https://franktheprogrammer.com Field notes on building software — practical write-ups on PHP, JavaScript, HTML & CSS, Git, Flutter and Rust. en-us https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/git-flow-vs-github-flow-choosing-a-branching-strategy https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/git-flow-vs-github-flow-choosing-a-branching-strategy Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Git Git Flow and GitHub Flow take very different approaches to team branching and releases. Let's compare them, see where trunk-based development fits, and sort out how to handle versioned releases, hotfixes, and everything in between. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/github-flow-keep-your-main-branch-deployable https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/github-flow-keep-your-main-branch-deployable Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Git GitHub Flow is the lightweight branching workflow built on a single rule: anything in main is deployable. Here is the whole loop, branch, pull request, review, merge and deploy, with the git and gh commands and an honest look at where it fits. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/starting-with-rust-installation-first-program https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/starting-with-rust-installation-first-program Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT Rust Learn how to install Rust and write your first "Hello, world!" program. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/flutter-version-management-fvm https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/flutter-version-management-fvm Sat, 07 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT Flutter Managing multiple Flutter versions does not need not be a headache. Let's jump into FVM and see how it can simplify your Flutter journey. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-up-cocoapods-fvm https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-up-cocoapods-fvm Sat, 07 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT Flutter A guide to installing CocoaPods for a Flutter project while using FVM to manage Flutter versions, ensuring a smooth setup for iOS development. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/troubleshooting-xcode-15-build-issues-flutter https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/troubleshooting-xcode-15-build-issues-flutter Sat, 07 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT Flutter Uncovering solutions to common issues faced when updating to Xcode 15 in a Flutter project using an older version of CocoaPods. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/git-tracking-a-remote-branch-upstream-for-changes https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/git-tracking-a-remote-branch-upstream-for-changes Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT Git When you fork a project, you need a way to pull in changes from the original repository, usually called upstream. Here is how to wire up an upstream remote, actually sync your fork, and set up branch tracking so plain git pull and git push just work. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/javascript-array-map-filter-reduce-functions https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/javascript-array-map-filter-reduce-functions Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript JavaScript provides some amazing functions that can be called against your arrays to help filter them, manipulate them, or even reduce them down to a single value or grouped values. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-fizzbuzz-example https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-fizzbuzz-example Fri, 02 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT PHP FizzBuzz is a very popular programming question that tests your logic to see if you can build a simple program. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-array-reduce https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-array-reduce Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT PHP PHP's array_reduce is a simple way to partition a set of data or return a single value. It is super powerful and worth spending time learning. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/improve-your-git-workflow-with-git-flow https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/improve-your-git-workflow-with-git-flow Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT Git Git Flow is a structured branching model built around versioned, scheduled releases. Here is how its branches fit together, a hands-on walkthrough of features, releases and hotfixes, and an honest take on when it is still the right call. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-css-transitions https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-css-transitions Mon, 05 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS CSS transitions are the standard way to apply transitions to your elements, and have been for years, replacing the old approach of using JavaScript. In this article, I'll go through each of the transition properties available, and provide examples of how to use them. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/structuring-your-website-with-html-5-semantics https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/structuring-your-website-with-html-5-semantics Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS Prior to HTML 5, there was no real markup to help explain the intent behind your HTML code. The goal of HTML 5 was to offer a more readable way of writing your code, so that any author that comes after you can have an easier time going through what you've created. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/interpolation-in-stylus-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/interpolation-in-stylus-css-pre-processor Sat, 03 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS You can also use interpolation to improve your functions for reuse, as well as your other code within your stylesheet. The way it works is that you can wrap your expression within {}, which will then be outputted as the identifier. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/creating-configuration-files-in-stylus-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/creating-configuration-files-in-stylus-css-pre-processor Fri, 02 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS It's super simple to create a configuration file for instance that would manage your media query break points. You could also use a configuration file for managing colors, font sizes, and other variables such as gutter spacing and more. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-functions-and-mixins-with-stylus-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-functions-and-mixins-with-stylus-css-pre-processor Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS Stylus allows you to create functions and mixins of reusable code for your stylesheets. You can also handle mathematical operations, unary operations, and more allowing you complete control over your stylesheets with ease. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-variables-in-stylus-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-variables-in-stylus-css-pre-processor Tue, 29 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS Unlike CSS, in Stylus you can assign expressions to variables that can be reusable throughout your stylesheets. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-selectors-in-stylus-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-selectors-in-stylus-css-pre-processor Mon, 28 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS Selectors are a way to pick the elements that you want styled. In Stylus, similar to CSS, you can apply a set of styles to any element by separating them by a comma delimited list. Stylus though, also allows you to select multiple elements by separating each on their own line. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/learning-stylus-a-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/learning-stylus-a-css-pre-processor Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS This mini-series will be a little different to how you may see other articles on my site. Really this article is more geared as notes for me as I go through the documentation for Stylus, and learn the ins and outs of this beautiful language. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/bem-methodology-overview-and-naming-conventions https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/bem-methodology-overview-and-naming-conventions Sat, 26 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT HTML & CSS BEM or Block Element Modifier is a naming convention used to help organize your code base. In this article, I discuss its uses within your CSS projects. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/introduction-to-ecmascript-6 https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/introduction-to-ecmascript-6 Fri, 25 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript The latest in ECMAScript 6 introduces new features to JavaScript which makes it so much more fun to use, while solving problems that have been around for years. The intent of this article is to provide you with resources you can use to start learning ES6 today. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/babel-installation-and-configuration https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/babel-installation-and-configuration Thu, 24 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Babel offers a convenient way to transform your ES6 code to JavaScript that all browsers can understand. In this article we'll go over a basic configuration that will enable you to start using it with any project right away. