The latest articles on DEV Community by Sha Reeq (@mshariqq). https://dev.to/mshariqq https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4206659%2Fc4f231e1-babd-4eb9-952e-aa7f56bfd909.jpg https://dev.to/mshariqq en Sha Reeq Sun, 25 Oct 2026 20:34:31 +0000 https://dev.to/mshariqq/hand-coded-wordpress-vs-page-builders-speed-and-security-4b65 https://dev.to/mshariqq/hand-coded-wordpress-vs-page-builders-speed-and-security-4b65 <p>Hand-coded WordPress vs Page Builders: Speed and Security</p> <p>I'm SHA REEQ, full-stack developer in Hyderabad. I've built 50+ WordPress sites without Elementor, WPBakery, or Divi. Here's why hand-coded themes win on speed and security.</p> <h2> The problem with page builders </h2> <p>Page builders inject bloated CSS and JavaScript on every page load. A simple contact page can load 2MB+ of assets. That hurts Core Web Vitals and conversion rates.</p> <p>Common issues:</p> <ul> <li>Unused CSS and JS shipped to every visitor</li> <li>Nested divs and inline styles that break accessibility</li> <li>Plugin conflicts after WordPress updates</li> <li>Hard to migrate away from</li> </ul> <h2> Hand-coded theme benefits </h2> <ul> <li>TTFB under 600ms on shared hosting</li> <li>Only the CSS and JS you actually need</li> <li>Full control over schema markup and SEO</li> <li>Easier to secure and maintain</li> <li>Works with any caching plugin</li> </ul> <h2> What I build instead </h2> <p>Custom themes from scratch using:</p> <ul> <li>Underscores starter theme or custom scaffold</li> <li>Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling</li> <li>Vanilla JavaScript, no jQuery dependency</li> <li>Proper template hierarchy</li> <li>Child theme safe updates</li> </ul> <h2> Real results </h2> <p>Client sites I've rebuilt without page builders saw:</p> <ul> <li>40-60% faster LCP</li> <li>Better mobile scores on PageSpeed Insights</li> <li>Lower bounce rates</li> </ul> <h2> When to use a page builder </h2> <p>If you're a non-technical user building a one-off personal blog, a page builder can work. For business sites, ecommerce, and client work, hand-coded is the professional choice.</p> <p>Need a custom WordPress theme without bloat?</p> <p>Portfolio: <a href="https://mshariqq.github.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mshariqq.github.io</a><br> WordPress service: <a href="https://mshariqq.github.io/wordpress-developer-hyderabad.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mshariqq.github.io/wordpress-developer-hyderabad.html</a></p> Sha Reeq Sun, 25 Oct 2026 14:36:26 +0000 https://dev.to/mshariqq/codecanyon-install-checklist-from-download-to-live-in-90-minutes-4p2n https://dev.to/mshariqq/codecanyon-install-checklist-from-download-to-live-in-90-minutes-4p2n <h1> Codecanyon Install Checklist: From Download to Live in 90 Minutes </h1> <p>Buying a script on Codecanyon is easy. Getting it live without 500 errors, blank pages, and security holes is not.</p> <p>I’m SHA REEQ, full-stack developer in Hyderabad. I’ve installed and fixed 100+ Codecanyon scripts, Laravel, WordPress, React, Flutter. This is the exact checklist I use to go from download to production in ~90 minutes.</p> <h2> Before you start </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Server requirements</strong>: Read the item’s requirements. Most Laravel apps need PHP 8.1+, Composer, MySQL 8, Redis optional.</li> <li> <strong>Backups</strong>: Snapshot files + DB before touching anything.</li> <li> <strong>Access</strong>: cPanel or VPS SSH, FTP/SFTP, DB user with privileges.</li> </ul> <h2> 1) Prepare the server </h2> <ul> <li>Create a subdomain or folder: <code>app.yourdomain.com</code> </li> <li>PHP selector to required version</li> <li>Enable required extensions: <code>bcmath, intl, gd, zip, mbstring, openssl, pdo_mysql</code> </li> <li>Set <code>upload_max_filesize</code> and <code>post_max_size</code> as per script</li> <li>For Laravel: set <code>APP_ENV=production</code> later, keep <code>APP_DEBUG=false</code> </li> </ul> <p>If you’re on a tight budget, cPanel works fine for most scripts. For heavy apps, use a VPS.</p> <h2> 2) Upload &amp; extract </h2> <ul> <li>Upload zip via cPanel File Manager or <code>scp</code> </li> <li>Extract to <code>public_html/app</code> or <code>public_html</code> </li> <li>Set permissions: folders <code>755</code>, files <code>644</code>. Never <code>777</code>.</li> </ul> <h2> 3) Database setup </h2> <ul> <li>Create new DB + user in cPanel &gt; MySQL Databases</li> <li>Import provided SQL if any, or run migrations</li> <li>Update <code>.env</code> with DB credentials, app URL, mail settings</li> </ul> <p>Common gotchas:</p> <ul> <li>Wrong DB host, some hosts use <code>localhost</code>, some use private IP</li> <li>Missing collation, use <code>utf8mb4_unicode_ci</code> </li> </ul> <h2> 4) Install &amp; migrate </h2> <p>Laravel:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight shell"><code>composer <span class="nb">install</span> <span class="nt">--no-dev</span> <span class="nt">--optimize-autoloader</span> php artisan migrate <span class="nt">--force</span> php artisan storage:link php artisan config:cache php artisan route:cache </code></pre> </div> <p>WordPress:</p> <ul> <li>Upload to <code>public_html</code>, create DB, run installer</li> <li>Replace default theme files with custom child theme if needed</li> </ul> <h2> 5) Fix the usual errors </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>500 error</strong>: Check <code>storage/logs/laravel.log</code>, <code>.env</code> APP_KEY, permissions</li> <li> <strong>Blank page</strong>: Enable debug temporarily, check PHP error log</li> <li> <strong>CSRF token mismatch</strong>: Clear cookies, check <code>APP_URL</code> </li> <li> <strong>Missing vendor</strong>: Run <code>composer install</code> </li> <li> <strong>Imagick / GD missing</strong>: Install extension in cPanel</li> </ul> <h2> 6) Security hardening </h2> <ul> <li>Move <code>.env</code> out of public root if possible</li> <li>Disable directory listing</li> <li>Set strong admin passwords, 2FA</li> <li>Install SSL via Let’s Encrypt</li> <li>Add basic firewall rules, limit login attempts</li> <li>Schedule daily backups</li> </ul> <h2> 7) Go live checklist </h2> <ul> <li>Test key flows: register, login, payment, email</li> <li>Speed test with Lighthouse, enable caching</li> <li>Set up error monitoring: Sentry or Bugsnag</li> <li>Document admin credentials securely</li> </ul> <h2> When to get help </h2> <p>If you bought a script and it’s stuck on a white screen, throwing SQL errors, or needs custom modules, I offer Codecanyon installation and fixes with 30-day support.</p> <p>👉 See plans and order: <a href="https://mshariqq.github.io/codecanyon.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mshariqq.github.io/codecanyon.html</a></p> <p>I also do custom WordPress, Shopify, Laravel and Flutter work for clients worldwide.</p> <p>👉 Portfolio: <a href="https://mshariqq.github.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mshariqq.github.io</a><br><br> 👉 Upwork: <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/%7E0142acdc12184086c7" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0142acdc12184086c7</a></p> deployment php webdev