GraphQL vs REST: An Honest Comparison for Real Projects
GraphQL solves real problems, and creates a few new ones. How the two compare on flexibility, caching, performance, tooling and security, and how to decide which fits your API.
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Tips & writing
Notes from the workbench
Practical engineering tips, design theory and performance breakdowns — written for developers and founders who like their advice tested in production.
Filtering by tag #backend — clear
File Uploads Done Right: Security, Storage and Scale
A file upload form is one of the riskiest features you can build. How to validate real file types, store files safely, upload straight to object storage, and serve user content without opening holes.
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Webhooks Explained: How to Receive Them Reliably and Securely
Payment confirmations, Git pushes and form submissions often arrive as webhooks. How they work, how to verify signatures, handle retries and duplicates, and test them on your laptop.
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API Rate Limiting: Protect Your Backend from Abuse and Surprise Bills
One script hammering your login endpoint, or one user looping your AI feature, can take down a server or empty a budget. How rate limiting works, which algorithm to pick, and how to add it.
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Sending Email from Your Web App Without Landing in Spam
Password resets and receipts that end up in spam are a broken product. How transactional email works, SPF, DKIM and DMARC in plain English, and the habits that keep your emails in the inbox.
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Adding Payments to Your Web App: What Every Developer Should Know
Taking money online is mostly a solved problem, if you avoid the classic mistakes. Hosted checkout vs embedded forms, webhooks as the source of truth, money as integers and testing every edge case.
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OAuth and Social Login Explained (Without the Jargon)
"Sign in with Google" looks like one button but involves redirects, codes, tokens and a few important security checks. How OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect work, and how to implement them safely.
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How to Build a Secure Password Reset Flow
Password reset is one of the most attacked features in any app. How to generate and store reset tokens, avoid leaking which emails exist, expire and invalidate correctly, and protect users after a reset.
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Input Validation: Client-Side vs Server-Side (You Need Both)
Client-side validation makes forms pleasant; server-side validation keeps your app safe. How to validate properly with schemas, share rules between frontend and backend, and avoid common gaps.
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