Latest Updates

Documenting code, one commit at a time.

Refactoring Database Columns for Clarity in devlog-ist/landing

In the ongoing development of devlog-ist/landing, a project focused on creating engaging landing pages, a recent refactoring effort centered on enhancing the clarity and maintainability of our data structures. Specifically, we focused on the PostResource table.

The Problem

The original PostResource table included a column labeled 'Post Reports'. This name was ambiguous and didn't clearly

Read more
Refactoring Database

Refactoring for Clarity: Improving the Post Resource Table in Landing

This post delves into a recent refactoring effort within the devlog-ist/landing project, focusing on enhancing the structure and clarity of the PostResource table. The primary goal was to replace the 'Post Reports' column with 'Scheduled For', aiming for a more intuitive and maintainable data model.

The Initial Design

Initially, the PostResource table included a column named 'Post Reports'.

Read more

Enhancing GitHub OAuth Flow: Preserving User Permissions

Introduction

This article discusses a common issue in applications using GitHub OAuth for authentication: inadvertently overwriting a user's existing token with one that has fewer permissions. We'll explore how to ensure the application preserves the user's original, broader-scoped token when requesting narrower scopes during subsequent logins.

The Problem

Many applications use GitHub

Read more
C Security Debugging

Eliminating False Positives in Audit Logs for Generic File Paths

When auditing file system operations within an application, a common challenge arises when dealing with generic or placeholder file paths. These paths, often used during testing or initial setup, can trigger false positive alerts in audit logs, obscuring genuine security concerns. A recent update addresses this issue, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of our auditing process.

Read more

Fixing Placeholders in Our Application

Sometimes, during development, placeholder values can inadvertently slip into the final application. This post discusses how we addressed such an issue in our vlog index page, specifically focusing on unresolved :app_name placeholders.

The Problem: Unresolved Placeholders

Unresolved placeholders are problematic because they present a poor user experience and can sometimes expose internal

Read more

The Hidden Cost of Unused Placeholder Fixes

We've all been there: a quick fix for an apparent issue, like an unresolved placeholder in a user-facing section. But what happens when the fix itself introduces more complexity than it resolves?

Recently, we addressed an issue where the :app_name placeholder wasn't being correctly rendered on the /earn hero section of our application.

Read more

Optimizing Application Performance Through Targeted Database and Code Improvements

Introduction

Application performance is often a critical factor in user experience and overall system efficiency. This post delves into several strategies for enhancing performance, focusing on database query optimization, efficient data handling, and code-level improvements.

Database Query Optimization

Inefficient database queries can be a major bottleneck. One common issue is the N+1

Read more

Optimizing Premium Access Checks in Background Jobs

Introduction

We recently optimized a background job responsible for post-generation in our application, specifically focusing on how it handles premium access checks. Initially, the job was configured to check user-level premium access, which led to inefficiencies. This post outlines the problem, the solution, and the benefits we observed.

The Problem: Redundant User-Level Checks

Read more

Improving Data Accuracy with Enhanced API Integration

Introduction

This post details an enhancement to our application's data aggregation process. We addressed an issue where total counts were inaccurate by switching from a local database to an external API for data retrieval, ensuring more reliable results.

The Problem: Data Discrepancies

Previously, our application relied on a local database table, populated with data from an events API,

Read more