Backend Development

These backend development guides cover the parts users never see: data, queues and services. Most posts compare two options and explain when each wins.

For example, SQL vs NoSQL and Kafka vs RabbitMQ help with common choices. Also, monolith vs microservices tackles the biggest one. Language series live in the Java, Python and Node.js sections below.

149 articles

03/07/2021 10 min read

Practice: Build a CLI Calculator in Java

Executive Summary: This practice project builds a single-file Java CLI calculator with one-shot and interactive modes and switch-expression…
30/05/2021 8 min read

Arrays and Strings in Java (with StringBuilder)

Executive Summary: Java arrays are fixed-length containers with helpers in java.util.Arrays, and Strings are immutable. I cover creating,…
09/05/2021 8 min read

Methods in Java: Parameters, Return Values, and Overloading

Executive Summary: Java methods are defined by a signature and a body, and Java passes everything by value,…
21/03/2021 9 min read

Control Flow in Java: if, switch, Loops, and Modern switch Expressions

Executive Summary: Java control flow covers sequence, branching, loops, and switch. Here I show when to use each…
07/03/2021 9 min read

Variables, Primitive Types, and Operators in Java

Executive Summary: Java variables are statically typed, and the language has eight primitive types with fixed sizes on…
13/02/2021 8 min read

Installing JDK, Setting Up IntelliJ IDEA, and Your First Java Program

Executive Summary: I’ll set up a Java development environment: install JDK 21 from a distribution like Eclipse Temurin,…
05/01/2021 1 min read

Move All WordPress Posts To Trash

If you need to move all WordPress posts to trash, you can use a custom function and the…
16/04/2020 1 min read

WordPress asking for FTP credentials on localhost

Unable to Add/Delete plugin in localhost? After you new and shiny localhost installation you go ahead and start…
16/12/2019 4 min read

InsertMany in MongoDB via file

while studying for mongoDb certification I got a dataset file from the instructor. I had to fill my…
25/11/2019 1 min read

Nodemon not refreshing page automatically

while setting up a MERN app, i was using nodemon to reflect code edits and render the new…
15/09/2019 12 min read

Elasticsearch Architecture: Inverted Indexes, Shards, and Near-Real-Time Search

Elasticsearch architecture from the inside: the inverted index and its term dictionary, segments and the near-real-time refresh, shards…
14/07/2019 12 min read

Data Partitioning: Vertical, Horizontal, and the Sharding Question

Data partitioning explained: the umbrella concept under sharding, horizontal vs vertical partitioning, the partitioning vs sharding vocabulary sorted,…
12/05/2019 12 min read

Read/Write Separation: Scaling Reads with Replicas

Read/write separation: routing reads to replicas with the staleness audit, replica routing mechanics, replication lag as the governing…
10/03/2019 12 min read

Search Engines in System Design: When and How to Add Search

Search engine system design: search vs database queries, when to add elasticsearch, the indexing pipeline that keeps the…