Jay Gould

Senior Web Developer at Day Out With The Kids

Making a simple rating system with React Native

How to make a 5 star rating system in a React Native app, with a Node JS server and Postgres database. This solution was used in my Cinepicks app.

Sharing cookies with JWTs across different domains and ports

When using Fetch, cookies are not shared between sites with different origins, including domains, subdomains, and even ports. Here's why, and the solution.

Developing my second mobile app - Cinepicks

An overview of Cinepicks, including features, technical aspects like frameworks and server setup, we all as challenges tackled on the way.

6 Reasons to use Tailwind CSS in your next project

Tailwind CSS has received all sorts of criticism and praise, but here's why I think you should give it a go in your next project.

Dates and times with vanilla Javascript - the easy way

Working with dates and times in Javascript can be a pain, but this cheat sheet will help with everything from the basics to working out time and date differences and formatting.

Adding a timeout to API requests with fetch

Stop users waiting around for long requests by extending the fetch API, giving you control over wait times with a timeout.

How to hide a search bar on scroll in React Native

Hiding a text input search bar when a FlatList component is scrolled down using React Native Animated and no external packages - simple and easy to implement.

Using the WebSockets API with React Native and NodeJS

Implementing WebSockets API between React Native and Node Express server, accessing sockets from Express routes and sending messages to specific users sockets.

Control Arduino board over the internet with ESP8226 WiFi

Boards like the Arduino Uno don't have WiFi as standard, so learn how to add internet connectivity to an Arduino board with the ESP8226-01 component.

A plain and separate tabbed view with React Native Navigation

How to implement a simple view for logged out users, and a separate tabbed view with side menu for logged in users with Wix's React Native Navigation.

Creating a dynamic loading bar with Socket.io and Node.js

Using Socket.io, Node.js and React to create a dynamic loading bar for a long running server side process, with a setup and integration example.

Long running, asynchronous server side processes in Node.js

A journey of cutting down processing time for an asynchronous process on user uploaded data in Node.js, with database queries.

Terminal cheat sheet and CLI tools for web developers

A collection of must know Linux command line terms and tools for a modern web developer. From basic navigation to leveling up your terminal theme.

Testing on Node.js with Jest and a Sequelize test database

Testing using Jest and a dedicated sequelize test database means tests can be ran in a clean, uninterrupted system.

Using Docker for full stack local development with Node.js and Postgres - Part 2

Leveraging the benefits of Docker to help run a full stack JavaScript app within development containers with Docker Compose.

The first thoughts of Arduino from a web developer with no circuit board experience

My first few days playing with Arduino using their beginners porject book.

An intro to Docker and managing your own containers - Part 1

Getting started with Docker for web development by getting to know terminology, as well as creating images of your own projects for sharing with others.

Creating Flighty

A short post to outline a few features of my latest side project - Flighty.

Setting up SSL on an AWS EC2 instance with Nginx

Getting your site HTTPS ready for free using certbot on AWS EC2 instances, and integrating with Nginx config.

Next.js JWT authentication with React Hooks and Context API

How to set up JWT authentication with Next.js using React Hooks and Context API for global state management and persistent authentication on page reload.

A digestible WordPress security checklist for web developers

Securing your WordPress website is important. This checklist provides a run down of quick and simple security enhancements aimed at web developers.

Using GitHub Actions for a modern web development workflow

An introduction to GitHub Actions and the role the CI/CD service can play in modernizing your web development workflow with building, testing and deployment.

Adding user mentions (tagging) for React Native Gifted Chat

React Native Gifted Chat doesn't come with mentions out of the box, so here's how I integrated it to my project efficiently.

Javascript fundamentals - Object prototypes and inheritance

A dive in to the nuances of Javascript prototypes, inheritance and composition with helpful examples and references to official documentation.

Run React + Node on one AWS EC2 instance with Nginx - Part 2

The second of two posts about running a React and Node app on a single AWS EC2 instance, custom domain pointing with Nginx, and self hosted PostgreSQL database.

Run React + Node on one AWS EC2 instance with PM2 - Part 1

The first of two posts about running a React and Node app on a single AWS EC2 instance with PM2. A cheaper and more flexible way than AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

Real-time notifications with WebSockets and Redis

Delivering real-time in-app notifications with WebSockets and Redis using React and Redux

How to detect a tap outside of an element in React Native

Detecting taps outside of elements in React Native is different to the web, and is needed for closing popups and other elements. Here's a quick solution.

