OpenLampTech No. 160
MySQL system variables and SET | Grav CMS Theme build | Developers leaving WordPress ecosystem | Automatic temporal values rewrites in SQL | MySQL collation and character sets
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All commentary, thoughts, and opinions are mine unless otherwise quoted.
Building a Simple Grav CMS Theme with Twig, PHP, and CSS
I would do well to pull my head out of the clouds and pay better attention to other alternative, open-source CMS options. Like Grav CMS.
My buddy Reuben Walker of Symfony Station wrote a magnificent piece here on building a Grav CMS Theme.
Plenty of context is included in the step-by-step process.
[Symfony Station]
[#Affiliate]
I use Hostinger for all of my WordPress sites and other hosting needs. Help support OpenLampTech by clicking through to the affiliate link for all your web hosting needs! Thank you!
Which collation and character set should I pick?
This is one of those small (but potentially giant in-proportion) things that I never gave much thought to. I always just βkept the defaultsβ.
Then one day I noticed in an old MySQL/MariaDB (v5.7 era) application I was working on that the default character set was latin1.
Joel Clermont of Mastering Laravel shares more insight about collation and character sets here.
[Mastering Laravel]
How We Simplifies Schema & SQL Query Optimization
Releem founder Roman Agabekov provides an overview of some of Releem's built-in features for SQL query optimization.
Topics covered:
Query analytics
SQL query optimizations
Database schema checks
Releem is a MySQL performance-tuning application that helps developers get the most out of their databases.
[Medium]
π Attention Creators & Small Business Owners! π
I'm diving into the Shopify world and inviting fellow entrepreneurs along for the journey! As a developer experienced with WordPress and other web technologies, I'm now expanding my skills by offering Shopify store setups through my Partner account.
The particulars:
Store setup: consultation, road-mapping, design and build
Personalized guidance from a fellow creative
Product Photography (optional)
A fresh perspective from a developer learning the Shopify ecosystem
I'm transparent that while I'm technically proficient in web development, I'm gaining hands-on experience with Shopify.
This means:
β Competitive pricing
β Enthusiastic learning mindset
β Commitment to your project's success
β Honest communication about my current skill level
π© Hit Reply and ask me about it to learn more and get started.
BuddyPress Lead Developer Mathieu Viet Leaves WordPress Ecosystem
Unfortunately, the WordPress ecosystem is looking more like the Wild West with all that has been going on between MM/Automatic and WP Engine.
Equally unfortunate is how these actions can affect others.
[WP Tavern]
New PHP tooling I saw mentioned on Reddit the other day:
Description quoted from the GitHub repo:
βMago is a toolchain for PHP that aims to provide a set of tools to help developers write better code.β
[GitHub]
Automatic Rewrite of Date and Time Ranges
Learning and seeing some of the things going on behind the scenes in SQL queries is interesting. I continue to learn that all SQL vendors and how they βdoβ SQL are not the same.
The author here is one of the most knowledgeable in SQL (that I've read at least) and always shares insightful content.
[Use The Index, Luke!]
[#Affiliate]
Do you need a domain for your next website or project? I use Namecheap for all of my domain needs. Please help support OpenLampTech by clicking through to the affiliate link for your next domain purchase! Thank you!
Exploring the MySQL Server System Variables and SET Statements
Hopefully/likely most web developers won't have to go too far in the weeds with MySQL system variables and SET statements.
I view this type of work as more DBA-type tasks (although not to say you won't ever encounter them as a web dev).
Read about the nuances between the types of system variables and more in this article.
[The Oracle MySQL Blog]
WordPress and WooCommerce News and Updates
Whatβs New for Developers? (December 2024)
Generate test data for WooCommerce with Smooth Generator (December 10th, 2024)
WooCommerce in 2025: Building a platform for the future (December 12th, 2024)
Personal note: I am interested in leads or introductions for remote PHP programming jobs. I would be forever grateful for any information or introductions if you know of any.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great rest of your week.
Take care.
Josh Otwell
Some links may be affiliate links from which I earn a small commission at no additional cost.



My 'other' response to the survey was 'retired'! Have a great holidays, Josh!