Blog
Guides on data formats, encoding, and the tools that work with them.
July 10, 2026
JSON vs. XML vs. CSV: Which Data Format Should You Use?
A practical comparison of the three most common data-interchange formats — when each one makes sense, and when it doesn't.
July 11, 2026
How to Decode a JWT Token (And What the Claims Actually Mean)
JSON Web Tokens show up everywhere in modern auth systems. Here's what's actually inside one, and how to read it.
July 12, 2026
Regex Cheat Sheet: Common Patterns Every Developer Needs
The regex patterns you'll actually reach for on a regular basis, explained plainly — not a reference manual, a working cheat sheet.
July 13, 2026
SQL Formatting: Why Readable Queries Matter (And How to Get There Fast)
Messy SQL isn't just ugly — it's slower to debug, harder to review, and easier to break. Here's why formatting matters and what good SQL actually looks like.
July 13, 2026
Base64 Encoding Explained: What It Actually Does and When to Use It
Base64 shows up in data URLs, email attachments, and API tokens constantly — but what is it actually doing, and why does the output always look like that?
July 14, 2026
How to Generate a Strong Password (And Why Length Beats Complexity)
Most password advice focuses on the wrong variable. Here's what actually makes a password hard to crack.
July 15, 2026
Understanding Unix Timestamps: Why Computers Count Time in Seconds
Every 'exp' field, every 'created_at' column, every log file — they're all built on one number. Here's what it actually means.
July 16, 2026
UUID vs. Auto-Increment ID: Choosing the Right Primary Key
Every database table needs a way to uniquely identify rows. Here's the real tradeoff between the two most common approaches.
July 17, 2026
URL Encoding: Why %20 Shows Up Everywhere
Spaces, ampersands, question marks — certain characters break URLs unless they're encoded first. Here's what's actually happening.
July 18, 2026
CSV, JSON, XML, and Excel: A Practical Guide to Converting Between Them
Nine different converters, one underlying question: what actually happens to your data structure when you move between these four formats?