Development and Technology

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NPM del task forgets to signal async completion

NPM del task forgets to signal async completion

As part of my development workflow, I use gulp [https://gulpjs.com/] to build the Javascript and CSS files for production. To ensure that the files are removed and replaced, rather than any kind of amendment, I use the del package [https://www.npmjs.com/package/del]. This had always

Remove unused plugins

Remove unused plugins

I've previously covered the issues of using a CMS [https://www.garybell.co.uk/issues-with-using-a-cms/], and that they require a lot of work to keep up-to-date. But sometimes that isn't enough. Part of the updating of a CMS may involve disabling some plugins, and replacing them

Why you should use custom exceptions

Why you should use custom exceptions

Anyone who has done any real coding is likely to have seen an exception message, and/or a stack trace which comes with it. It's usually a whole load of file names followed by a number and what, to the outside, looks like gibberish. A lot of the

Why a MacBook might be the perfect development device

Why a MacBook might be the perfect development device

Let me start by saying I'm not a fan of Apple. I don't own a single Apple device, and the only Apple device I have ever owned is an iPod. I've always thought their products are overpriced, and that hardware with similar specifications can

Cula.io limiting password lengths

Cula.io limiting password lengths

Following my post on why passwords shouldn't be limited in length [https://www.garybell.co.uk/disk-space-is-cheap-data-breaches-are-not/], I have decided to name and shame some services as I find them when they limit password lengths. The first one on the list is Cula.io, which is a free

Disk space is cheap, data breaches are not!

Disk space is cheap, data breaches are not!

Many, many years ago (way back in 2015), I wrote an article about keeping data secure [https://www.garybell.co.uk/keeping-data-secure/]. A few things have changed since then, most notably the introduction of GDPR in the EU. You can't have been anywhere near a computer in the

User Experience? Consider your users

User Experience? Consider your users

User Experience (UX) is something which has been around for a while. It is becoming more and more prevalent and "buzzwordy" as more people get more technology. Unfortunately, there's still instances where the experience of the user isn't fully considered, and the annoyance it