Backend
Authentication vs Authorization - and How to Implement Both
Two concepts that are constantly confused and constantly misimplemented. Here is what each means and how to get both right.
Deep dives into the topics that separate good engineers from great ones.
Backend
Server Architecture Patterns: Monolith, Modular, Service-Oriented
Three architectural styles, their actual tradeoffs, and how to choose between them without falling into the microservices trap.
Computer Science
How Compilers and Interpreters Differ - and Why You Should Care
The compiled vs. interpreted distinction is blurrier than you think, and understanding the spectrum explains tradeoffs you make every day.
Computer Science
How a CPU Executes Your Code (The Short Version)
From a line of source code to electrons moving through silicon - the mental model every engineer should have.
Engineering Craft
Branching Strategies That Work in Real Teams
Most teams argue about Gitflow vs trunk-based development. The better question is what you are actually trying to solve.
Engineering Craft
How to Do a Code Review (and How to Receive One)
A code review is not a gatekeeping exercise. Here is what makes them useful - from both sides of the diff.
Engineering Craft
Writing Commit Messages That Mean Something
A commit message is a letter to whoever debugs this code next. Here is how to write one that actually helps.
Engineering Craft
Refactoring Without Breaking Things
Refactoring is changing structure without changing behavior. The hard part is keeping those two things separate.
Frontend
How Browsers Render a Page: The Full Pipeline
From HTML bytes to pixels on screen - the rendering pipeline that every frontend engineer should understand.
Frontend
JavaScript Event Loop: Visual and Concrete
JavaScript is single-threaded but non-blocking. The event loop is the mechanism that makes both of those things true at the same time.