Ship faster with the right tools
Honest reviews, setup guides, and workflow tips for developer tools. From terminals to CI pipelines, we cover what actually helps you build better software.
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VS Code Productivity: Extensions, Settings, and Shortcuts That Matter
Cut through the noise of 50,000 VS Code extensions. Here are the settings, shortcuts, and extensions that actually make you faster.
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Documentation Tools for Developers: Generators, API Docs, and Wikis
A guide to documentation tooling -- Docusaurus, Starlight, Mintlify, Swagger, TypeDoc, and when to use each for different documentation needs.
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Secrets Management for Developers: .env, Vaults, and Best Practices
A practical guide to managing secrets in development and production -- .env files, 1Password CLI, Doppler, SOPS, and how to avoid leaking credentials.
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Background Job and Workflow Tools: BullMQ, Temporal, and Celery
A practical comparison of background job and workflow systems -- BullMQ for Node.js/Redis, Temporal for durable workflows, and Celery for Python, with guidance on when simple cron is enough.
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Database Testing and Local Development Tools
A practical guide to database testing and local development tools -- Testcontainers, Docker-based databases, seed data management, migration testing, and tools for reliable database workflows.
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Runtime Version Managers Guide
A practical guide to mise, asdf, fnm, nvm, pyenv, rbenv, and Volta -- covering how they work, performance, shell integration, and team standardization with .tool-versions.
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GitOps and Continuous Deployment with ArgoCD and Flux
A practical guide to GitOps principles and tools, comparing ArgoCD and Flux for Kubernetes continuous deployment, covering setup, secrets management, rollback strategies, and when GitOps is worth the complexity.
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Building CLI Tools: Frameworks and Best Practices
A practical guide to building professional command-line tools using Commander.js, oclif, Clap for Rust, and Click for Python, covering argument parsing, subcommands, config files, interactive prompts, and distribution.
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GraphQL Development Tools and Ecosystem
A practical guide to GraphQL development tools -- servers, clients, code generation, IDE tooling, testing, and the tools that make working with GraphQL productive.
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Best Terminal Emulators in 2026: Kitty vs Alacritty vs WezTerm vs iTerm2 vs Windows Terminal
A practical comparison of the best terminal emulators across platforms, covering GPU acceleration, configuration, and which one you should actually use.
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Log Management Tools: ELK Stack, Loki, and Cloud Alternatives
A comparison of log management solutions -- ELK Stack, Grafana Loki, Datadog Logs, and cloud-native options with guidance on structured logging, cost management, retention policies, and when to use logs vs metrics vs traces.
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Regex and Text Processing Tools for Developers
A practical guide to regex tools, text processing utilities, and data transformation -- regex101, jq, yq, sed, awk, and modern alternatives.
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Local Development with Docker Compose: Databases, Queues, and Services
Practical Docker Compose configurations for local development -- PostgreSQL, Redis, RabbitMQ, Elasticsearch, MinIO, and tips for making it all work smoothly.
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Git Hooks and Pre-commit Tools: Husky, Lefthook, and lint-staged
A practical guide to Git hook management tools covering Husky, Lefthook, pre-commit framework, and lint-staged -- with configuration examples, performance comparisons, and recommendations for teams of every size.
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Linting and Formatting: Biome, ESLint, Prettier, and Pre-Commit Hooks
How to set up code linting and formatting with Biome or ESLint + Prettier, configure pre-commit hooks with husky and lint-staged, integrate with editors, and enforce standards in CI.
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Cross-Platform Mobile Development Tools
A practical comparison of cross-platform mobile development tools -- React Native, Flutter, Expo, Capacitor, and when to use each for building iOS and Android apps.
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Error Tracking and Logging: Sentry, Axiom, and Structured Logging
A practical guide to error tracking and logging for developers -- Sentry setup, structured logging patterns, log aggregation with Axiom and Loki, and when to use each.
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Developer Productivity Systems: Tools and Workflows That Actually Work
A practical guide to developer productivity -- time tracking, code snippets, dotfiles management, workspace automation, focus techniques, and the tools that make daily development faster.
