Forem: Luc_C

Free URL Shortener

Luc_C — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:04:36 +0000

Free URL Shortener — A Clean, Open Source Alternative to Bloated Shorteners

Introduction: Why I Built Free URL Shortener (And Why You Might Want It Too)

Let me ask you a simple question: why does shortening a link in 2025 still feel like signing up for a mortgage?

We’ve all been there — trying to shorten a link for a project, portfolio, or tweet, and suddenly you’re drowning in upsells, email confirmations, and limitations. It’s frustrating, especially when all you need is a clean link. No fluff. No friction.

So I decided to build one.

Free URL Shortener is my answer to that problem — a lightweight, open-source tool that lets anyone shorten links instantly, without signups, emails, or hidden terms.

It’s a free URL shortener that actually respects your time and data.

👉 Try the live demo

What Makes This Free URL Shortener Stand Out

I didn’t build this because I thought the world needed another URL shortener.

I built it because most of the existing ones just don’t feel right.

Clean, Minimal UI (Built with Simplicity in Mind)

No frameworks, no bloat, no cookie banners. Just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The frontend is intentionally minimal, so it feels like a tool — not a trap.

Custom Short Codes

Want your link to be:
my.site/r/freelancer-tools

instead of a random string? You got it. You can define your own aliases.

Optional 5-Second Timer

If you’re a creator, blogger, or just someone who wants to drop a note before redirecting — this feature is for you.

Display a message (or even a donation link) before users are sent to the final destination.

Serverless by Default

Runs on Cloudflare Pages Functions — meaning it’s fast, global, and incredibly easy to deploy.

Perfect for a free URL shortener that’s designed to scale.

PHP Fallback

Not using Cloudflare? No problem.

The project comes with a PHP fallback that works on traditional shared hosting.

No Limits, No Tracking, No Upsells

No usage limits
No analytics unless you add them
No account, no friction

That’s what makes Free URL Shortener a truly minimal and private free URL shortener.

👉 Live example

How It Works (Spoiler: It’s Easy)

Paste your long URL
(Optional) Add a custom alias like /portfolio
Choose between instant redirect or 5-second timer
Get your clean short link

If you enable the 5-second delay, the user sees a lightweight page with a countdown and a “skip” button — perfect if you want to add a note like:

“Support me”
“Check out my latest dev article”
“Follow me on social”

This kind of flexibility is rare for a free URL shortener that you can also host yourself.

Deploy It on Your Own Infrastructure

Yes, it’s cool to use the demo, but the real power comes when you self-host it.

How to Deploy in Under 5 Minutes

git clone https://github.com/luc-constantin/url-shortener.git cd url-shortener

For Cloudflare Pages:

Go to Cloudflare Pages
Connect your GitHub repo
Set build output to /public
Add a KV namespace named SHORTLINKS

For Shared Hosting (PHP):

Just upload the project files to your server — the fallback api.php is already included.
Once set up, you’ll have your own self-hosted free URL shortener running in the wild.

Why Use Your Own URL Shortener?

If you’re publishing content, managing campaigns, or simply want full control over your links — a self-hosted shortener is a no-brainer.

Branded Links Build Trust

People are more likely to click:
you.dev/portfolio
Than:
bit.ly/3TxZ9X

Boost Click-Through Rates
Custom links tend to perform better, especially when shared on social or in email campaigns.

Own Your Data
No third-party tracking. No link expirations unless you set them.
That’s the power of a private free URL shortener.

Analytics-Ready
Integrate your own tracking scripts, use Cloudflare Workers KV, or plug it into your existing workflow.
It’s yours to control.

Want to Contribute?
This is a community-first project. Whether you’re a developer, designer, or someone with good UI instincts — your input is welcome.

Found a bug? Open an issue
Got an idea for a feature? Let’s talk.
Want to improve the design? Jump in.
Docs need love? PRs are open.

GitHub Repository

Working on a free URL shortener that can scale while remaining simple is only possible with community input.

Support the Project
I’ve kept this free because I believe useful tools should be accessible.
But if you’d like to support my work and help me keep projects like this alive:

Support on Stripe
Even a small donation means a lot — especially when building tools like this free URL shortener, which isn’t monetized or filled with ads.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for:

A no-frills, free URL shortener
A tool you can host, brand, and control
A solution that respects your time and privacy
Then Free URL Shortener is for you.

It’s not trying to be the next unicorn startup.
It’s a small, functional tool built for devs, makers, and creators who just want stuff to work — no friction, no fluff.

Before you go, maybe you want to optimize your images on your site at a very low cost.
If so, try Convert PNG/JPG to WebP, a lightweight plugin for WordPress.
Want to see how it goes? Read the article about it.

Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro: Optimize Your Website Images

Luc_C — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 13:29:58 +0000

“Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro” WordPress plugin to optimize photos on your website.

What the PRO Version Does

Unlike the Light free version, the “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro” WordPress plugin is a powerful tool designed to optimize your website by converting JPG and PNG images to the WebP format.
WebP is a modern image format that provides superior compression and quality characteristics compared to older formats. This plugin helps reduce image sizes, which can significantly improve your website’s loading speed, overall performance and SEO boosting.

