Why You Should Still Know curl in 2026
7 min readSetup & Tools
curl still matters in 2026. Why AI-generated fetch calls don’t replace it, and how curl teaches you HTTP through headers, debugging and API testing.
Category
Setup & Tools
Practical guides to developer setup and tools: editors, build tools, terminals and the configuration decisions that make you faster.
Docker & Docker Compose Cheat Sheet
6 min readSetup & Tools
A practical Docker and Docker Compose cheat sheet: start and stop services, follow logs, run commands inside containers, and clean up what you don’t need.
Javascript Testing Tools Explained
5 min readSetup & Tools
Jest, Vitest, Testing Library, Mocha, Chai and Sinon explained for beginners — what each tool actually does, and which one to start with.
Javascript Testing for Beginners
7 min readSetup & Tools
A plain-English introduction to Javascript testing: what a test actually is, why it matters, the types worth knowing, and the tools to start with.
How to Install Java on Mac: Step-by-Step Guide
6 min readSetup & Tools
Install Java on a Mac with Homebrew or the Oracle JDK, set JAVA_HOME, verify the install, and fix “Unable to locate a Java Runtime” errors.
MacOS Shortcuts – Cheatsheet for New Users
9 min readSetup & Tools
A macOS shortcuts cheatsheet for new Mac users: editing, Finder, window and screenshot shortcuts, plus the Windows equivalents if you just switched.
Husky Hooks: Improve Your Git Workflow
11 min readSetup & Tools
Run lint and tests automatically on every commit with Husky Git hooks. Setup, pre-commit examples, Husky vs GitHub Actions, and how to skip a hook.
How to Type the Copyright Symbol on Mac
6 min readSetup & Tools
Type the copyright symbol on a Mac with Option + G. Plus the Character Viewer fallback and shortcuts for ™, ®, degree and section symbols.
How to Close a Full Screen on Mac
6 min readSetup & Tools
Three ways to exit full screen on Mac: the green button, press and hold Esc, or Control + Command + F — plus what to do when an app won’t budge.
How to Install Postgres on MacOS
7 min readSetup & Tools
Install PostgreSQL on macOS with Homebrew, run it as a background service, fix “command not found: psql”, and connect with the psql shell.
What does git add -a do?
7 min readSetup & Tools
git add -a doesn’t exist. The command you want is git add -A — here’s how it differs from git add . and when that difference actually matters.
How to Restart Your Node App Without Nodemon
5 min readSetup & Tools
Node.js 18.11 added a built-in --watch flag that restarts your app when files change. No nodemon, no config, no extra dependency to install.
How to install Git on Mac – MacOS for beginners
5 min readSetup & Tools
Install Git on macOS with Xcode Command Line Tools or Homebrew, set your commit identity, and learn the handful of commands you’ll use every day.
How to install Homebrew – MacOS for beginners
8 min readSetup & Tools
Homebrew is the package manager macOS is missing. Install it with one terminal command, verify it worked, and fix the PATH error that catches beginners.
How to Add Sass to A Create-React-App Project
4 min readSetup & Tools
Add Sass to a Create React App project with one npm install, plus the real difference between Sass and SCSS syntax and how to remove CRA later.
How to Install npm on MacOS
5 min readSetup & Tools
Install Node.js and npm on macOS with Homebrew in four steps: check what you already have, install, verify the versions, then update npm to the latest.
Integration vs Unit Tests: How to Choose
7 min readSetup & Tools
What separates a unit test from an integration test, when each one is worth writing, and why mocking an external provider can give you false confidence.
Deploy a Next.js App with Render.com
5 min readSetup & Tools
Deploy a Next.js app to Render.com step by step: connect GitHub, configure the web service, start the deploy, and add extra repositories later.
Why Your Next.js Deploy Fails on Render
7 min readSetup & Tools
A brand new Next.js app fails to deploy on Render.com because of the default build settings. Here is the cause, and the change that gets it live.
Express.js Server with TypeScript
13 min readSetup & Tools
Set up an Express.js server with TypeScript from scratch: start in plain JavaScript, add TypeScript, configure outDir, and wire up the build script.
Do You Still Need npm install --save?
6 min readSetup & Tools
Since npm 5, --save is the default and the flag does nothing. Here are the npm install flags that still matter: --save-dev, --save-optional, --save-peer.
Change the Default Port in Create React App
6 min readSetup & Tools
Three ways to change the default port in a Create React App project: package.json, the command line, or a .env file. Pick whichever suits your setup.
How to Embed CodePen in a WordPress Blog
7 min readSetup & Tools
How to embed a CodePen project in a WordPress blog properly, and how to fix the “referer required” error that pasting the project URL gives you.