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Developer Tools

Payload CMS 3.0 – The Good, the Great, and the Challenges

I've been using Payload CMS 3.0 to build a complex healthcare application. The version 3 release has been both exciting and challenging.

Doug Shipp Software Consultant & Developer. Kalamazoo College Alumni. I play with blockchains and generative art in my free time.

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React / Redux • Jan 17

The Only Question to Ask Yourself to Decide Between Server and Client Components

Can't decide between server components and client components in React? Here's one question to ask yourself to pick correctly.

UX/Design Practices • Jan 16

AI for Designers, Part 1: The AI Design Relationship

Explore AI for Designers, from using it as a creative coworker to introducing new roles like AI training teams.

Svelte • Jan 15

Svelte Context API: Simplify State Management Across Components

I'll discuss how to use Svelte's Context API to simplify state management when building complex applications in front-end frameworks.

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Developer Tools View more Developer Tools posts →

Scrutiny Docker Image on TrueNAS Scale

Developer Tools

How to Run the Scrutiny Docker Image on TrueNAS Scale

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Master JSON Processing with jq

Developer Tools

Master JSON Processing with jq

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Create diagrams with ChatGPT, Mermaid, and ExcaliDraw

Developer Tools

Effortlessly Create Diagrams Using ChatGPT, Mermaid, and Excalidraw

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Payload CMS v3: The Good, The Great, and The Challenges

Developer Tools

Payload CMS 3.0 – The Good, the Great, and the Challenges

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UX/Design Tools View more UX/Design Tools posts →

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React / Redux View more React / Redux posts →

Decide Between Server and Client Components

React / Redux

The Only Question to Ask Yourself to Decide Between Server and Client Components

Can't decide between server components and client components in React? Here's one question to ask yourself to pick correctly.

Manage Side Effects with an Elm-inspired Redux Middleware

React / Redux

Manage Side Effects with an Elm-inspired Redux Middleware

Managing side effects in Redux applications is sometimes complex. I'll introduce a lightweight middleware solution.

Will server actions and components replace route handlers in NextJS?

React / Redux

Will Server Actions and Components Replace Route Handlers in NextJS?

With NextJS 13, along came server components and server actions. Are they an effective replacement for route handlers in Next altogether?

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Web Apps View more Web Apps posts →

Embedding Payload CMS 3.0 Admin UI in Your Next.js App

Web Apps

Embed Payload CMS 3.0 Admin UI in Your Next.js App

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About a year ago, I used Remix on a short prototype app to that displayed a series of reports and I loved it. For those who don’t know. Remix is a framework for building websites. It uses React JS as a base and adds some specialized compiling. The app was a great use case for Remix for a few reasons. First, the pre-built stacks got the app deployed quickly. The main parts of Remix that shined were its prefetching, directory-based routing, and its loader functions. The prefetching helped the reports load faster because some data would be retrieved before the user navigated. The directory-based routing made it easy to setup the structure of the app. Last, Remix’s loader functions were able to retrieve small amounts of data each as it was needed. I am now using Remix on a second website that has a different structure than the prototype and we aren’t able to use the same features to the same degree. This time around, I am finding myself using fewer of the features mentioned previously. We aren’t using perfecting because we have a single page with a lot of complexity. We have fewer loader functions retrieving lots of information at once which makes them perform worse. The main difference that I found between the two projects is that the prototype was a multipage app and the second has been turning into a single page app (SPA). Based on Remix's documentation and my experience the best use cases for Remix are ones that can be modeled as multiple pages. Challenges for single page apps For this post, when I refer to a single page app I am referring to an app that tries to pack a variety of behaviors onto a single route. An example would be Google Calendar. Pictured below: In order to render this page, we need to load a few different things. We need to load all the events for this month, all the calendars for the user, and the details for the apps along the lefthand side. Then to use the app, we need to track which event is selected. When the user drags an event, we need to keep track of the calendar it is on. Then when it is placed, an alert is displayed if there are any conflicts. This state and behavior may need to be done in one component, which means one loader function. We may also want to perform component tests which are only partially supported in Remix, based on this git conversation. Make it optimal Instead, let’s talk about structuring an app to leverage Remix’s strengths. I am assuming we want to make use of Remix’s speedy loading while getting around some of its component testing limitations.The files that are used for routing should each be responsible for retrieving, displaying and mutating a limited set of information. As an example of a UI structure that could work well in Remix let’s look at Slack. Slack's UI can be visually broken down into three sections. The workspaces are on the far left. Then the channels within the selected workspace are listed, and lastly, we have the current chat for the selected workspace. A Remix app with this UI could have a URL like: slack/workspace2/proj-new-website. The root of the app would get the list of all workspaces, then /workspace2 would load the details for the selected workspace. Lastly, the chat window for /proj-new-website would load the chats and display them. This app can be modeled as a multipage app because the responsibilities are spread at different levels of the page instead of being concentrated in one component, like with the Google Calendar example. This would be a Slack-like app, and a better use case for Remix than a calendar app. Use the right tool for the job Remix is a powerful tool for web development. It can produce polished prototypes quickly and can build performant production apps. However, an app in Remix needs to keep Remix's design principles in mind. This means splitting the app's pages into pieces that can be loaded and rendered separately and keeping components as simple as possible in order to limit component testing on the frontend. Designing an app this way will enable the app to leverage the performance benefits promised by Remix.