Here are the key features of the Convert JPG, PNG to WebP PRO plugin version:

Batch Conversion: Convert multiple images at once for efficient optimization.
Selective Conversion: Choose specific images to convert rather than processing your entire media library.
Image Compression: Adjust compression levels to balance image quality and file size.
Automatic Conversion: Enable automatic conversion of new uploads to WebP format.
User Notifications: Customize notifications to keep you informed of conversion statuses.
Conversion Status: View the current conversion status and the total number of images converted.
Visual Feedback and Accessibility: Clear visual cues in the dashboard indicate the operational status, enhancing usability and accessibility.
Security and Best Practices: Adheres to WordPress security standards to prevent vulnerabilities and ensure reliability.

Buy The Plugin at a limited time Offer: 1€
Buy the Plugin

How to Use the Plugin

Using the “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro” plugin is straightforward. Follow this tutorial to get started:

OPTIMIZE PHOTOS ON YOUR WORDPRESS WEBSITE

Step 1: Download and Install

Download and Install:

Go to the Gumroad website where the plugin is available for purchase.
Complete the purchase process. After the purchase, you will receive an email with a download link.
Click on the download link in the email to download the plugin zip file to your device.
Save the zip file to a convenient location on your device.
Go to your WordPress admin panel.
Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
Click on the “Upload Plugin” button at the top of the page.
Click the “Choose File” button and select the plugin zip file you downloaded.
Click “Install Now”.
After the installation is complete, click “Activate” to enable the plugin.

Step 2: Access the Plugin Settings

Access the Plugin Settings: Once activated, you will see a new menu item in your WordPress dashboard titled “Convert to WebP”. Click on it to access the plugin settings and options.

Step 3: Enable Conversion

Enable Conversion: Go to the “Settings” submenu under “Convert to WebP”. Check the “Enable WebP Conversion” option to activate automatic conversion for new uploads. Adjust the image compression level using the slider to balance quality and file size.

Step 4: Navigate to Bulk Convert

Navigate to Bulk Convert: Click on “Bulk Convert” under the “Convert to WebP” menu. This page displays all the images in your media library that are eligible for conversion.

Step 5: Select Images

Select Images: You can select images individually by clicking on them, or you can use the “Select/Deselect All” checkbox to select all images at once. The number of selected images will be displayed next to the “Convert to WebP” button.

Step 6: Convert Images

Convert Images:
Once you have selected the images, click the “Convert to WebP” button. The plugin will start converting the selected images. A loading message will appear, and a success message will be displayed once the conversion is complete.

VIEWING CONVERSION STATUS
Check Status: On the main plugin page, you can see the current conversion status. It indicates whether the conversion is enabled or disabled and shows the total number of images converted.

CUSTOM NOTIFICATIONS
Set Notifications: In the settings, you can customize the messages displayed during the conversion process. This includes success, error, and status messages to keep you informed about the progress.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE USE
Backup Your Images: Before performing bulk conversions, it’s a good idea to backup your original images. This ensures you have a copy in case you need to revert any changes.

Monitor Compression Levels: Adjust the image compression level to find the right balance between quality and file size. Too much compression can affect image quality, while too little may not reduce the file size significantly.

Additional Information
What It Does: A Focus on Efficiency and Quality
Website speed is essential in today’s digital age. Images are crucial for engaging content but often slow down loading times due to their size. WebP, a modern image format by Google, offers better compression for both lossless and lossy images. By converting JPG and PNG images to WebP, the plugin helps your site load faster and improves user experience without the complexity of managing multiple image versions.

Unlike other image optimization tools that generate several versions of the same image to accommodate different screen sizes, “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro” focuses exclusively on converting images to the WebP format. This streamlined approach simplifies the optimization process, ensuring your website benefits from reduced image file sizes without the hassle of managing multiple image versions. The outcome? Faster loading times, improved SEO rankings, and a better user experience.

The plugin converts the photos and does not deliver other versions of the same image. This means your website won’t be bloated with different versions of the same photo for various devices like mobile phones or tablets. It provides a clean and efficient solution by converting and retaining only the WebP format.

Designed to Be Lightweight
To avoid plugin bloat, Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro is designed to be lightweight and integrates seamlessly into WordPress. It doesn’t clutter the dashboard with unnecessary features. Once activated, it automatically converts images during upload. The settings page allows for easy control over the plugin’s functionality without overwhelming options.

Security and Best Practices
Security is a priority. The plugin ensures all variables and options are properly escaped to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. It also prevents direct file access to plugin files, enhancing your site’s security. The plugin declares a GPL-compatible license, aligning with WordPress’s philosophy, and is tested up to the latest WordPress version for compatibility.

Visual Feedback and Accessibility
The plugin provides clear visual cues for its status in the dashboard. When WebP conversion is enabled, the status message is displayed in bold green; when disabled, it appears in bold red. This simple visual feedback ensures administrators can quickly see the plugin’s status at a glance, enhancing usability and accessibility.

By following these steps, you can effectively optimize photos in 6 steps on your WordPress website using the “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Pro” plugin. This plugin not only helps improve the loading speed of your website but also enhances user experience by ensuring images load quickly without compromising on quality.

Free Version to test the plugin
If you want to test the plugin there is a free version of it available for you to download on Gumroad. You can download the .zip here.

