Here is a collection of 46 posts that I've written over the past few years. I write about software development, JavaScript testing, chatbots, technical leadership, and other things I'm interested in. I'm attempting to build a regular habit of writing and I hope that you find something useful in my articles. Enjoy! 👏
Automate Your Static Site Rebuilds with Netlify Scheduled Functions
Effortlessly automate regular website updates for your static site using Netlify scheduled functions. Set it and forget it - never worry about manual updates again!
Easily Create Gravatar Images With Eleventy
If you're moving your Wordpress site to Eleventy, you will want to convert your Gravatar images too. Find out how easy it is using an Eleventy shortcode.
Improving Your Workflow with JavaScript Testing: Best Practices
Improve your coding skills with tips and best practices for writing effective JavaScript tests.
Streamline Your Workflow: Automate GitLab Releases with Semantic-Release
Revolutionise your GitLab workflow with automated releases. Discover how to use semantic-release for seamless deployment.
Lessons learned from 30 days of writing
In January 2021 I set out to write a new blog post for 30 days. Here's what I learnt from my writing challenge.
You've got this: become a confident developer
If you're early in your software development career, you might not realise how good you are yet. Here are a few ideas to boost your confidence.
Everyone needs to feel comfortable at work. However, getting too comfortable can become a problem.
Want to become a senior developer or software engineering manager? Forget being a 10x developer. Use the force!
Become a producer not a consumer
Don't just spend your time doom scrolling on Twitter or liking Instagram pictures. It's time to become a content producer and not just a content consumer.
Asking for feedback as a leader
Feedback is necessary for a growth mindset and to continuously improve. As a leader, we often give feedback to our team but forget to ask others for it.
Being successful means different things to different people. How do you measure your own success?
Strong leaders build great networks over time. Sharing those networks can help to unlock your team's potential too.
The technology world changed in 2020. Remote working has jumped forward faster than ever. It's time to embrace remote working as the future.
Collaboration with other software developers is the key to great software. How do we make sure our code is merged into a project? By writing great pull requests.
Time is scarce. Life is short. Don't waste it. Don't repeat your years.
Create an Eleventy podcast feed
Want to add an iTunes and Google friendly podcast feed to your Eleventy site? Here's how.
Learning doesn't have to stop after school. Learning should be a lifelong passion that we all embrace.
I sometimes struggle for ideas, especially as I try and a daily blog post for 30 days. Here are a few ideas on how to kickstart a habit of idea generation.
Building an audience is a great way to expand your online network. It can help you to find a new role or perhaps sell digital products online. Here are some tips from Nate Eliason which show how you can do it.
Ship your code with confidence
All developers want to ship code on a daily basis. If we want to get our code to our users more frequently, how can we ensure we release with confidence?
Create animated gifs using Camtasia
Everyone loves gifs right? In this article you'll learn how to make your own using Camtasia.
Don't know how to solve a problem in your code? It's time to say hello to a rubber duck.
Building a great culture in teams can be hard. If you help to lift them up, you create an inclusive team and everybody wins.
Most people think they're too old or inexperienced to start something new. All you have to do is start.
Learning to learn about software development
With a constant stream of information about software development, how do you stay on top of it all? Learning how to learn and being ruthless with your time is a great skill to learn.
Add YouTube playlists to your Eleventy site
Want to add a YouTube playlist to your Eleventy website? Read on to find out how.
Writing software is hard. It's inherently complex. How do we make it simpler?
Making your brain slow down and stop worrying about everything is hard sometimes. As an active overthinker, I'm trying to adopt strategies to deal with it.
Create a serverless chatbot for Telegram using Vercel - the ultimate guide
Learn how to build a Telegram chatbot using Vercel serverless functions. Deploy your chatbot to the cloud and automate your messaging with ease.
Most people consume content and then forget about it. The fastest way to learn something is to share it with others. So let's all learn in public.
Gain confidence at public speaking
I was shy. I hated speaking in public. Now I love it. Learn how you can overcome your fear of talking to an audience.
A beginner's guide to using the Obsidian Notes application
Learn how to use the Obsidian Notes app with this simple beginner's guide. Improve your note-taking and productivity.
Refactoring code: the broken windows theory
Every time we touch our applications we incur technical debt. Make sure you keep a codebase healthy by fixing those broken windows.
Become a better software engineering manager
If you're not sure if you want to be involved in the management of teams building software, here are a few thoughts on what makes it takes to become a better software engineering manager.
How can you make writing a habit? It's hard to overcome the fear of writing but by making it habitual, it should become easier. I hope to make 2021 my year of writing. Read more.
Visualise your code in style with pretty screenshots
Enhance your online portfolio with pretty code screenshots. Learn how to create eye-catching visuals that stand out.
Different types of software tests
There are many different types of tests you can write. Let's find out about what they are.
Add time and date to your Messenger chatbot with the Chatfuel JSON API
Let's help your customers decide if you're open by adding time and date to your Chatfuel chatbot.
A look back at what I achieved in 2019 and what I hope to achieve in 2020.
How to validate an email adress using the Chatfuel JSON API
When asking your chatbot user for an email address, how do you know if it's valid? Let's look at how you can validate an email address using the Chatfuel JSON API and a Node.js web server.
Lessons Learned From Running A Code Club
A Code Club is a great place for children to learn more about computing, and for adults to learn about teaching. Here are some tips and tricks on how to make your Code Club a fun learning environment for everyone.
Simple Error Handling For Your Production Express Server
Adding error handling to your Express server doesn't have to be confusing. Follow this simple guide to add production ready error handling to your Node.js Express application.
Crafting High Quality Unit Tests: Tips and Best Practices
Unlock the secrets of high-quality unit testing. Discover how to write effective tests and improve your code quality.
How To Unit Test Express Routes
How to unit test Express routes and some reasons why you should do it.
Halloween Sound Effects Using Spotify And Raspberry Pi
Scare the trick or treaters with this simple Raspberry Pi Node.js project to play spooky sound effects.
How To Find Bugs Using Git Bisect With This Easy Guide
An essential guide that will teach you how to use git bisect to quickly and easily find bugs in the history of your project.
