Programming
I've been writing PHP for a long time. Long enough to have opinions about things that have been removed from PHP for very good reasons.
Most of the software I build is not glamorous. It is business software, internal tools, APIs, control panels, integrations, maintenance systems, customer portals, and the little bits of automation that make somebody's day easier. PHP and MySQL are still my default because I can put them almost anywhere, understand what they are doing, and come back to the code years later without needing an archaeological team.
PHP
- PHP overview and learning path
- Syntax, types, and data
- Arrays and functions
- Object-oriented PHP
- Forms and validation
- Sessions and authentication
- APIs and JSON
- Application security
- Errors and logging
- Testing and debugging
- Deployment and performance
- Modernizing old PHP without rewriting the universe
MySQL and data
- MySQL overview
- PDO and database access
- Schema design
- Useful query patterns
- Indexes and query performance
- Database backup and recovery
Building the rest of the application
- HTTP and web fundamentals
- Application architecture
- Composer and project structure
- CLI scripts and automation
- PHP and MySQL command reference
- Browser-based developer tools
- Projects and case studies
ColdFusion and Lucee
ColdFusion was a curiosity for me for years. I knew of ColdFusion MX back in the day, but I did not actually try the platform until December 2025. That experiment eventually led me to Lucee and modern CFML.
- My ColdFusion and Lucee notes
- What modern CFML looks like to me so far
- The small Lucee app I am using to learn
- Why I finally tried ColdFusion MX
Last Modified: September 23, 2026, 2:28 pm