The latest articles on DEV Community by Lars Wolters (@larswolterssoftware). https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F915433%2F0b37b344-3ad6-4b6c-9abe-8a6c24cc5ccc.jpeg https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware en Lars Wolters Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:46:40 +0000 https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/how-to-run-laravel-pint-on-save-in-phpstorm-45ga https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/how-to-run-laravel-pint-on-save-in-phpstorm-45ga <p>Hi all,</p> <p>I've written a simple guide on how to configure PhpStorm to run Laravel Pint on save.</p> <p>This is useful for keeping your PHP files clean using Laravel Pint (and your own configuration), rather than PhpStorm's built-in formatter.</p> <p><a href="https://larswolters.dev/posts/how-to-run-laravel-pint-on-save-in-phpstorm" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://larswolters.dev/posts/how-to-run-laravel-pint-on-save-in-phpstorm</a></p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Lars</p> laravel php Lars Wolters Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:47:03 +0000 https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/sending-bulk-emails-in-laravel-10-using-mailgun-2e4k https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/sending-bulk-emails-in-laravel-10-using-mailgun-2e4k <p>Hi all,</p> <p>I've been working on an example repository on how to send bulk emails using Mailgun in a Laravel 10 application. It demonstrates how to use a traditional Markdown email with the Mailgun bulk email sending feature, and how to add both recipient-specific data and shared data in the emails.</p> <p>The problem with queueing bulk emails is that you can't use the <code>Mail::queue()</code> method because it will create a new job for each email. This will cause the queue to grow very fast and eventually crash.</p> <p>A solution to this problem is to make use of the Mailgun API. Mailgun allows you to send up to 1000 emails per batch. This means that you can send 1000 emails with a single API call.</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/larswolters98/laravel-mailgun-bulk-emails-example" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/larswolters98/laravel-mailgun-bulk-emails-example</a></p> <p>To read more articles I wrote, you can visit my website: <a href="https://larswolters.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://larswolters.dev</a></p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Lars</p> laravel php Lars Wolters Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:09:51 +0000 https://dev.to/avocado-media/laravel-10-nextjs-13-jwt-open-source-boilerplate-2ogf https://dev.to/avocado-media/laravel-10-nextjs-13-jwt-open-source-boilerplate-2ogf <p>Hi all,</p> <p>We are excited to announce the release of a new open-source project: a Laravel 10 JWT REST API boilerplate, accompanied by a fully functional Next.js 13 (App Router) frontend. This comprehensive boilerplate aims to simplify the development of modern web applications by providing a solid foundation with essential features.</p> <p>One of the most important features of this boilerplate is the integration of JWT (JSON Web Tokens). JWT provides a secure and stateless authentication mechanism, enabling developers to handle user authentication and authorization seamlessly.</p> <p>By combining Laravel &amp; Next.js, the boilerplate offers a cohesive and efficient development stack, enabling you to create feature-rich web applications swiftly. Whether you are building a small-scale project or a complex enterprise-level application, this boilerplate will jumpstart your development process and save you valuable time.</p> <p>You can find the repositories on GitHub:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://github.com/avocado-media/nextjs-jwt-app-router" rel="noopener noreferrer">Client repository (Next.js 13)</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/avocado-media/laravel-jwt-rest-api" rel="noopener noreferrer">REST API repository (Laravel 10)</a></li> </ul> <p>To read more articles I wrote, you can visit my website: <a href="https://larswolters.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://larswolters.dev</a></p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Lars</p> laravel nextjs typescript jwt Lars Wolters Tue, 13 Sep 2022 21:10:21 +0000 https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/how-to-become-a-better-developer-416h https://dev.to/larswolterssoftware/how-to-become-a-better-developer-416h <p>Hi all,</p> <p>As a developer, you read and write code — and lots of it. It might feel like it is the only thing that matters in our profession as we improve and become better.</p> <p>But, more things matter when we want to become more productive and better at what we do.</p> <p>In this article, I will share 20 tips that boosted my productivity and well-being as a developer big time and might work for you too.</p> <h2> 1. Keep your work environment clean </h2> <p>A clean working environment grants peace of mind and can make you more productive (there have been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327022122_Impact_of_cleanliness_on_the_productivity_of_employees" rel="noopener noreferrer">studies</a>).</p> <h2> 2. Use tools that fit <strong>your</strong> needs </h2> <p>This might sound obvious, but still: use the right tools that work for <strong>you</strong>, rather than for someone else.