Feel free to leave a comment or reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance with the plugin. Happy optimizing!

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Convert jpg, png to WebP WordPress Plugin

Luc_C — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 04:07:26 +0000

originally written on my blog.

As a WordPress developer and programmer, I’ve had the pleasure (or the horror ^_^ ) of navigating the intricate world of website performance optimization.
In my journey, one challenge I consistently find is optimizing images for faster load times without compromising on quality.
Some months ago I created a tool that I uploaded on GitHub and you can convert PNG and JPG to WebP. (read more here)
Today, I’m thrilled to share a comprehensive solution I’ve developed – a lightweight WordPress plugin designed to convert JPG and PNG images to WebP format: “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP.“

Do you want to know about the PRO version?
CLICK HERE

What It Does: A Focus on Efficiency and Quality
In the digital age, website speed is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Images, while important for engaging content, often pose a significant bottleneck in loading times due to their size.
WebP is Google’s modern image format that provides superior lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. By converting traditional formats like JPG and PNG to WebP, my plugin offers a straightforward solution to this dilemma.

Unlike other image optimization tools that create multiple versions of the same image to adapt to different screen sizes, “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP” focuses solely on converting images to the WebP format. This approach streamlines the optimization process, ensuring that your website benefits from reduced image file sizes without the added complexity of managing multiple image versions. The result? Faster loading times, improved SEO rankings, and a better user experience.

Designed to Be Lightweight

I understand the concerns many WordPress site owners have regarding plugin bloat. Too many plugins or overly complex ones can slow down your site, create security vulnerabilities, or cause compatibility issues. That’s why I designed Convert JPG, PNG to WebP to be as lightweight as possible.

This plugin doesn’t clutter your dashboard with unnecessary features or settings. Instead, it integrates seamlessly into your WordPress site, working quietly in the background. Once activated, it automatically converts JPG and PNG images to WebP format during the upload process. For WordPress administrators, a simple settings page allows for easy control over the plugin’s functionality without overwhelming you with options.

Security and Best Practices

In developing “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP,” I prioritized security and adherence to WordPress best practices. The plugin ensures that all variables and options are properly escaped when echoed, preventing cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. Additionally, it prevents direct file access to plugin files, further enhancing the security of your WordPress site.

Furthermore, I’ve made sure the plugin declares a GPL-compatible license, ensuring it aligns with WordPress’s philosophy and allowing for community contributions and modifications. The plugin is also tested up to the latest WordPress version, ensuring compatibility and reliability.

Visual Feedback and Accessibility

Recognizing the importance of user feedback, the plugin provides clear visual cues for its operational status within the WordPress dashboard. When WebP conversion is enabled, the status message is displayed in bold green text; when disabled, it appears in bold red. This simple yet effective visual feedback ensures that administrators can quickly ascertain the plugin’s status at a glance, enhancing usability and accessibility.

How to use

To use the “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP Premium” plugin, follow these steps:

Installation and Activation:

Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.

Admin Interface:
Navigate to the plugin’s admin page by going to the WordPress dashboard and finding the “Convert to WebP” menu item.
Settings Configuration:
On the settings page, you can enable WebP conversion and configure whether to delete the original images after conversion.
Save your settings.
Bulk Conversion:(Premium Only)
Go to the bulk convert page through the “Convert to WebP” menu.
You’ll see a list of images from your Media Library with checkboxes. Select the images you want to convert.
Use the “Select All” checkbox to select all images at once if needed.
Click the “Convert Selected Images” button to start the conversion process.
Upload Conversion:
When you upload new JPG or PNG images to the Media Library, they will be automatically converted to WebP format if the conversion setting is enabled.

Example Usage

Install the Plugin:
Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
Navigate to Plugin Settings:
In your WordPress dashboard, find the “Convert to WebP” menu item and click on it.
Go to the “Settings” submenu to configure your conversion settings.
Enable Conversion:
On the settings page, enable the “WebP Conversion” option.
Optionally, enable “Delete Original Images After Conversion” if you want to remove the original images post-conversion.
Save your settings.
Bulk Convert Existing Images(Premium Only):
Go to the “Bulk Convert Images to WebP” page from the plugin menu.
Select the images you want to convert by checking each image.
Click the “Convert Selected Images” button to start converting the selected images to WebP format.
Upload New Images:
When you upload new images to the Media Library, they will be automatically converted to WebP format if the conversion setting is enabled.
Verify Conversion:
After conversion, verify that your images have been converted to WebP format by checking the file format of the images in the Media Library. However, if the conversion is successful, a console message will be confirmed.

Wrapping up.

As the web continues to evolve, so too do the strategies for optimizing its content. “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP” represents a focused approach to image optimization, cutting through the noise to offer a solution that’s both effective and efficient. By converting images to the WebP format, this plugin helps WordPress site owners improve their loading times, SEO rankings, and overall user experience without adding complexity or bloat to their sites.

I never imagined I would develop such a tool before 2020 as I started late my career. Today, I’m proud to offer the WordPress community a plugin that not only meets a critical need but does so in a way that respects the principles of simplicity, security, and performance. Whether you’re a blogger, an e-commerce site owner, or managing any other type of WordPress site, “Convert JPG, PNG to WebP” is designed to help your site reach its full potential.