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Task Runners: Make, Just, Task, and npm Scripts
A practical comparison of task runners for development workflows -- Makefiles, just, Task (go-task), npm scripts, and when to use each.
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tmux vs Zellij: Terminal Multiplexers Compared
A head-to-head comparison of tmux and Zellij, covering configuration, plugin systems, keybindings, and when to pick each one.
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DNS and Networking Tools Every Developer Should Know
A practical guide to DNS debugging, network analysis, and HTTP inspection tools -- dig, dog, curl, mtr, Wireshark, and modern alternatives.
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Zsh Setup Guide: Fast, Functional, and Not Bloated
How to set up Zsh with the right plugins, prompt, and configuration without killing your shell startup time.
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Observability for Developers: Logs, Metrics, Traces, and OpenTelemetry
A practical guide to application observability -- structured logging, distributed tracing with OpenTelemetry, metrics collection, Grafana dashboards, and building observable systems from the start.
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GitHub CLI (gh) Deep Dive: PRs, Issues, API, and Scripting
A comprehensive guide to the GitHub CLI covering pull request workflows, issue management, the gh api command for custom queries, aliases, extensions, and scripting automation.
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AI Coding Tools in 2026: Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, and More
A practical guide to AI-assisted development -- GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, Codeium, and how to actually get value from AI coding tools.
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Code Review Tools and Workflows That Actually Work
A practical guide to code review tooling -- GitHub PRs, Graphite, stacked diffs, AI review tools, and workflows that keep teams shipping fast.
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Accessibility Testing Tools for Developers
A practical guide to axe-core, Pa11y, Lighthouse, WAVE, and integrating a11y testing into your CI pipeline -- covering WCAG compliance, automated vs manual testing, and common issues.
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Cloud Development Environments: Gitpod, Codespaces, and Devpod
A practical guide to cloud-based development environments -- GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, DevPod, and when remote development actually makes sense for your workflow.
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Caching Strategies and Tools: Redis, Memcached, CDN, and Application-Level Patterns
A practical guide to caching layers and tools for developers. Covers Redis, Memcached, CDN caching, browser caching, and application-level patterns with code examples and configuration.
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Advanced Git Workflows: Rebase, Worktree, Bisect, and Recovery
Go beyond git add/commit/push. Master interactive rebase, worktrees, bisect, reflog recovery, and stash techniques that save real time.
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AI-Powered Code Review and Analysis Tools
A practical guide to AI code review tools -- CodeRabbit, GitHub Copilot code review, Qodana, Sourcery, and how to integrate AI review into your workflow without replacing human reviewers.
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Feature Flag Tools for Progressive Rollouts
A practical guide to feature flag tools and platforms -- LaunchDarkly, Unleash, Flagsmith, and open-source alternatives for progressive rollouts, A/B testing, and safe deployments.
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Visual Regression Testing: Catching UI Bugs Before Your Users Do
A practical guide to visual regression testing with Playwright, Chromatic, Percy, BackstopJS, and Lost Pixel -- covering snapshot strategies, dynamic content handling, CI integration, and when visual testing is actually worth it.
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Dependency Management and Security Scanning
A practical guide to managing dependencies securely -- lockfile hygiene, vulnerability scanning with Snyk and Trivy, license compliance, and keeping dependencies updated.
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Developer Workstation Setup: Dotfiles, System Provisioning, and Automation
A practical guide to automating your developer workstation setup with dotfiles managers like chezmoi and GNU Stow, system provisioning with Ansible and Nix, and cross-platform package management.
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API Design Tools: OpenAPI, Swagger, and API-First Development
A practical guide to API design and documentation tools -- OpenAPI specifications, Swagger UI, Stoplight, Redocly, and the API-first development workflow.
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Debugging Tools for Developers: Beyond Console.log
A guide to debugging tools that actually save time -- browser DevTools, Node.js inspectors, VS Code debugger, and specialized debugging utilities.