</p> <h2> 3. Review the code of others </h2> <p>Reviewing the code of other developers keeps you sharp and you might even learn new ways of doing things (or <strong>not</strong> doing things).</p> <h2> 4. Drink your cup of coffee at the right moments </h2> <p>Coffee contains caffeine, which increases mental alertness. Rather than drinking a cup before going to bed, drink one when you aim to focus for 1-2 hours on a complex piece of code.</p> <h2> 5. Get more familiar with version control </h2> <p>We all know how to commit, pull and push, but there is more: you can never be too good at it, and it's a crucial aspect of the profession.</p> <h2> 6. Make sure you know the basics </h2> <p>More than often, it all comes down to the basics. Make sure you know it and that you can explain it to others (which is a sign of mastery). Basic knowledge of a language might fade, especially when using a framework.</p> <h2> 7. Get good at communication </h2> <p>Communication is key. Working in a team or with a client? Make sure to communicate properly and avoid making assumptions about whether someone knows a thing that you know.</p> <h2> 8. Write your tests </h2> <p>As Gandalf once said, <em>"one should never underestimate the power of a tested codebase"</em>. No, but seriously — it grants great stability and might save you a lot of debugging time in the future.</p> <h2> 9. Use communities </h2> <p>We all know how to copy and paste an error in the Google search bar and click the first Stack Overflow link that pops up. But, sometimes, asking the question yourself in a community might get you a faster, and often better answer that fits your case.</p> <h2> 10. Write comments where needed </h2> <p>Your code might be quite complex and hard to read, even though you tried your best and the variable names are close to perfect. In this case, <strong>elaborate on it</strong> using comments. There is nothing worse than working in a complex codebase with zero comments.</p> <h2> 11. Stop distracting yourself </h2> <p>Reflect on what distracts you during the day. Maybe your phone, a co-worker, or the <code>#general</code> channel on Slack. Whatever it is, try to avoid it when you want to get things done.</p> <h2> 12. Trust the people you work with </h2> <p>Have confidence in your team and the people you work with. They were hired for their expertise, just like you. If you trust them, they will trust you.</p> <h2> 13. Never ship right before the weekend </h2> <p>Seriously, <strong>don't</strong> (unless you like to solve a lot of problems on your weekends).</p> <h2> 14. Learn more about design patterns </h2> <p>Design patterns distinguish working code from good code. Learn more about design patterns that apply to your development stack.</p> <h2> 15. Look for &amp; solve problems early </h2> <p>Never let (code and non-code-related) problems escalate or exist without being seen. Look for issues early and tackle them as soon as possible.</p> <h2> 16. Save useful resources </h2> <p>Saving useful resources, such as articles, guides, tools or repositories will greatly improve your productivity and knowledeg in the long run. I use <a href="https://larstw98.gumroad.com/l/notion-developer-reading-list-template?layout=profile" rel="noopener noreferrer">this Notion template</a> for saving everything 🚀</p> <h2> 17. Aim for functionality, not perfection </h2> <p>No one is perfect: and neither is your code. Aim for functional code, rather than trying to make it perfect. If it's functional, you can always improve it to make it better later on, but know when to leave it as it is.</p> <h2> 18. Plans <strong>are</strong> allowed to change </h2> <p>It is normal for a plan to change during execution. If something doesn't work as what initially looked like it would, don't hesitate: adapt to the situation and re-plan.</p> <h2> 19. There is no 'best' way to write code </h2> <p>The implementation of a function can be different while it gives the same result. When something works, it works. Don't be too hard on yourself.</p> <h2> 20. Avoid bad posture and RSI </h2> <p>I don't see this advice very often, but it's too important to leave it out of this list. You only have one body, so be careful with it. As a developer, most of your time will be spent seated behind a keyboard and monitor. <strong>Watch your posture</strong> and don't sit down for hours. Stand up every 30 - 50 minutes (or even more often) to get yourself a drink or walk a small distance.</p> <h2> Bonus: work hard, but enjoy your profession </h2> <p>Many people tend to work very hard but forget about the most important thing of all: you should enjoy what you do. Not every aspect of being a developer might be as fun as the other but focus on the initial reason and things that made you choose to do this profession.</p> <h2> Afterword </h2> <p>I know that this list isn't very code orientated and doesn't contain any code snippets. But, after I've been doing development for years in my free time and as a full-time job, these things are incredibly important for me to stick to staying productive and motivated. There are many pieces of advice and reminders that I would like to share, but that's something for later. I hope that at least one of these tips might help you in you and thank you for reading 🙂</p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Lars</p> programming career productivity motivation