Laravel Octane is an official package for the Laravel framework that dramatically boosts application performance by running Laravel on high-performance application servers like Swoole or RoadRunner.
Instead of reloading the Laravel framework on every HTTP request (as with traditional PHP-FPM setups), Octane keeps the application in memory, avoiding repeated bootstrapping. This makes your Laravel app much faster.
Laravel Octane uses persistent worker servers (e.g., Swoole or RoadRunner), which:
Bootstrap the Laravel application once,
Then handle incoming requests repeatedly without restarting the framework.
Benefit | Description |
---|---|
⚡ Faster performance | Up to 10x faster than traditional PHP-FPM setups |
🔁 Persistent workers | No full reload on every request |
🌐 WebSockets & real-time support | Built-in support via Swoole/RoadRunner |
🧵 Concurrency | Parallel task handling possible |
🔧 Built-in tools | Task workers, route reload watching, background tasks, etc. |
RoadRunner is a high-performance PHP application server developed by Spiral Scout. It serves as a replacement for traditional PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) and offers a major performance boost by keeping your PHP application running persistently — especially useful with frameworks like Laravel or Symfony.
PHP scripts are not reloaded on every request. Instead, they run continuously in persistent worker processes (similar to Node.js or Swoole).
This eliminates the need to re-bootstrap the framework on every request — resulting in significantly faster response times than with PHP-FPM.
RoadRunner is written in the programming language Go, which provides high concurrency, easy deployment, and great stability.
Native HTTP server (with HTTPS, Gzip, CORS, etc.)
PSR-7 and PSR-15 middleware support
Supports:
Hot reload support with a watch plugin
RoadRunner starts PHP worker processes.
These workers load your full framework bootstrap once.
Incoming HTTP or gRPC requests are forwarded to the PHP workers.
The response is returned through the Go layer — fast and concurrent.
Laravel + RoadRunner (instead of Laravel + PHP-FPM)
High-traffic applications and APIs
Microservices
Real-time apps (e.g., using WebSockets)
Low-latency, serverless-like services
Feature | PHP-FPM | RoadRunner |
---|---|---|
Bootstraps per request | Yes | No (persistent workers) |
Speed | Good | Excellent |
WebSocket support | No | Yes |
gRPC support | No | Yes |
Language | C | Go |
The .htaccess
file is a configuration file for Apache web servers that allows you to control the behavior of your website — without needing access to the main server configuration. It’s usually placed in the root directory of your website (e.g., /public_html
or /www
).
.htaccess
only works on Apache servers (not nginx).
Changes take effect immediately — no need to restart the server.
Many shared hosting providers allow .htaccess
, but some commands might be restricted.
Syntax errors can break your site — so be careful when editing.
Least Privilege is a fundamental principle in IT and information security. It means:
Every user, system, or process should be granted only the minimum level of access necessary to perform its duties—no more, no less.
The principle of least privilege helps to:
Minimize security risks: If an attacker compromises an account, they can only access what that account is permitted to.
Prevent accidental errors: Users can’t unintentionally change critical systems or data if they don’t have access to them.
Meet compliance requirements: Many standards (e.g., ISO 27001, GDPR) require access control based on the least-privilege model.
An accountant has access to financial systems but not to server configurations.
A web server process can write only in its own directory, not in system folders.
An intern has read-only access to a project folder but cannot modify files.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Separation of admin and user accounts
Time-limited permissions
Regular access reviews and audits
Google Apps Script is a cloud-based scripting language developed by Google, based on JavaScript. It allows you to automate tasks, extend functionality, and connect various Google Workspace apps like Google Sheets, Docs, Gmail, Calendar, and more.
Automatically format, filter, or sync data in Google Sheets.
Send, organize, or analyze emails in Gmail.
Automatically process responses from Google Forms.
Create and manage events in Google Calendar.
Build custom menus, dialogs, and sidebars in Google apps.
Develop web apps or custom APIs that integrate with Google services.
Free to use (with a Google account).
Runs entirely in the cloud—no setup or hosting required.
Seamless integration with Google Workspace.
Well-documented with many examples and tutorials.
function fillColumn() {
const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
const range = sheet.getRange("A1:A10");
for (let i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
range.getCell(i, 1).setValue("Row " + i);
}
}
Database triggers are special automated procedures in a database that are automatically executed when certain events occur on a table or view.
Imagine you have a table called Orders
, and you want to automatically log every time an order is deleted.
You can create a DELETE trigger on the Orders
table that inserts a message into a Log
table whenever a row is deleted.