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Build Tools in 2026: Vite, Turbopack, Rspack, and Webpack
A practical comparison of JavaScript build tools -- Vite, Turbopack, Rspack, esbuild, and Webpack. When to use each, migration paths, and configuration tips.
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API Design Best Practices: REST vs GraphQL vs gRPC
A practical guide to API design patterns -- choosing between REST, GraphQL, and gRPC, with advice on versioning, pagination, error handling, and real-world trade-offs.
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Monorepo Tools Compared: Nx vs Turborepo vs Bazel vs Lerna
A practical comparison of monorepo build tools -- Nx, Turborepo, Bazel, and Lerna. Task orchestration, caching, dependency management, and when each tool makes sense.
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AI-Powered Testing Tools: Test Generation, Maintenance, and Honest Expectations
A realistic assessment of AI-powered testing tools including CodiumAI, Diffblue, Testim, and Mabl -- what they actually deliver, where they fall short, and how to integrate them with existing test suites.
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Database Tools for Developers: GUIs, CLIs, Migrations, and Local Setup
A guide to database tooling for developers covering GUI clients like DBeaver and TablePlus, CLI tools like pgcli, migration frameworks including Prisma and Drizzle, and Docker Compose setups for local development.
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CSS-in-JS and Styling Tools Compared
Comparing Tailwind CSS, styled-components, CSS Modules, vanilla-extract, Panda CSS, and UnoCSS -- covering performance, developer experience, bundle size, and when to use each.
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Security Tools Every Developer Should Know
A practical guide to developer security tools -- dependency scanning, secret detection, SAST, container scanning, and security-focused development workflows.
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GraphQL Testing Strategies: Schema, Resolver, and Integration Testing
A practical guide to testing GraphQL APIs covering schema validation, resolver unit tests, integration testing, and the tools that make GraphQL testing effective -- including Apollo Studio, GraphQL Inspector, and graphql-codegen.
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Time-Series Databases: InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, QuestDB, and Prometheus
A practical comparison of time-series databases for metrics, IoT, and observability -- covering data modeling, query languages, performance characteristics, and when to use each.
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Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Pulumi, and CDK Compared
A practical comparison of IaC tools for developers -- Terraform, Pulumi, AWS CDK, and OpenTofu. Setup, workflows, and when to use each.
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Full-Text Search Tools: Elasticsearch, Meilisearch, Typesense, SQLite FTS5, and PostgreSQL
A practical guide to full-text search for application developers. Compares Elasticsearch, Meilisearch, Typesense, SQLite FTS5, and PostgreSQL full-text search with setup, indexing, and relevance tuning examples.
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Database Migration Tools: Schema Management for Every Stack
A practical comparison of database migration tools -- Flyway, Liquibase, Prisma Migrate, Drizzle Kit, and others. Schema management patterns, rollback strategies, and choosing the right tool.
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TypeScript Tooling: Compiler Options, Runtimes, and Monorepo Setup
A practical guide to TypeScript compiler options, tsconfig.json configuration for different project types, running TypeScript directly with tsx/Bun, CI type checking, and monorepo project references.
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Bun vs Node.js vs Deno: JavaScript Runtime Comparison
An honest comparison of Bun, Node.js, and Deno covering performance, package management, compatibility, ecosystem maturity, and practical guidance on when to choose each runtime.
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Modern CLI Tools That Replace Unix Classics
A practical guide to bat, eza, fd, ripgrep, delta, dust, and bottom -- the modern replacements for cat, ls, find, grep, diff, du, and top.
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Container Registry Tools: Harbor, GHCR, and Self-Hosted Options
A practical comparison of container registries including Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, AWS ECR, Harbor, and Gitea, covering pull rate limits, private registry benefits, image signing, vulnerability scanning, and when to self-host.
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Advanced Browser DevTools Techniques
A practical guide to advanced Chrome and Firefox DevTools features -- performance profiling, memory debugging, network analysis, CSS debugging, and techniques most developers never learn.
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GitHub Actions: A Practical Guide to CI/CD Workflows
A deep dive into GitHub Actions workflow syntax, matrix builds, caching, reusable workflows, security, and common patterns for real-world CI/CD.