Web Apps

Remix is Incredible — If It Fits Your Use Case

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Vercel: A Valuable Debugging Tool

Web Apps

Vercel: A Valuable Debugging Tool

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Common CSS Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Web Apps

Common CSS Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

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Development Practices View more Development Practices posts →

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DevOps & System Admin View more DevOps & System Admin posts →

Docker Compose Dependency Management Isn't a Silver Bullet

DevOps & System Admin.

Docker Compose Dependency Management Isn’t a Silver Bullet

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Working with Docker Containers Made Easy with the dexec Bash Script

DevOps & System Admin.

Working with Docker Containers Made Easy with the dexec Bash Script

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How and Why You Should Add Color to Your Scripts

DevOps & System Admin.

How and Why You Should Add Color to Your Scripts

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Tailscale Takes All the "Fun" Out of VPNs

DevOps & System Admin.

Tailscale Takes All the “Fun” Out of VPNs

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Extracurricular Activities View more Extracurricular Activities posts →

Building a Game with AI: A 30-Minute Experiment

Extracurricular Activities

Building a Game with AI: A 30-Minute Experiment

I wanted to see how far I could get programming a game with an AI chatbot, while only using two keyboard shortcuts—copy and paste.

Transform Technical Reading into Podcasts with NotebookLM

Extracurricular Activities

Transform Technical Reading into Podcasts with NotebookLM

Learn how I created AI-generated podcasts based on technical sources with NotebookLM, a free, experimental project.

Run Code-server via LinuxServer.io’s Docker Image on TrueNAS Scale

Extracurricular Activities

How I Run Code-server via LinuxServer.io’s Docker Image on TrueNAS Scale

This is my 15th post documenting images I use at home. This time's topic: how I am running Code-server on my TrueNAS Scale instance.

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.NET / WPF View more .NET / WPF posts →

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Personal Optimization View more Personal Optimization posts →

Give Your Android Phone a Minimalist Reset for 2025

Personal Optimization

Give Your Android Phone a Minimalist Reset for 2025

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The Power of Stepping Away: Recharge Yourself with a Break

Personal Optimization

The Power of Stepping Away: Recharge Yourself with a Break

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Trying to Land Your First Job In Tech Post-Grad? 3 Things Not to Do

Personal Optimization

Trying to Land Your First Job In Tech Post-Grad? 3 Things Not to Do

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TypeScript View More TypeScript posts →

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React Native View more React Native posts →

How to Style MUI Line Chart Components

React Native

How to Style MUI Line Chart Components

Styling an MUI component can be challenging. This guide shows ways to customize the LineChart component to achieve your desired look.

Embrace App Monitors: A Solution for State Changes in React Native

React Native

Embrace App Monitors: A Solution for State Changes in React Native

Let's look at why relying solely on useEffect might make your code a bit of a puzzle and how App Monitors can alleviate this issue.

Resolve "Non-std C++ Exception"

React Native

Resolve “Non-std C++ Exception” in React Native with the “lsof” Command

React Native is powerful, but, like any technology a developer has to work through an occasional errors, such as the "Non-std C++ Exception".

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Growing as Makers View more Growing as Makers posts →

From Beginner to Contributor: Habits for Long-Term Growth as a Programmer

Growing as Makers

From Beginner to Contributor: Habits for Long-Term Growth as a Programmer

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Hosting Events with Impact

Growing as Makers

Host Events with Impact: Lessons Learned from Atomic’s Latest Events

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Four people sit at a meeting table

Growing as Makers

How to Pick a Conference: Advice from a Fish out of Water

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I Am a Better Programmer Because of Pottery - illustrated by a photo of the author's pottery projects

Growing as Makers

5 Pottery Disciplines That Shaped Me Into a Better Programmer

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Atomic Thinking View more Atomic Thinking posts →

Returning to Office is Great and Everyone Should Do It

Business Practices

Returning to Office is Great and Everyone Should Do It

After almost five years of working remotely, I have some observations about returning to the office. It's great, but not a magic wand.

How to Put Servant Leadership into Practice as a Delivery Lead

Culture

How to Put Servant Leadership into Practice as a Delivery Lead

I'm new to the software development industry, but I envision adding value by fostering what I learned in previous roles: Servant Leadership.

Culture

Navigating Change: How Businesses Can Thrive in Uncertainty

Three Grand Rapids business leaders recently shared their stories about navigating change and uncertainty. Here's what I learned.

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