Stay tuned for future updates as I continue to refine and enhance the plugin based on community feedback and the ever-changing landscape of web performance optimization and.

Do you want to support my work for as little as 10€?

Yes, I want to support your work.

Let's connect: 𝕏 , LinkedIn

8 Keys Factors to improve SEO in 2023

Luc_C — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 15:24:26 +0000

Introduction:

After I implemented the factors below and waited for three months, I observed a major improvement up to 60%. I decided to write abuot in the hope that people like me, who have a need for an online website’s improvement will benefit from it.

I recently received a job to improve a website’s online presence for a client.

(Take a look at the last one as it’s highly important.)

When it comes to optimizing your website for better search engine, improve SEO, rankings and attracting the right audience, on-page SEO plays an important role. It involves optimizing individual web pages by implementing various techniques.

So, I wrote 8 Keys Factors to improve SEO in 2023

1.Title Tag:
Crafting an attention-grabbing title that incorporates your target keyword is essential.
Search engines use title tags to identify the nature of your content and display relevant results when users search for specific keywords.

2.Meta Description: The meta description is a concise summary of your blog, usually limited to 160 characters.

It is important to include your target keyword in this description to provide search engines with additional information about your content and suggest users to click on your page and drag attention to your content.

3.Heading Tags Semantics: Utilizing your keywords in various heading tags, such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and so on, helps organize your content and signal its relevance to search engines.

Properly formatted headings contribute to the overall SEO optimization of your page.

4.Use of Inbound Links: Inbound links, also known as backlinks, occur when other websites link back to your site. Search engines consider inbound links as an indicator of high-quality content.

5.Use of Outbound Links: Outbound links, on the other hand, refer to external links that lead users from your website to another site.

By including relevant outbound links, you provide additional resources and references for your readers. Internal links, which lead to other pages within your website, also contribute to SEO improvement and optimization

6.Image Optimization: Images are vital elements that can affect your website’s loading speed. Optimizing images within your articles can significantly impact your SEO results.

Additionally, adding alt text (alternative text) to images enhances web accessibility by describing the images to visually impaired users through screen readers.

7.Formatting & Readability: A proper formatting, including correct grammar, voice, and the use of transition words, ensures readability and enhances the user experience.

Well-structured paragraphs, organized content, and adherence to grammatical rules contribute to optimizing your page and improving its ranking on search engines.

8.Keyword Stuffing: Lastly, identifying relevant keywords and strategically placing them throughout your article or blog is important. Keyword stuffing, when done correctly, helps search engines understand the content of your page and improves its chances of ranking higher.

⚠️ However you should do keyword stuffing with caution because excessively and repetitively using keywords or phrases in a web page’s content or metadata to manipulate search engine rankings is a high risk and instead of improve SEO you might get banned. It disregards natural language flow and user experience in an attempt to appear more relevant to specific queries. Search engines now penalize keyword stuffing as a black hat SEO technique. Instead, prioritize creating valuable, user-friendly content over focusing solely on keyword density.

In fact, I personally don’t use “keyword stuffing” in the sense of placing random keywords on the content. I keep the focus on helping the reader and thus, it helps the one that reads but also it ranks well avoiding the banning of the website. It’s a win-win.

For more infromation on keywords stuffing see this article by SEMRush

As this list is by far to be complete, it is a basic start for you to start applying a better SEO improvement for your content. Whether is a blog, an online store or a portfolio.

Please bear in mind that while the use of an Ai like chatGPT will help you it is important to understand that you’ll need to modify the main suggestions in order to be for human. Recently Google and other Browsers will penalize an AI content without the human focus.

If I’d conclude in some way it will be this one:

Write content for humans focusing primarily in help them. If you run a service offering business model like construction, write articles of how to’s and what tools are better for xyz. If you have an online business store, make offers and write about them on social media creating crossposting the content. After all, is the humans who will buy or benefit the services or products you offer, not bots.

That’s it for this article where I share my latest experience on improve SEO. I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next one, stay informed and keep building awesome things, for humans. 🙂

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Career Timeline's Power

Luc_C — Fri, 05 May 2023 09:30:28 +0000

The Power of a Career Timeline: A Late Starter's Guide to Success in the Tech Industry.

As a developer, your career journey is a story that reflects your experiences, achievements, and growth. So, I believe a timeline is a powerful tool that help the development path and identify critical milestones. It has helped me to set achievable goal in the latest years since I started my journey.

In this short article, I share the benefits of creating a timeline for my developer career. As I began late in the tech industry and had a career change from the logistics industry, I was dealing with various responsibilities, including raising my four kids.

A roadmap to achieving goals.

Creating a timeline can give a clear roadmap of what you want to achieve in your developer career. In my experience it helped me identify the skills, tools, and technologies I needed to learn, and when to learn them. This way, I can break down your goals into smaller, achievable milestones, and focus on what matters most at any given time.

A timeline can be a source of motivation, especially when you're starting late in the tech industry. It can help you visualize your progress, see how far you've come, and stay committed to your goals. As you check off your achievements and milestones, you'll gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence in your ability to learn and grow.