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Database Migrations and ORMs: Prisma, Drizzle, Knex, and Beyond
A practical comparison of database migration tools and ORMs -- Prisma, Drizzle, Knex, TypeORM, and raw SQL. Schema management, type safety, and performance.
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Load Testing Tools: k6, Artillery, and Locust Compared
A practical comparison of k6, Artillery, and Locust for load testing -- setup, scripting, CI integration, and when to use each tool.
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Monorepo Tools Compared: Turborepo, Nx, and Bun Workspaces
A practical guide to monorepo tooling in 2026 -- Turborepo, Nx, Bun workspaces, pnpm workspaces, and Lerna. Setup, caching, and when to use each.
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Schema Validation Tools: Zod, JSON Schema, and Protobuf Compared
A practical comparison of schema validation approaches including Zod for TypeScript-first validation, JSON Schema for language-agnostic contracts, and Protocol Buffers for service boundaries, with guidance on when to use each.
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Testing Frameworks Compared: Jest, Vitest, Bun Test, and Playwright
A practical comparison of JavaScript testing frameworks covering Jest, Vitest, Bun's built-in test runner, and Playwright Test, with guidance on unit, integration, and end-to-end testing strategies.
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Database GUI Tools Compared: DBeaver, DataGrip, TablePlus, Beekeeper Studio, and pgAdmin
A practical comparison of database GUI clients covering DBeaver, DataGrip, TablePlus, Beekeeper Studio, and pgAdmin -- with honest assessments of pricing, features, and when CLI tools are the better choice.
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Event-Driven Architecture Tooling: CQRS, Event Sourcing, and Saga Patterns
A practical guide to event-driven architecture tools and patterns -- event buses, CQRS libraries, event sourcing frameworks, and saga orchestration with TypeScript and Go examples.
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Static Analysis Beyond Linting: CodeQL, Semgrep, SonarQube, and Snyk Code
A practical guide to static analysis tools that find security vulnerabilities, logic bugs, and code quality issues that linters miss -- with setup, custom rules, and CI integration.
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WebSocket and Real-Time Tools: From Socket.IO to PartyKit
A practical guide to WebSocket and real-time tools -- Socket.IO, ws, Ably, Pusher, Liveblocks, PartyKit, and Supabase Realtime -- covering protocols, debugging, and the hard parts of scaling real-time systems.
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API Testing Tools: Clients, Mocking, Load Testing, and OpenAPI
A practical guide to API testing tools covering Postman alternatives like Bruno and Hoppscotch, command-line tools like curl and HTTPie, API mocking with MSW, load testing with k6, and OpenAPI tooling.
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Code Collaboration Tools Beyond Git
A practical guide to code collaboration tools beyond basic Git -- pair programming, real-time editing, code sharing, async review workflows, and tools that make remote teams more productive.
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SSH for Developers: Config, Keys, Tunneling, and Security
Master SSH configuration for development workflows including config file setup, ed25519 key management, SSH agent integration, jump hosts, port forwarding, and secure practices.
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Backend Framework Comparison: Express vs Fastify vs Hono vs Elysia
A practical comparison of JavaScript and TypeScript backend frameworks -- Express, Fastify, Hono, and Elysia. Performance benchmarks, developer experience, ecosystem maturity, and when to use each.
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Network Debugging Tools: mitmproxy, Charles, Fiddler, and Wireshark
A practical guide to network debugging tools for developers covering mitmproxy, Charles Proxy, Fiddler, and Wireshark -- with real debugging workflows for API development, mobile app debugging, and production traffic analysis.
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Code Search at Scale: Sourcegraph, OpenGrok, and Alternatives
A guide to code search tools beyond grep -- Sourcegraph for large codebases, structural search, regex across repos, and alternatives like Hound and livegrep for developer productivity.
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Python Development Environment: Package Managers, Type Checking, and Linting
Set up a modern Python development environment with uv for package management, pyproject.toml configuration, mypy or pyright for type checking, and Ruff for fast linting and formatting.
