Code & Alchemy
Programming and web development tutorials
Programming, web development, and code as craft: where syntax is spellwork and every script is a small working transmutation. This is the young-tree stage: first principles taking root and actively growing into real builds.
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Spellcraft Featured
Why a function that behaves like alchemy, same input, same output, every time, is the first rule of code worth trusting. Try it live with the Transmutation Chamber.
Scripting Featured
The fourth time you do something by hand is the actual signal to automate it, not the first. Includes a calculator for whether a script is worth building.
Web Dev Featured
The real gap is between a site that demos well on your laptop and one that loads fast on somebody's phone. Includes a page-weight budget calculator for your target connection.
Vibe Coding vs. Agentic Programming vs. Collaborative Coding
Prompting for a script, delegating to an autonomous agent, and hand-coding the foundation yourself before AI builds on top: three different skills, and picking the right one for the job.
Thought Partner, Not Replacement
The difference between AI making you sharper and AI making you soft comes down to one question you ask it. A practical guide to staying the architect.
Regex as a Second Language
The core vocabulary, greedy vs lazy matching, capture groups, and when regex is the wrong tool entirely.
Earned Ability vs. Access to Ability
AI is handing people skills they never built. What that means for judgment, integrity, and who actually wins over time.
Building a Local Dev Environment That Doesn't Fight You
Version managers, pinned dependencies, and a real setup script. A handful of deliberate choices that keep your tools out of your way.
Reading a Stack Trace Like It's Trying to Help You
A wall of red text isn't an attack, it's a map. A guide to reading one calmly and finding the line that actually matters.
Git Commands Worth Memorizing
And the ones you should just alias. A practical, opinionated split.
Naming Things
The actual hardest problem in computer science. A practical guide to naming variables, functions, and files so future-you doesn't suffer.