It can also be a tool for self-reflection, allowing you to see how your career has evolved and identify areas where you need to improve. You can track your experiences, projects, and accomplishments, and use them to showcase your skills and knowledge to potential employers. Moreover, you can use your timeline to identify patterns, both positive and negative, in your career. You can take advantage of that information to make better decisions about your future.

A career timeline can also balance your personal and professional responsibilities. ,I have four kids and in my case, it is essential to prioritize time and effort.

By creating a timeline, you can plan your career goals around your family life, making sure that you're not sacrificing one for the other.

Let's recap:

A career timeline provides a roadmap to your career goals.
A timeline can be a source of motivation, especially when starting late in the tech industry.
A career timeline can be a tool for self-reflection and decision-making.
It helps to balance personal and professional responsibilities.

A career timeline can be a valuable tool for anyone, especially for those who (like me) began late in the tech industry and had a career change from a different field. It could’ve help map my career goals, and stay motivated. It also helped me reflect on my experiences, and balance my personal and professional responsibilities.

If you are like me, starting late in the tech using a career timeline, you can take control of your career journey, you can set achievable goals, and succeed in the tech industry.

Want to grab your hands on the timeline code snippet shown in the photo?
Grab it here!
Also, check out how to increase your revenue with this free tool.

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Corrected with the Grammarly app

3 Keys Introduction To Objects Arrays

Luc_C — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 09:11:22 +0000

If you are a web developer, and I assume you are since you landed here reading this, you know that one of the most used programming languages is JavaScript.
The key to creating complex and efficient programs in JavaScript is the ability to work with objects and arrays.

Arrays

An array is a collection of values, similar to a list or an array in other programming languages. You can think of an array as a box with many compartments, where each compartment holds a value. I wrote a more elaborate article about it here. In JavaScript, you can create an array using square brackets and separate each value with a comma. For example, let’s say we want to create an array of letters:

let letters = [A, B, C, D];

In this example, we’ve created an array called “letters” that contains four values. We can access each value in the array using its index, which is the position of the value in the array. Remember that in JavaScript, arrays are zero-indexed, which means the first value is at index 0, the second value is at index 1, and it goes on. For example, to access the first value in the “letters” array, we would use the following code:

console.log(letters[0]);

// Output: A

Objects.

Objects are collections of key-value pairs, also known as properties. An object is like a dictionary, where each key represents a word and the value represents its definition. In JavaScript, you can create an object using curly braces { } and separating each key-value pair with a comma. For example, let’s say we want to create an object that represents a person:

let person = {
  name: 'Luc', //this is a string
  age: 45, //this is a number
  gender: 'male' //this is a string
};

In this example, we’ve created an object called “person” that has three properties: “name”, “age”, and “gender”. We can access each property in the object using dot notation. For example, to access the “name” property, we would use the following code:

console.log(person.name); // Output: 'Luc'

Arrays and objects can also be combined to create more complex data structures. For example, let’s say we want to create an array of users, where each user is an object with a “first” and “last” name:

let users = [
  { first: 'Luc', last: 'Constantin' },
  { first: 'John', last: 'Macintosh' },
];

In this example, we’ve created an array called “users” that contains two objects, each representing a user. We can access the “first” property of the second user using the following code:

console.log(users[1].first); // Output: 'John'
//Arrays are zero-indexed, which means the first value starts at index 0(zero)

Console.table()

For an improved way to debug, we can use the console.table() method to display arrays and objects in a tabular format, which is useful for visualizing complex data structures. For example, to display the “users” array in a table, we would use the following code:

  let user = {
      first: 'Luc',
      last: 'Constantin',
      occupation: 'web developer',
      loggedin: true,
      hobbies: ['hiking', 'running', 'tennis']
        } 
     document.getElementById('title').innerText = user['first']
     console.table(user)

the result in the console will be as seen in the

If you want to know more about console.table() see
this article.

Let’s briefly recap:

arrays and objects are fundamental data structures in JavaScript they are essential for creating complex and efficient programs
console.table() is great way method to display arrays and objects in a tabular format

As a final thought I believe that by understanding how to work with arrays and objects, you can unlock the full potential of JavaScript and create amazing web applications, like shopping lists, to-do lists, and much more.

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3 empowering keys to enhance your Captcha knowledge

Luc_C — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 06:21:58 +0000

Have you wondered what CAPTCHA stands for? It stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. In this article, we’ll learn why is important to know about CAPTCHA and how can empower you as a developer to ease the user experiences.

We will approach the following:

What is captcha and why a web developer should know about it.
program for solving captcha
how to bypass the captcha
captcha solver and recap

1. What is captcha and why a developer should know about it

As a developer, it’s super important to understand what CAPTCHA is because it’s a security feature that’s commonly used to prevent spam and automated attacks on websites and apps.

To make sure your apps and websites are safe, you might need to add captcha features to prevent bots from accessing them. Knowing about captcha technology can also help you create better user experiences by adding user-friendly captcha options that are easy for people to solve while still keeping everything secure. So it’s definitely worth taking the time to explore more about Captcha!

While it’s possible to hide the presence of the captcha on a website, I would not recommend doing so. Captcha is an important tool for protecting your websites from automated attacks and spam, and it’s essential to communicate to users that their safety and security are a top priority to you.