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Frontend Testing Tools: Playwright, Cypress, and Testing Library
A practical guide to frontend testing tools covering Playwright vs Cypress for end-to-end tests, Testing Library for component tests, Vitest for unit tests, visual regression testing, CI setup, and strategies for reducing flaky tests.
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JavaScript Package Managers in 2026: npm, pnpm, Yarn, and Bun
A practical comparison of JavaScript package managers -- npm, pnpm, Yarn Berry, and Bun. Performance, disk usage, lockfiles, and which to choose.
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API Mocking Tools: MSW, WireMock, Microcks, and Prism
A practical comparison of API mocking tools covering MSW, WireMock, Microcks, and Prism -- with code examples, architecture trade-offs, and guidance on choosing the right mocking approach for your stack.
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Image and Asset Optimization: Sharp, Squoosh, and Modern Formats
A practical guide to image optimization for web developers covering Sharp, Squoosh, ImageOptim, and Cloudinary -- with build pipeline integration, format comparisons for WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL, and responsive image strategies.
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HTTP Clients and API Development Tools
A practical comparison of HTTP clients and API tools -- Bruno, Hoppscotch, Insomnia, curl, httpie, and why Postman alternatives are winning.
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Container Orchestration: Docker Compose vs Kubernetes vs Nomad vs Swarm
A practical guide to container orchestration tools -- Docker Compose, Kubernetes, HashiCorp Nomad, and Docker Swarm. When to use each, configuration examples, and how to choose the right level of complexity.
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Code Review Tools and Practices: From GitHub PRs to Stacked Diffs
A practical guide to code review tools and workflows -- GitHub PR reviews, Graphite stacked PRs, Reviewable, AI-assisted review, and best practices that make reviews faster and more effective.
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Container Security Scanning: Trivy, Grype, Snyk, and Docker Scout
A practical comparison of container vulnerability scanners covering Trivy, Grype, Snyk Container, and Docker Scout -- with CLI examples, CI integration, and honest trade-offs on speed, coverage, and false positives.
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Developer Metrics and Engineering Intelligence Tools
A guide to measuring developer productivity without surveillance -- DORA metrics, DX surveys, engineering intelligence platforms, and practical implementation of useful team health indicators.
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Observability for Developers: Logging, Metrics, and Tracing
A practical guide to observability tools -- Grafana, Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, structured logging, and error tracking for application developers.
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Email for Developers: Transactional Email, SMTP, Authentication, and Local Testing
A practical guide to sending transactional email as a developer. Covers Postmark, SES, Resend, and SendGrid. Explains SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Includes local testing with Mailpit and MailHog.
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Message Queue Tools: RabbitMQ, Redis Streams, NATS, and Kafka Compared
A practical guide to message queues for developers covering RabbitMQ, Redis Streams, NATS, and Apache Kafka. Includes local dev setup, code examples, and guidance on when to use each.
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Web Performance Optimization: Core Web Vitals and Beyond
A practical guide to web performance -- Core Web Vitals, bundle analysis, lazy loading, caching strategies, image optimization, and measuring what actually matters.
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Deployment Strategies: Blue-Green, Canary, and Rolling Updates
A practical guide to deployment strategies -- blue-green deployments, canary releases, rolling updates, and feature flag-driven deploys with implementation details for Kubernetes, AWS, and simpler setups.
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Browser Automation Beyond Testing: Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium
A practical guide to browser automation tools for E2E testing, scraping, PDF generation, and screenshots -- comparing Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium with real code examples.
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Code Generation Tools: When Codegen Helps and When It Creates Tech Debt
A practical guide to code generation -- OpenAPI codegen, protobuf/gRPC generators, GraphQL code generators, Prisma, T3 stack, Hygen, and Plop -- with honest advice on when generated code helps vs hurts.
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API Gateway and Service Mesh Tools for Developers
A practical guide to API gateways and service mesh tools -- Kong, Traefik, Envoy, NGINX, and service meshes like Istio and Linkerd for routing, authentication, and observability.
