Building RumahTools: Why I Created a Lightweight Web Utility Platform with Node.js & Express

rumah_tools — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:52:10 +0000

Hello DEV Community! 👋

Greeting to all developers, researchers, and tech enthusiasts!

My name is a software developer and researcher passionate about web application architecture, backend systems, Information Retrieval, and metadata processing.

Today, I am excited to introduce my latest open-source project: RumahTools.

🛠️ The Motivation Behind RumahTools

In our day-to-day workflow—whether we are coding, writing research papers, or handling digital documentation—we frequently encounter minor repetitive tasks:

Merging multiple PDF documents into a single report.
Compressing heavy images without losing necessary details.
Overlaying geotagging metadata (latitude, longitude, and timestamps) onto photos.
Filtering spatial data like emergency contacts based on distance calculations.

While there are many online converters available, many of them are bloated with heavy ads, require tedious account registrations, or pose privacy concerns regarding data handling.

To address these challenges, I built RumahTools—a lightweight, clean, and fast web utility platform designed to streamline digital tasks seamlessly through a browser interface.

🚀 Technical Architecture & Tech Stack

RumahTools is engineered using a Server-Side Rendering (SSR) approach to ensure quick initial loading times and optimal accessibility across devices.

Core Tech Stack:

Backend Framework: Node.js with Express.js for efficient routing and controller architecture.
Templating Engine: EJS (Embedded JavaScript) for rendering lightweight, dynamic web interfaces.
Database Management: MySQL for structured data persistence.
Spatial Processing: Custom distance-calculation algorithms for geolocation filtering.
API Integration: Automated publishing scripts leveraging the Instagram Graph API.

💡 Key Features Available on RumahTools

Here is a quick look at what you can do on rumahtools.online:

Document Utilities (PDF Merger): Fast and secure client-server processing to combine multiple PDF files into one cohesive document.
Media Processing & Geotagging: Image compression utilities alongside geotag metadata overlays for field images and photo documentation.
Spatial Geolocation Services: Proximity-based filtering for emergency contacts using coordinates (latitude & longitude).
Automated Social Publishing: Integrated API automation for scheduled content posting.

🌟 Open Source & Community Engagement

I believe in building in public and contributing back to the developer ecosystem. The source code for RumahTools is available as an open-source project on GitHub!

Live Platform: https://rumahtools.online
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/slametarifin262/rumah_tools_pub.

How You Can Help:

Test out the tools at rumahtools.online and share your feedback.
Star the repository on GitHub if you find the project useful!
Submit bug reports or feature requests via GitHub Issues.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with fellow developers in the comments below! What utility tools do you use most in your daily workflow? Let’s discuss! 💬

DEV Community: rumah_tools