Type | Description |
---|---|
BEFORE | Executes before the triggering action |
AFTER | Executes after the triggering action |
INSTEAD OF | (for views) replaces the triggering action |
CREATE TRIGGER log_delete
AFTER DELETE ON Orders
FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN
INSERT INTO Log (action, timestamp)
VALUES ('Order deleted', NOW());
END;
Data validation
Audit logging
Enforcing business rules
Extending referential integrity
Can be hard to debug
Might trigger other actions unexpectedly
Can impact performance if overly complex
GitHub Actions is a feature of GitHub that lets you create automated workflows for your software projects—right inside your GitHub repository.
You can build CI/CD pipelines (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment), such as:
🛠️ Build your app on every push or pull request
🚀 Automatically deploy (e.g. to a server, cloud platform, or DockerHub)
📦 Create releases (e.g. zip packages or version tags)
🔄 Run scheduled tasks (cronjobs)
GitHub Actions uses workflows, defined in a YAML file inside your repository:
Typically stored as .github/workflows/ci.yml
You define events (like push
, pull_request
) and jobs (like build
, test
)
Each job consists of steps, which are shell commands or prebuilt actions
name: CI
on: [push]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- uses: actions/setup-node@v3
with:
node-version: '20'
- run: npm install
- run: npm test
An Action is a single reusable step in a workflow. You can use:
Prebuilt actions (e.g. actions/checkout
, setup-node
, upload-artifact
)
Custom actions (e.g. shell scripts or Docker-based logic)
You can explore reusable actions in the GitHub Marketplace.
Saves time by automating repetitive tasks
Improves code quality through automated testing
Enables consistent, repeatable deployments
Integrated directly in GitHub—no need for external CI tools like Jenkins or Travis CI
Docker Compose is a tool that lets you define and run multi-container Docker applications using a single configuration file. Instead of starting each container manually via the Docker CLI, you can describe all your services (like a web app, database, cache, etc.) in a docker-compose.yml
file and run everything with a single command.
Docker Compose = Project config + Multiple containers + One command to run it all
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.9'
services:
web:
build: .
ports:
- "5000:5000"
volumes:
- .:/code
redis:
image: "redis:alpine"
This file:
Builds and runs a local web app container
Starts a Redis container from the official image
Automatically networks the two containers
docker-compose up # Start all services in the foreground
docker-compose up -d # Start in detached (background) mode
docker-compose down # Stop and remove containers, networks, etc.
✅ Easy setup for multi-service applications
✅ Version-controlled config (great for Git)
✅ Reproducible development environments
✅ Simple startup/shutdown of entire stacks
Local development with multiple services (e.g., web app + DB)
Integration testing with full stack
Simple deployment workflows (e.g., via CI/CD)
Contentful is a headless content management system (headless CMS). It allows businesses to manage content centrally and deliver it flexibly to various channels—such as websites, apps, or digital displays—via APIs.
Traditional CMS platforms (like WordPress) handle both content management and content presentation (e.g., rendering on a website). A headless CMS separates the content backend from the presentation frontend—hence the term “headless,” as the “head” (the frontend) is removed.
Flexible content modeling: You can define your own content types (e.g., blog posts, products, testimonials) with customizable fields.
Multi-language support: Well-suited for managing multilingual content.
Cloud-based: No server maintenance needed.
Integration-friendly: Works well with tools like React, Vue, Next.js, Shopify, SAP, etc.
Companies with multiple delivery channels (websites, apps, smartwatches, etc.)
Large brands with global content needs
Developer teams seeking a scalable and flexible CMS
A Headless CMS (Content Management System) is a system where the backend (content management) is completely separated from the frontend (content presentation).
Backend and frontend are tightly coupled.
You create content in the system and it's rendered directly using built-in themes and templates with HTML.
Pros: All-in-one solution, quick to get started.
Cons: Limited flexibility, harder to deliver content across multiple platforms (e.g., website + mobile app).
Backend only.
Content is accessed via an API (usually REST or GraphQL).
The frontend (e.g., a React site, native app, or digital signage) fetches the content dynamically.
Pros: Very flexible, ideal for multi-channel content delivery.
Cons: Frontend must be built separately (requires more development effort).
Websites built with modern JavaScript frameworks (like React, Next.js, Vue)
Mobile apps that use the same content as the website
Omnichannel strategies: website, app, smart devices, etc.
Contentful
Strapi
Sanity
Directus
Prismic
Storyblok (a hybrid with visual editing capabilities)