OpenLampTech No. 180
Database performance metrics | Laravel validation rules | drawdb | 19 SQL books | Drupal IXP | WordPress integration with Supabase
Thank you for reading the OpenLampTech newsletter!
If someone awesome shared this newsletter with you and you are not yet subscribed, please use the Subscribe button below and join:
OpenLampTech has sponsorship opportunities for your brand, product, service, or job listing in the weekly newsletter.
As an independent publication, collaboration is very affordable.
All commentary is mine unless otherwise quoted.
What are database performance metrics? (and why your SQL queries cry at night)
Diagnosing database performance metrics is one of those fine skills that takes time to hone.
And, it is one I don't necessarily have (yet).
SQL developers and SQL DBAs have vastly different roles and different skills.
This article provides key metrics and an overview of each that should be monitored in your database performance diagnosis.
The Hottest AI Job of 2023 Is Already Obsolete
I was never into the whole Prompt Engineering thing. I was bullish on AI to begin with. Nowadays, I use it a lot.
But with guardrails.
It does come down to how well you prompt it, though.
AI prompts are like all the things I could never type into Google while I was looking up things for code.
These days, I view AI as more of a tool than a specialization.
[WSJ]
There are some legendary books on this list.
I own and also recommend the below (as suggested on the list):
SQL Antipatterns: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming (Phenomenal book)
SQL Performance Explained: Everything Developers Need to Know about SQL Performance
SQL Cookbook: Query Solutions and Techniques for Database Developers
Ben Brumm from Database Star has some excellent SQL content, and I recommend his work for anyone who wants to learn more SQL.
[Database Star / Ben Brumm]
How to register custom validation rules as strings
Joel Clermont of Mastering Laravel publishes a daily newsletter that any (web) developer should read.
Joel's content is always succinct and useful.
Laravel developers in particular will appreciate Joel's work for the community.
Joel shares tips for working with custom validation rules in Laravel as strings in this article.
[Mastering Laravel / Joel Clermont]
I think tools that help with and speed up the database schema design are worth their weight in gold if they can move the application forward from this phase.
Although I haven’t used this particular tool, I wanted to share it with OpenLampTech readers.
Quote from the GitHub page:
“DrawDB is a robust and user-friendly database entity relationship (DBER) editor right in your browser. Build diagrams with a few clicks, export sql scripts, customize your editor, and more without creating an account.”
[GitHub]
The new IXP program: Ushering in needed fresh Drupal talent with bona fide incentives for employers
I think this is a great program and a solid path for new(er) Drupal developers to get their first role.
Breaking into tech in general is tough. For developers, it can be even harder.
Quote from the source article:
“From now forward, any participating organization that hires a new Drupal developer (with less than 3 months of paid experience) can earn 250 contribution credits upon successful program completion.”
[DrupalEasy]
Supabase WordPress Integration — Save Users Data
Supabase is an open-source alternative (using PostgreSQL) to Firebase.
Integrating Supabase as the database (or an additional data store) with WordPress could make for a powerful combination.
I don't have any experience (currently) with Supabase, but from what I can tell, it is feature-rich.
Of course, PostgreSQL is always a solid option.
[Medium]
WooCommerce and WordPress news and updates
WooCommerce 9.8.3: Dot release (April 30th, 2025)
WordPress 6.8.1 Maintenance Release (April 30th, 2025)
Thank you for reading OpenLampTech. 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.


