Category: Development
Tips, techniques, and deep dives into PHP coding, architecture, and tools—focused on writing cleaner, faster, and more maintainable code.
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My Experience Vibe-Coding an Internal Company Application
I’ve been using AI more and more in my daily workflow — mostly for adding or fixing parts of an existing codebase. I’ve also vibe-coded small scripts from scratch here and there, but this project was different. This was my first time vibe-coding an entire web app, where AI did 99% of the coding. The…
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Vibe Coding and the Future of Software Development
Introduction Software development is in the middle of a profound shift. For decades, programming was defined by a developer’s ability to master syntax, understand algorithms, and build systems line by line. That era has not disappeared, but it has been disrupted. The rise of artificial intelligence coding assistants has introduced a new way of working,…
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Refactoring Legacy PHP Code: My Go-To Playbook
Legacy PHP code has a way of haunting you. Whether it’s procedural scripts written 10+ years ago, a half-upgraded framework, or a mix of spaghetti logic and business-critical features—at some point, you’ll be tasked with refactoring it. The trick is doing it without breaking everything in production. Here’s my playbook, built from years of wading…
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Optimizing Large PHP Codebases Without Breaking Everything
When you’re working in a large PHP codebase, optimization isn’t just about speed—it’s about survival. You can’t just go in and start swapping out loops or rewriting core logic without risking a domino effect that’ll take your entire app down with it. So here’s how I approach optimizing large PHP projects without blowing them up.…
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How Eager Loading Works in ORM (With PHP Examples)
When I first started using ORMs in PHP, I loved how clean and readable my code became. But I quickly ran into performance problems—things were getting sluggish, and I couldn’t figure out why. That’s when I discovered the magic (and danger) of lazy loading, and why eager loading is a tool every developer needs in…
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How to Implement MySQL Pagination in PHP (Step-by-Step Guide)
Pagination: it’s how you turn “Here’s a mullion rows” into “Here’s 20 rows per page” without melting your server. Alright, before we dive in—this post assumes you already know how to connect to MySQL using PHP’s PDO. If that sounds like gibberish, hit pause and go learn that first. I’ll wait. 😎 Still here? Great.…
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10 PHP Performance Pitfalls and How to Fix Them Like a Pro
Let’s be real—most PHP performance issues aren’t caused by exotic edge cases. They’re caused by small mistakes that quietly accumulate until your server starts sweating. Over the years, I’ve fallen into every performance trap in the book—and watched others do the same. So here’s a list of the top 10 PHP performance pitfalls I’ve seen…
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Why Developer Experience Matters in Plugin UX
When we talk about plugin UX, we usually think about the end user. Is the UI intuitive? Does the feature solve the user’s problem? Is the performance snappy? All valid questions—but often, we forget one critical piece: the developer’s experience building and maintaining that plugin. Developer Experience (DX) isn’t just an internal concern—it has a…
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How to Onboard a New Developer to Your Plugin Codebase
Bringing a new developer into your plugin project can go one of two ways: smooth and productive—or completely chaotic. I’ve seen both. Whether you’re working on a public WordPress plugin or a custom solution for a client, onboarding a new dev isn’t just about giving them access to the repo and saying “good luck.” It’s…
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The Hidden Costs of Not Documenting Your Plugin Code
We’ve all done it. You’re deep in the flow, building out a plugin feature, squashing bugs, hitting milestones—and you think, “I’ll document this later.” Then later becomes never. I used to think documentation was a “nice-to-have.” Something you do when the real work is done. But over the years—especially maintaining my own WordPress plugins and…