Ravi S. Iyer: Software Development

Few days back, I had to look at a web app that used Jquery and AJAX (as could be seen on browser side code) and I was told the app uses PHP. So I did some digging up on these topics and this post has the related notes. This work has come to a close now and so I don't expect to update this post in the near future. It was interesting to get some understanding of these technologies as lot of legacy apps seem to use it. Jquery vs React: Comprehensive Guide for Developers [2024], https://www.simplilearn.com/jquery-vs-react-article , Jul. 2024. Main point(s) from above: As React uses virtual DOM, it is faster that jQuery which traverses whole DOM tree. As React uses component approach it is more suitable than jQuery for large applications. The codebase is easier to maintain. --- Is JQuery Still Relevant?, https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/is-jquery-still-relevant/ Seems to be a great video: jQuery vs Vue, React and Angular, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ2PQe-pQJw , around 15 mins, Apr....

Last updated on 11 Jan. 2025 I think now I would like to review my MERN stack knowledge and also upgrade aspects of it from a point of view of providing somewhat more complex solutions than what I had done in my tutorials related learning and self-projects like Gita web app. This post has notes related to it. Areas that I need to refresh/learn in React frontend app area Responsive apps with sidebar which also has a compressed sidebar option. custom hooks - Done by reading React doc on it: https://react.dev/learn/reusing-logic-with-custom-hooks Form validation using Formik or zod Redux Toolkit global state with async thunks used for fetch React and Bootstrap ============== Refresh Next.js by going thru tutorial app and Gita app ============== Refresh Node Express, Mongoose and MongoDB tutorials. Refresh Blog API Refresh MongoDB design online guide/course I went through partially ============== React Responsive Apps that I worked on   Gita web app v1.4.1: https://gita-rsi.vercel.app/...

I am a MERN full stack software developer who has re-entered software industry after a long gap. I am exploring opportunities for web application development (Next.js, MERN stack) as well as suitable technical consultant work, in part-time, 10 to 20 hours per week, work-from-home mode. Note that I am 62 years old and have personal issues related limitations. But for the past around one and a half years, I have been able to do part-time software work at home. Of this, initial around year and a quarter has been individual activity (upskilling, doing my own individual projects etc.) Later, over past nearly three months, I have been able to do an average of around 20 hours (if not more) software development work per week for a software development company as a project team member. I am ready to offer an up to two weeks free trial period to any company which is seriously considering to use my services. This free trial period can help both, the company and me, to see if it is working out. I ...

From Oct to Dec 2024, as part of a software industry company team, I worked as a developer on ReactJS frontend of a web app for an NGO educational portal. The web app manages creation of learning aids assets by volunteers from request to completion. The technologies I mainly worked on for this project were ReactJS and Bootstrap. I did this work as part-time, work-from-home, and as a free service volunteer. This project was my return to software industry work after a gap of 22 years (Sep. 2002 to Sep. 2024). It was very satisfying to contribute as a software developer to providing a software solution for real world needs. For 22 years, I did not have this satisfaction! Note that I taught software development from 2003 to 2012 but that work did not involve developing software solutions for real world needs. I was wondering whether I could effectively and happily contribute as a 62 year old software developer to a team which is much, much younger than me! I was also wondering whether I wo...

Last updated on 30 Dec 2024 Summary points on XSS and JWT in context of React apps, based on my understanding: 1) XSS seems to be mainly a JavaScript injection technique. XSS attacks can be Reflected (malicious script comes in the HTTP request), Stored (malicious script comes from database) and DOM-based (e.g. malicious script comes from input field). 2) React has some XSS protection. It automatically escapes string variables that are displayed in views. But a React app can still be vulnerable to XSS attack if it uses some features. For example, using dangerouslySetInnerHTML, using anchor elements whose href is set to user-supplied data, and passing user supplied data as props to React components. 3) Checking that a React app. is not vulnerable to XSS does not seem to be an easy task.  4) Production React apps should have React Dev Tools and Redux Dev Tools disabled as otherwise, it seems, the state variables data of React and Redux will be available via browser tools for debugging...

Last updated on 24 Dec. 2024 From the initial part of the tutorials that I have browsed so far, one of the challenges involved in running a React Native app on Android outside of Expo, is having to upload the app to Google Play Store which involves a one-time fee or US $25, IIRC, and has a review process, OR sideloading a .apk file on the Android mobile, which has its risks. I don't want to take such a risk with my mobile phone (Samsung Android). What are the risks of sideloaded Android applications?, https://www.samsungknox.com/en/blog/what-are-the-risks-of-sideloaded-android-applications , April 2020. It seems there are some other options for creating apps to run on Android mobile. I have yet to study the links below but they seem to be promising. Referencing local files from HTML in Android, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77234850/referencing-local-files-from-html-in-android Learn PWA,  https://web.dev/learn/pwa  . ======== A very simple app I would like to create is ...