OpenLampTech No. 215
PHP strict comparison | Stop using MySQL in 2026? | Text-to-SQL accuracy | WooCommerce product permalink changes
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Strict Comparison in PHP Explained at the Zend Engine Level
In my current role, I primarily use 3 different programming languages: PHP, Python, and Google Apps Script (almost a flavor or wrapper of JavaScript, as best I can tell).
Each handles strict and loose comparisons a bit differently.
This article covers many of the internal processes and behind-the-scenes of PHP strict comparison (===). Mostly about floating point numbers and how they are stored and compared internally.
[dev.to]
The Unix Epochalypse might be sooner than you think
I’m not sure how much, if any, effect this will have on modern computing. It seems like 32-bit software is or has been phased out.
I do recall the Y2K issue.
At that time, I had dial-up internet and a Compaq desktop that was so heavy it would throw your back if you picked it up.
I wasn’t a developer then, and the internet was more of a ‘browsing past time’ than the ‘way of life’ we use today. We would go days without ‘getting online’.
Nevertheless, this article is a very interesting read.
Stop using MySQL in 2026, it is not true open source
Ouch.
I do agree that MariaDB is a solid alternative to MySQL.
However, my opinion(s) aside, this article provides information and context as to why Oracle’s stewardship of MySQL could be interpreted as less-than-ideal by the community.
Why 90% Accuracy in Text-to-SQL is 100% Useless
Agreed.
With SQL, your role is to essentially tell the SQL engine what data you want, through the queries you execute. It is up to the SQL parser to figure out how to retrieve that data.
However, you can receive wrong or inaccurate data results from the queries if you don’t provide the correct SQL query for the data to retrieve in the first place.
[Towards Data Science]
Interesting Articles
I stopped wasting time in Google Sheets when I started using this feature
These 47 Expert Excel Tricks Will Transform You Into a Power User
7 deprecated Linux commands you need to stop using - and what to use instead
Inside Git: How It Really Works (With the .git Folder Explained)
WordPress/WooCommerce Updates and News
What’s new for developers? (January 2026)
Product Permalink Changes Coming in WooCommerce 10.5
WC REST API fixes for product variation attributes with special characters in WooCommerce 10.5
WordPress Playground Brings Speed, Stability, and Momentum
Removal of the AccessiblePrivateMethods trait in WooCommerce 10.5
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Josh Otwell
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Fantastic curation of resources here. That Unix Epochalypse article is genuinly fascinating because 32-bit systems are still embedded in so much industrial control infrastructure and IoT devices. I worked on a municipal water sytem upgrade last year and we found decades-old Unix controllers still running critical processes. The Y2K analogy is spot on but this feels more insideous since its spread across millions of smaller deployments rather than centralized enterprise systems.
Thank you for the compliments and your insight on the 32-bit systems. It never crossed my mind about the IoT and control structures systems. I was thinking more along the lines of 32-bit software (like Excel, etc). But you have great points. Thanks for commenting and sharing them.