Tom McFarlin

Software Engineering in WordPress, PHP, and Backend Development

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My Suite of Apps: Stache

One of the problems I seem to have (among many, some may say ;) is I can’t seem to find a consistent way to manage bookmarks.

I don’t mean I have a problem using the “Favorites” or the “Star” feature in my web browser. I mean I might as well toss the page into a black hole if I use those features. They are a pain to organize, search, and – for whatever reason – feel like an after thought in terms of features of a browser.

And I’ve tried a number of different ways to go about managing this – if you name it, I’ve probably tried it – and it’s not from lack of knowledge of available applications for things like this either.

But it wasn’t until I found Stache I felt like I finally found a utility that made it easy for me to save resources as I was browsing the web, categorize them as needed, and then be able to search them later using any of my devices.

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The Latest and Greatest Technology in Programming

A couple of weeks ago, Basecamp (previously 37signals) wrote a great blog post part in which the topic of legacy applications as well as using latest and greatest technology were discussed.

In programming, there is often an obsession with using the latest and greatest technology. Programmers view the use of edge technology as its own badge of honor, and are quick to throw away legacy applications.

I’ve talked about this in previous posts before – it’s why I’m a fan of going deep rather than wide when it comes to working with certain languages and tools – but it doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with the desire to pick up something new every now and then.

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Using PHP CodeSniffer For MAMP and WordPress

Every developer worth his or her weight will say writing quality code is key to making sure a project is maintainable over time.

What constitutes quality code may be subjective and this is not the post to debate that; however, if you’re working with PHP – especially alongside MAMP and WordPress – then I think using the PHP CodeSniffer is a tool we should all be using.

For those who’ve written both PHP applications and WordPress-specific applications, you know there are different standards used for writing code. Since this blog is primarily focused on the latter, then I’m obviously going to be focusing on that, but the steps provided aren’t altogether different for working strictly with PHP.

So here’s how you can setup PHP CodeSniffer, the rules for the WordPress Coding Standards, and how to have them run alongside MAMP.

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On Becoming a Better Writer

I try to keep the focus of this blog limited to writing about code, WordPress, software, and business.

Every now and then I’ll come across a resource I find so useful, I end up reusing or re-reading several times to try to figure out how to incorporate it into my day-to-day work. Usually, this has to do with some type of app of programming technique (and this likely similar to something you do, too).

In this case, I’m talking about writing.

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Tools For Quality WordPress Development

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written anything for Tuts+ Code (which was previous Wptuts+ – the Envato property for all things related to WordPress development), so I’ve slowly started getting back into the habit as time allows.

With my most recent post, I’m trying to share some tools I believe lead to quality WordPress development.

Of course, if you’re an experienced WordPress developer, this likely isn’t for you; however, if you’re just getting into the field and are looking for some things to add to your toolbox, then here’s a list of things I recommend for those starting out.

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