Creating my simple Next.js, Typescript, JWT and PostgreSQL starter

How I made my Next.js starter, written in Typescript, JWT authentication and a Sequelize Postgres DB. A great project to learn a modern web app stack.

Setting up automated PostgreSQL backups using Node and Shell script

A quick and free solution for handling automated Postgres backups in a Node environment.

The fundamentals of building a web app with React and Typescript

Quick tips and tricks of how to use Typescript both standalone and with React, and how I integrated it with my Listy web app.

Redirecting API requests and post data using htaccess

Using .htaccess file to redirect server requests while preserving POST and GET data.

Decrypting a GPG file in Node JS programmatically

Using GPG, an open source implementation of PGP in order to decrypt a file programmatically in Node.

My new side project - Listy App

I recently launched my new Listy App in preparation for a Typescript post I'm writing in the next couple of months. Here's why and how I built it.

How to keep productive as a web developer

A few of my favourite ways to stay productive as a web developer. From staying organised to regular exercise, it's important to be at your best.

Connecting a React Native app to a local Node and debugging server

A quick guide for using your local debugging and data servers with React Native on real devices, for both iOS and Android.

Sending requests after JWT refresh using Redux middleware

A middleware solution for refreshing JSON Web Tokens using Redux, and sending the original failed request to the server once refresh has been successful.

Typescript quick reference guide and tips to get started

A quick reference guide and some helpful tips on getting in to Typescript for Javascript developers, covering declarations, @types, interfaces, and more.

Handling JWT authentication errors with React Apollo

A short post showing my approach to handling authentication errors in React Apollo, specifically how to log people out due to token expiration.

The rise and fall of Crossed Paths on the App Store - my React Native experience

Getting my Crossed Paths app on the App Store was a journey, and now my journey is about to end because of Facebook's privacy rules.

Demystifying web asset storage and CDN solutions

An overview of web and app asset storage and the different solutions avalaible, covering CDN solutions like Cloudflare which can be utilised to make asset storage a developers dream.

Using PostgreSQL with Sequelize - setup, sync, and migrations

Covering some crucial areas of Sequelize using Postgres, like sync, migrations, and environment variables which I don't believe are currently easy to find.

React Native tips and tricks I've learned over the past year

A collection of tips and tricks I've gathered over the past year of developing apps with React Native.

Installing Google Maps on a React Native application using react-native-maps

Installing react-native-maps and the Google Maps integration was a pain, and there are a few steps here not listed in the official docs.

A concise collection of tips for MongoDB's Mongoose

A quick reference guide to Node JS MongoDB ORM - Mongoose. From simple examples to real-life usage in a cheat sheet style.

Learning vanilla Javascript and it's frameworks - keeping up with fast-moving web development

Keeping up to date with Javascript can be tough. Here are some tips on when, what and how to keep up with vanilla Javascript and it's frameworks.

Integrating Apollo GraphQL Client into a Redux application for local state - Part 3

Introducing Apollo Client to an existing React Redux application, what that means with Redux dropped from Apollo, including local state management.

Integrating Apollo GraphQL into a Node server with JSON Web Tokens - Part 2

Setting up Apollo's GraphQL server implementation, integrating with an existing Node architecture, and protecting the endpoint with JSON web tokens.

JSON Web Token authentication with Preact and Redux - Part 1

Developing my Preact, Redux and Apollo GraphQL boilerplate with JSON Web Token authentication. A three-part post on client and server-side implementation.

My Whiskr web app is finished and here's how it's built

My latest side-project is ready for launch - Whiskr. Here's my thought process throughout the dev process and what technologies and techniques I used.

Functional Programming and what it realistically means for Javascript developers

Functional programming has taken a front seat in the Javascript world during the last few years, but why? And how does this compare?

What does the GDPR mean for web developers and marketing professionals?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the new European legislation coming into effect on 25th May 2018, but what does it mean for web developers and marketing professionals?

Learning WebRTC and it's different applications

Observations of WebRTC and what it means to learn it's nuances, surrounding concepts, and applications in real-life situations.

A lesson learned with Heroku, Node, Babel and Javascript ES6

A hard lesson learned with one long evening of ES6 Node, Babel being pushed to a Heroku server.