By hiding the captcha, you are potentially sending the wrong message to your users, which could erode their trust in your website. Providing transparency about your security measures and conveying the importance of their privacy and safety to your users is fundamental. The outcome could be a more positive user experience on your website as a result of building trust and confidence.

2. What is a program for solving a captcha and where can be used.

An automated captcha solver is a software application or service designed to solve captchas automatically. A captcha verifies that the person accessing a website or application is human, not an automated program or bot. A captcha-solving program analyses and identifies characters displayed in the captcha using advanced algorithms, including machine learning techniques.

Captchas are used in various industries and applications, such as:

Web scraping: Web scraping involves collecting data from website
Online marketing: Some online marketing techniques require multiple accounts
Online surveys: Online surveys often use captchas to prevent automated responses.
E-commerce/ Woocommerce: Some e-commerce and woo-commerce sites require CAPTCHA verification during checkout to prevent fraudulent transactions.

3. How to bypass captcha and why it is important

There are a few methods for bypassing captcha challenges that are considered ethical and legitimate. One method is to use third-party services like 2captcha.com, which provide captcha-solving services by using human workers to solve the challenges. This approach can be useful for website and application developers who need to solve a large number of captcha challenges as part of their automated processes.
One of the key benefits of using 2Captcha is that the service is fully automated, which means that once you have configured your software to work with it, you can simply forget about captcha solving and focus on other tasks.
The service is also designed to be easy to use, with a simple payment system that allows you to top up your balance whenever you need to.

If you are a developer then 2Captcha can be a valuable tool for you if you need to integrate captcha recognition into your websites. It provides a reliable and efficient way to automate this process.
By taking advantage of 2Captcha’s workforce of human workers, you can ensure that the captcha recognition is accurate and reliable, while also saving time and resources.

Here is a basic detailed list of explanations of how to solve captcha automatically using 2Captcha service:

• Upload a captcha on 2captcha.com/in.php: To solve a captcha challenge automatically using 2captcha.com, you must first upload the captcha to the website by submitting it to the in.php endpoint. This can typically be done using an HTTP request or an API provided by the service.
• The server stores your captcha and returns you the ID of your captcha: After you upload the captcha, the 2captcha.com server will store it and return you a unique ID for the captcha challenge. This ID is used to track the progress of the captcha challenge and retrieve the solution once it’s been solved.
• The server immediately distributes your captcha to a worker: Once the captcha challenge has been stored, the 2captcha.com server will distribute it to a worker who is trained to solve captcha challenges. The worker may use various techniques, such as OCR or machine learning, to recognise and solve the captcha challenge.
• Worker solves the captcha and sends the answer back to server: After the worker has solved the captcha challenge, they will send the answer back to the 2captcha.com server. This answer will typically be in the form of a text string or a set of coordinates that correspond to the solution of the captcha challenge.
• You are sending a request to the server using your ID to get the answer: Finally, you can retrieve the solution to the captcha challenge by sending a request to the 2captcha.com server using the unique ID assigned to the captcha challenge. The server will then return the solution to you, which you can use to automate the process of solving captcha challenges on your website or application.
You should also keep in mind that the UX should always be a priority, and as a developer, you must strive to minimize the impact of captcha challenges on your website and also maintain security and integrity.

4. Why you should use a captcha solver – recap

Solving CAPTCHA challenges manually can be time-consuming and frustrating, particularly if you need to complete many of them. This is where a 2captcha solver comes in handy. Time can be saved, productivity can be increased, and costs can be reduced when captcha challenges are bypassed automatically. The most important benefits of a captcha solver are these:

You save time and increase productivity – Like I said before by using a captcha solver, you can quickly and easily bypass captcha challenges, saving you time and increasing your productivity.

Improve accuracy – Some captcha challenges can be difficult to solve manually, which could lead to errors. Using 2Captcha solver can help improve accuracy by ensuring that the challenge is solved correctly.

*Increase security * – Captcha challenges are often used as a security measure to prevent bots and automated attacks. By using 2Captcha solver, you can help ensure the security of your website or application by preventing these types of attacks.

Reduce costs – If you need to complete a large number of captcha challenges, manually solving them can be time-consuming and costly. Using a captcha solver can help reduce costs by automating the process.

Convenience – Captcha challenges can be frustrating and time-consuming to solve manually. By using a captcha solver, you can bypass these challenges with ease, making your online experience more convenient and enjoyable.

One of the most important things when it comes to captcha solver is that 2Captcha provides a secure way to automate the process of captcha recognition, which is an important security feature used to prevent automated attacks and spam on websites and applications.
The service uses a workforce of human workers to solve captchas, which allows it to bypass even the most difficult types of captchas that are designed to be challenging for automated programs.
While the service in this article doesn’t provide a huge discount, you can test the services as they offer good prices in comparison to other captcha services.

Test 2Captcha Here

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jQuery Migrate brakes WordPress version 5.5

Luc_C — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:45:49 +0000

A few days ago I bumped into a problem on one of my client’s WordPress website. the problem was that some function like “submit” form was not responding.

The solution was at hand, but I found out something more serious was happening.

Hi, I am Luc, a web developer and programmer in his early 40’s that started his journey of coding in February 2019.