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Neovim Setup in 2026: A Modern Configuration Guide
How to build a modern Neovim setup with lazy.nvim, LSP, Treesitter, and Telescope -- plus when VS Code is still the better choice.
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WebAssembly Development Tools and Workflow
A practical guide to WebAssembly development tools -- Rust with wasm-pack, AssemblyScript, Emscripten, debugging, profiling, and the toolchains that make Wasm development productive.
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Developer Environment Management: Version Managers and Dotfiles
A practical guide to managing development environments -- mise, asdf, nvm, direnv, dotfiles, and reproducible dev setups across machines.
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Programmatic Screenshots and OG Image Generation
A practical guide to programmatic screenshots and OG image generation -- Playwright, Puppeteer, Satori, @vercel/og, Cloudinary, and Microlink -- covering social cards, templates, and PDF generation.
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Developer Security Essentials: From OWASP to Supply Chain Safety
A hands-on guide to application security for developers -- OWASP Top 10, dependency scanning, secrets management, SAST/DAST tools, and building security into your development workflow.
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Profiling and Benchmarking Tools for Developers
A practical guide to performance profiling and benchmarking -- CPU profilers, memory analyzers, flamegraphs, HTTP load testing, and language-specific tools.
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Serverless Frameworks Compared
Comparing SST (Ion), Serverless Framework v4, AWS SAM, Pulumi, and Terraform for serverless -- covering local dev, deployment speed, debugging, cost, and vendor lock-in.
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Code Documentation Generators: TypeDoc, JSDoc, Sphinx, rustdoc, and Modern Alternatives
A practical comparison of code documentation generators including TypeDoc, JSDoc, Sphinx, rustdoc, Javadoc, and Doxygen -- plus modern alternatives like Mintlify and ReadMe, with configuration examples and honest output quality assessments.
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Developer Productivity Toolchain: Raycast, direnv, mise, just, and nushell
A practical guide to developer productivity tools that compound daily workflow efficiency -- launchers, environment managers, task runners, and modern shells with real configuration examples.
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Kubernetes Developer Tools: kubectl, k9s, Helm, and Local Clusters
Essential Kubernetes tools for developers including kubectl commands, k9s TUI, Lens IDE, Helm package management, Skaffold and Tilt for local development, and Kind and minikube for local clusters.
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Docker for Developers: Alternatives, Multi-Stage Builds, and Performance Tips
A practical guide to Docker for local development, including Docker Desktop alternatives, multi-stage builds, Compose workflows, dev containers, and performance optimization.
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Data Serialization Formats: JSON vs MessagePack vs Protocol Buffers vs Avro vs Parquet
A practical comparison of data serialization formats for developers. Covers JSON, MessagePack, Protocol Buffers, Avro, and Parquet with benchmarks, code examples, and guidance on when to use each.
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Git Tools Compared: lazygit, GitKraken, Fork, tig, and More
A practical comparison of Git GUI and TUI clients, diff tools, and merge conflict resolution tools -- with clear recommendations for different workflows.
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Rust Development Environment: Tooling, IDEs, and Workflow
A practical guide to setting up a productive Rust development environment -- rustup, cargo tools, IDE support, debugging, testing, and essential crates for common tasks.
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CLI Tools for Working with JSON and YAML
A practical guide to jq, yq, fx, gron, jless, dasel, and jsonnet -- covering recipes, piping patterns, and real-world data transformation examples.
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PostgreSQL Tools: Clients, Monitoring, Migration, and Performance
A practical guide to PostgreSQL tooling -- GUI clients, CLI tools, migration frameworks, monitoring dashboards, and performance analysis utilities.
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Web Performance Tools: Measuring and Fixing What Matters
A practical guide to web performance tooling -- Lighthouse, WebPageTest, Chrome DevTools Performance tab, Core Web Vitals, and bundle analysis.
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Developer Portals and Documentation Platforms: IDPs vs Good Docs
Comparing internal developer portals (Backstage, Port, Cortex, OpsLevel) and documentation platforms (Docusaurus, Nextra, Mintlify, ReadMe) -- when you need a full IDP and when better docs are enough.