First you need the mindset. Then, you need the tools. Without the mindset, you won't use the tools correctly, in a consistent way. Without the good tools, you won't be efficient and you won't enjoy the process. This article is about the mindset: what do you need to understand and apply, to successfully begin, build and finish your side projects? »
Oh no! You're working on an application which is as messy as your flat! You don't understand anything, every bug takes weeks to fix. You need to improve the quality of your PHP code... but how? What tool to use? A hoover? Don't worry, dear reader, I have some answers for you. »
The DRY principle (Don't Repeat Yourself) is easy to understand but difficult to apply. Should we never repeat our code? What was the true purpose of the principle's authors? Let's decipher what should be DRY in our code, and what should not. »
What are the traps you can fall into, using PHP 7.2? Should you use everything implemented in this new version? Don't introduce ambiguity in your codebase: everything in PHP is not necessarily good to use. »
Tips and tricks for Vim, about everything related to search, find or replace content in one or multiple files, with or without plugins. »
This list range from the obvious to the underestimated skills and mindsets you should have if you want to be a better web developer. Spoiler ahead: it's not only being good technically. Interest and motivation will drive you faster than any knowledge in the last ephemeral trend. »
I can see you spitting your cereals in front of you computer. 'What? A PHP IDE with Vim? Are you insane?'. If I am, I'm not the only one: many developers use Vim, why not PHP developers? This article will describe everything you need for you to build your own personal IDE, which fits your way of working and answers your specific needs. »
Behold the story of a developer (me) who were mocking his colleague for using Vim! He was young, innocent and presumptuous! But at the end, he understood why Vim is so praised since the 70s: it's the best editor ever. I won't go into a crusade to evangelise you with Vim, but you need to know my story: how I ended up using Vim after years with PhpStorm. »
When PHP 7 came up with strong types, I saw the light. I had the hope not to see anymore bugs and inconsistencies due to weak typing in PHP. I remember reading some code and having no idea what could be the type of the variables I had in front of me. Can I use the return of this method as an int? A boolean? Will it create silent bugs and unexpected behaviors? »
When I search and read code about time and date problems developers have, I noticed that a lot of people still use the old PHP functions like date(), time() or strtotime(). What about using the object DateTime instead? It’s time to reintroduce this powerful PHP object. DateTime can do all the usual date and time operations you could ask for, and even more. Using DateTime can save a lot of time when you have to do simple, or more complex operations on dates. »