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-stylus-css-pre-processor-with-gulp-and-sourcemaps https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-stylus-css-pre-processor-with-gulp-and-sourcemaps Wed, 23 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript In this article we'll go over how to configure your project to process Stylus files using Gulp. We'll also create source map file which your browser will use to help point you in the right direction of your files when developing https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-gulp-with-less-css-pre-processor https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-gulp-with-less-css-pre-processor Tue, 22 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Less is a CSS pre-processor allowing you to create variables, mixins, and functions in an effort to make your CSS more maintainable. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-browser-sync-with-gulp-for-live-reloading https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/using-browser-sync-with-gulp-for-live-reloading Mon, 21 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Browser Sync is a nice tool to use while developing. It allows your browser to reload live when changes are made to your files. For instance, assuming we're watching our CSS file for changes we can have the browser auto refresh/sync when it sees those changes made. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/gulp-watch-automate-your-gulp-tasks https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/gulp-watch-automate-your-gulp-tasks Sun, 20 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Gulp watch is perfect for when you're editing project files since it allows you to not have to run the gulp command manually each time. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-gulp-on-a-new-project https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/configuring-gulp-on-a-new-project Sat, 19 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Gulp may seem like a scary thing to wrap your head around at first, but it's actually quite easy to start using once you understand the basics. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/yarn-publishing-a-package https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/yarn-publishing-a-package Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Publishing a package to the npm repository has never been simpler. With a few steps, you can create a package that is redistributable to all of your projects. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/yarn-fast-and-secure-dependency-management https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/yarn-fast-and-secure-dependency-management Thu, 17 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT JavaScript Yarn is a super simple dependency management tool which is way faster to use instead of traditional npm. It acts as a drop-in replacement, so you can get started using yarn right away. The best way to install yarn is by using npm. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/support-for-keys-in-list-or-its-new-shorthand-syntax-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/support-for-keys-in-list-or-its-new-shorthand-syntax-in-php Wed, 16 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP Now as of PHP 7.1, you can define the keys of your array that will be parsed when destructuring your arrays. Prior to PHP 7.1, you could only use arrays with numeric indexes. Now with this new addition, our lives just got easier. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-with-the-iterable-pseudo-type-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-with-the-iterable-pseudo-type-in-php Tue, 15 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7.1, you can now type hint your method/function arguments with the keyword iterable for handling arrays or even objects that implement the Traversable interface. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-callable-functions-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-callable-functions-in-php Mon, 14 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 5.4, you can type hint your method arguments with the callable keyword allowing you to enforce the type of data that is passed via your arguments. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-visibility-for-your-class-constants-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/setting-visibility-for-your-class-constants-in-php Sun, 13 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP Now in PHP 7.1+, you can set different visibility modifiers for each of your class constants. The available visibility modifiers consist of public, protected, and private. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/anonymous-classes-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/anonymous-classes-php Sat, 12 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7, you can now create quick throwaway objects for use within your projects. This can be especially useful for your automated tests, for instance, with allowing you to create quick implementations of your interfaces. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/symmetric-array-destructuring-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/symmetric-array-destructuring-in-php Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7.1, you can now use the shorthand array syntax to destructure your arrays for assignment. Previously you would have had to use a function like list, but now you can use the simple new array shorthand syntax. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-array-map-to-format-your-arrays-without-loops https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-array-map-to-format-your-arrays-without-loops Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP So let's face it, loops are a bit boring. So how can we mix it up? Let's assume we have a case where we have a CSV file that we want to quickly parse. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/solid-principles-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/solid-principles-in-php Wed, 09 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP The 5 basic principles for Object-Oriented Design, SOLID, were first created in an effort to improve maintainability in our code bases. SOLID is a mnemonic acronym that stands for each of the following principles: Single Responsibility, Open-Closed, Liskov Substitution, Interface Segregation, and Dependency Inversion. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/filtering-arrays-without-using-loops-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/filtering-arrays-without-using-loops-in-php Tue, 08 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP PHP has a built-in function called array_filter that allows you to filter through your arrays without the need for a loop. Personally, this approach feels much cleaner to me and simpler to comprehend. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/void-return-types-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/void-return-types-in-php Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7.1, we can now use void return types within our methods. This is useful for cases where you have methods that are just setting or processing data without the need of returning any values. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-with-nullable-types-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/type-hinting-with-nullable-types-in-php Sun, 06 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7.1, you can now set your type declarations as nullable by simply prefixing them with a question mark ?. In doing so a null value can be passed in as a parameter or returned as a value for your methods. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-group-multiple-use-declarations https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-group-multiple-use-declarations Sat, 05 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP As of PHP 7, you can now group your imported classes, functions, and constants from under the same namespace. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-null-coalescing-operator https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-null-coalescing-operator Fri, 04 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP One of my new favorite additions to PHP 7, is the Null Coalescing Operator. It cleans up your code by removing a tedious step of checking if some value is isset() and not NULL and returning it or if not setting a default. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-spaceship-operator https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/php-spaceship-operator Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP One of the new features to hit PHP 7 is the Spaceship Operator. This new trick helps improve the way you'd compare 2 expressions. In short, the comparison returns 1 of 3 values (-1, 0, or 1) depending on the result of the comparison. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/return-type-declarations-in-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/return-type-declarations-in-php Wed, 02 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP PHP 7 now makes it possible to declare return types for your methods. This allows you better control over the data that will be returned from each method in your application. https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/scalar-type-hints-php https://franktheprogrammer.com/articles/scalar-type-hints-php Tue, 01 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT PHP Starting with PHP 7.0, it's now possible to declare scalar type hints for your method arguments. Previously, we were able to use array and callable, but now with PHP 7+, we have much more control.