Using JSON Web Tokens and refresh tokens with React Native, Redux and Node JS - Part 2

Updated 18th March - Carrying on with how I incorporated JWT stateless authentication into React Native using Redux and Redux Thunk.

Creating my user approval based web scraper using Node

Comments on each stage of a recent project of making a web scraper and publishing to NPM

Asynchronous Javascript using Promises, Async Await, and Observables with real life examples - Part 1

A comparison of some of the most useful features of Asynchronous Javascript development using Promises and Async Await.

The best 6 web development podcasts for 2017

How do you get inspired to learn web development? Try listening to a podcast! Check out my top picks.

Using config and environment variables for client and back-end use with Javascript

With many ways to use global config variables in your Javascript apps, this post covers some of the popular options with attention to using with local and production systems.

Using ESLint and Prettier together in harmony with Atom

ESLint with your code while developing can save so much time, and using the new Prettier utility works like magic in your code editor.

Connecting to the Instagram API using React Native and Node Express

Connecting to the Instagram API in 2017 is a big of a nightmare with their new rules. This post will discuss how to connect using React Native, Node and Express.

Using JSON Web Tokens and refresh tokens with React Native, Redux and Node JS - Part 1

Updated 18th March - Going into detail with stateless authentication using JSON Web Tokens with React Native, Redux and Node.

Learning a development framework quickly by developing a dashboard

When starting out learning the next Hotness JS framework, what is the fastest and most efficient way to learn? Build a dashboard.

My dev and deployment method using MAMP, GIT and Wordpress - Part 2

A run through of a solid, proven dev and deployment process using MAMP, Wordpress, Github and GIT repos on remote servers - part 2.

4 useful features of ES6, ES7 and beyond

Some great features of modern Javascript which aren't mentioned in most blogs - Includes, Fetch, Multi-line strings, and Async/await.

React styling, CSS and components... the React way

I have come at React from an Angular background, and found the styling options of React pretty deep compared to Angular.

Finally! A good use of the Force Touch trackpad

What is the force touch track pad good for anyway? This is the only thing.

My dev and deployment method using MAMP, GIT and Wordpress - Part 1

A run through of a solid, proven dev and deployment process using MAMP, Wordpress, Github and GIT repos on remote servers - part 1.

Aligning elements using CSS four ways

A few of my favourite ways to align and position elements in CSS using Inline, Float, Flexbox and CSS Grid.

App development using Ionic Framework

An overview of my experience with Ionic Framework, built on Angular.

How can geofencing and mobile apps help your business?

Geolocation is where your app can pinpoint your location. This feature can be combined with geofencing to create a powerful marketing avenue.

Solar Powered Internet Drones

The project, named ‘Aquila’, is a solar powered, unmanned aircraft with the wingspan of a Boeing 737 (around 35 meteres).

How does Pokemon Go work?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, you’ve heard about the social phenomenon sweeping the world, but how does Pokemon Go work?

Automating web development process with Node and Gulp

Differentiating build tools and bundlers is daunting for a beginner, but Gulp is one of the easiest to get in to. This post will show a simple example of a Gulp setup.

Front-end development for beginners

The Internet is a vast wilderness of information with over 1 billion websites (well, 1,022,820,200 websites at the time of writing this…

Website security - does it affect you?

Website security is one of the most important aspects of the web. With the growing number of people having access to computers in recent…

Augmented Reality - what is it?

Augmented reality is a highly innovative way of showing a digital augmentation of something in a real world environment through the use of a…

Websites vs Apps - what I recommend

With the increasing number of ways to get your information into the digital world, it’s important to know the best one for you. Choosing…

Development lifecycle - The process behind the product

The finished product of a website, app or other piece of software doesn’t always tell the story of the journey of development required…

Is email marketing still worth it?

It’s one thing getting a nice website or app to promote your business or venture digitally, but that’s only half the battle. Once that’s…

Can I learn to code?

I’ve been getting more people viewing my blog because of it’s open and honest content. For this reason I’ve decided to explain a little…

How can iBeacons help you?

iBeacons are small pieces of truly innovative technology which are used to work alongside apps to make apps location aware. In other words…

Why use a CMS?

So why use a CMS? For those that don’t know, CMS stands for Content Management System. It’s a way of adding and changing new posts, page…