WordPress released the 5.5 version called “Eckstine” and it is outstanding regarding speed, search, and security as they state on their main website. If you’d like to read more about this update, you can do it here

The Problem

But with this update they brought a very big issue: jQuery seized to be 100% responsive. The problem is that the JavaScript library called jQuery Migrate doesn’t install itself on the majority of the website when update causing everything that is JavaScript related to work improperly. We can think at JavaScript as small engines behind the scene that turns user’s action in reality. These little engines work behind the scenes to make forms, search bars, and drop-down menus to function.

Having an older theme installed on your website that is outdated, compatibility will show and will cause issues.

So, the problem appears when a WordPress theme is old or a plugin is outdated. If the issue is with an older plugin, you can check the last time was updated, if it’s more than a year I recommend you to search a newer plugin with the same function, as that may cause the problem.

The Solution

As the main WordPress website states: “With the update to WordPress 5.5, a migration tool known as jQuery-migrate will no longer be enabled by default. This may lead to unexpected behaviors in some themes or plugins who run older code” the handy solution is to install a plugin called: “Enable jQuery Migrate Helper” which you can download it from here or if you feel like this too easy, you can go deeper and downgrade from version 5.5 to version 5.4.2 as a user said: “The best solution is to downgrade to 5.4.2 Using the WP Downgrade Plugin by Version 1.2.1 | By Reisetiger.”

Conclusion

As of all updates nowadays, this one brings solutions, speed, and reliability but as well while this happens, bugs are presents as well. The best, for now, is to use whatever you see fit, and with whatever CMS you feel comfortable.

I hope this brings a solution to your struggle and until next week I wish you a productive week ahead.

You can find me on Twitter or LinkedIn

Boost Your Profit with Google Local Business

Luc_C — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:44:48 +0000

As someone who aims to assist small businesses in enhancing their online visibility, I frequently suggest creating a Google local business. You might boost your profit with Google Local Business with this quick solution but like any other approach, it has its drawbacks and benefits.

In this short article, I will share my personal experience on how to boost your profit with Google Local Business by improving small businesses’ online presence on Google.

The Need and How to take advantage to boost your profit with Google Local Business
My usual morning routine involves having coffee with my wife outside the house. While waiting for our orders at the restaurant, I usually check if the restaurant is registered on Google Maps. Although most of them are usually present, their online visibility is weak, with no updates, pictures, menus, or descriptions. This is why I offer to help them improve.

Approaching.
I understand that restaurant owners are often busy people, so I highlight the significant advantages of creating a Google local business. Here are some of them:

It does not require maintenance
There are no monthly payments
It can improve Google’s ranking
It enhances business credibility These are only a few examples that I share with possible clients.

Pros.
From a freelancer’s standpoint, some advantages of creating a Google local business include:

You do not require coding skills
You do not need to optimize it for SEO since it comes with integrated tools
It already has a mobile-friendly design

Cons.
There are some drawbacks when you establish a Google local business. For instance, if you also want to create a single webpage Google profile, you are limited to the available Google templates. Also, you can only use 80 characters for the headline, and there are limits to the description and summary headers, to mention some.

Benefits
Creating a Google local business can significantly impact a small business’s online visibility. With the use of specific keywords and phrases, business owners can have an optimized local business appear in Google searches related to their products and services. This increased visibility can lead to increased customer traffic and ultimately, higher sales. And this is when you come to the stage.

Let’s recap:

find an affordable path to the need of small businesses
approach the owners by highlighting the advantages
save time with already built-in tools from Google Local business templates
it’s a win-win for both owners and freelancers.

Final thought:
Google Local Business is an excellent way for small businesses to improve their online visibility. Despite some downsides, it is an ideal option for a freelancer to increase profit.

Did you just start your freelancing journey?
Want to know How to get clients as a web developer newbie?
See this article!

Article written originally here

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4 Reasons to build your own Portfolio

Luc_C — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 12:04:08 +0000

originally posted on blog.accolades.dev

Hey, long time no see. It’s been almost three weeks since I haven’t wrote, so it’s good to be back.

As usual, I don’t make long introductions, so here we go.

1. You get exposure!

creating your portfolio you get to be known. Whether is for job hunting, connecting with other developers, or practice, people will get to know what you do and what you are passionate about. A portfolio can help you also to bring new customers if you plan to freelance, in fact, a portfolio nowadays stands almost like a Resume, and it’s a must if you ask me.

2. Is a method of self-discovery and confidence building

A portfolio can also help you in the future see the you develop your skills. You can look back and see what skills you knew, for instance, a year ago and add the skill you learn meanwhile. Having a portfolio you can ask for feedback from other devs and they can give you advice so that you’ll improve it.

3. It keeps you organized

For many of us, self – taught or students, time is important when it comes to programming. A portfolio can help you organize your accomplishments, can help you set goals and categorize your aspirations and it shows who you are and your personality.

4. It helps you implement what you are learning.

Building your portfolio helps you practice what you are learning and gives the feeling like in real life. It also helps you find a new way of working and you discover new things while you carry out the work.

These 4 reasons I discovered them by myself while I was building my Portfolio. It took me around 10 hours and I’ve created it during 10 days. It was a small personal challenge that I wanted to accomplish. You can see the work I’ve done here and the source code here.

