the surge of concurrent requests, minimize server load, and ensure a seamless user experience. PHP and MySQL, being a popular tech stack, offer various strategies and best practices to optimize performance. This guide explores key caching strategies,...

From "My Computer" to "This PC": the evolution of language in a brand-centric consumer culture

Language is a living, breathing phenomenon, evolving with society’s changing values, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. The transition from “My Computer” to “This PC” serves as a fascinating example of how linguistics have shifted toward branding and consumerism, rather than focusing on individual identity. This article dives deep into this...