If you’d like to know the methods and the way I created it let me know and I will write a full tutorial about it.

Until next time, keep building great things.

you can find me on LinkedIn and here on Twitter

Three things I am applying since I am programming (and you should too)

Luc_C — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 10:44:12 +0000

 Originally posted on blog.accolades.dev

Back in February 2019, I started my journey in programming. It was an incredible adventure up to this point, having all the tools and tutorials at hand and it was a trip with ups and downs.
I thought this week I’ll write about the most important things I’ll consider to advise people like me, juniors, that they recently started their coding adventure. As usual, I broke the information into parts, this time in three:

Take notes;
Apply the concepts;
Document your journey.

Take notes!

Whether are handwritten notes or you are writing them on your device, take notes! Repeat the information by writing what you’ve just read or watched. It will remain engraved into your brain and you’ll have access to it at a later time.
There are many ways of taking notes, not just writing, find the one that works for you, and use it.
I am writing my notes in my Notebook and it’s beneficial, especially when I need to revisit concepts that I tend to not use for long. I am also using apps like Trello for cross devices.

Apply the concepts.

One of the best ways to test what you are learning is to apply.
By applying, I mean building. Build projects, implement what you have learned. Even that it’s sometimes accompanied by struggle. Let me be blank: the struggle is part of the journey and it’s the part where you improve.
Also, applying the concepts gives stability to fundamentals and builds a strong foundation on what you are learning.
You can check my latest project here.

Document your journey.

I know I recently said this, but again I am insisting on this topic. It’s important to document your adventure into coding. Go ahead, write a book if necessary! Sell it for 5$ or make a giveaway, but please document your path taken. You’ll thank yourself later.
One of the main benefits of documenting your journey is that you learn a lot while you are writing about the topic(s) you are studying and you don’t allow yourself to provide wrong information about it. You can record voice messages or paint on your Notebook, but this is a very important strategy to apply for growth.

Conclusion:

Take notes, benefits: the information remains engraved into your mind and you can revisit points you didn’t understand;
Applying the concepts, benefits: you learn and you build a strong good foundation by practice;
Document your journey benefits: you study the topic before documenting it, you can’t afford to release wrong information.

That’s it for this week’s article.
I am Luc and I like to think of myself that I am a 40+ of age teenager 🙂.
Until next time, happy coding.

Connect with me on Twitter and on LinkedIn

4 Reasons Why You Should Set Goals.

Luc_C — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 10:05:21 +0000

 Originally posted on blog.accolades.dev

Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. By setting clearly defined goals, you can measure the achievement of those goals, seeing forward progress in what you think might be a long project.

Hello,👋 I am Luc, a web developer in his 40’s and I document my journey into a web development career.
Seeing the big picture.

When it comes to a career both web development and financial goals go hand in hand. Make a step back, sometimes this helps to see the bigger picture and arrange by priority your goals. A Romanian artist by the name of Constantin Brancusi said that “the higher you go, the wider you see”, so stopping and focusing by writing down my goals helped me to get closer to them step by step.

1. Setting goals is effective.

Working towards a goal is a major source of motivation which improves performance. I give you four goal-setting principles that can help improve your chances of success, according to Locke and Latham article “Toward a Theory of Task Motivation”:

Clarity
Challenge
Commitment
Feedback

Clarity and specific goals eliminate the confusion.
Challenging goals helps you accomplish more.
Commitment helps you achieve the goals.
Feedback helps you improve it.

2. Setting a goal keeps you focused.

Setting a goal helps your mental boundaries, what I mean by this is that when you have a certain endpoint in your mind you’ll automatically stay away from distractions. It’s like preparing for your trip with the bus and you know that at 10:30 you’ll have to be at the bus station and you’ll organize your time in such a manner that you’ll be there to get the bus.

3. Goals help you measure your progress.

I tend to look at other developers’ progress and see if I can do that as well. I have to be real when it comes to reality check as I can’t compare to anyone and I don’t allow myself this luxury as each of every one of us have different circumstances and lives. I compare my own progress. I don’t see myself “arriving” until I am not there, thus avoiding discouragements. Nevertheless, measuring progress helps me see the advance that I’ve made and brings me closer to the end goal moving me in the right direction.

4. Goals help you overcome procrastination.

I’ve let this one the last on purpose as it’s the most important for me.
When it comes to procrastinating, I am a Jedi Procrastinator.
When you set a goal you make yourself accountable. On the other hand, this is going to do things not according to your mood and it brings a Reminder because they tend to stick in your mind. Learning to not succumb to my mood took me time, I am still fighting with it but I see over the years a great improvement.

A briefly personal view on Goals.

Setting goals can help us move forward in life and give us a roadmap to follow. Goals are a great way to hold ourselves accountable, even if we fail. Setting goals and working to accomplish them helps us define what we truly want from life.
Goals also help us prioritize things.
We can definitely choose to wander in life without any goals, but setting goals can help us live the life we want and brings happiness.
Of course, we don’t have to live every moment of our lives planned out because we all need those days when we have nothing to accomplish, but having goals gives us also a purpose when we think everything else is falling apart.

Hopefully, this week’s article brought to you value and you enjoyed reading it. Until next time, keep your focus on your goals.

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