Matt Segal is a software engineer and tech lead who writes about software design, Python development, system architecture, and the craft of engineering teams. His blog focuses on practical approaches to building reliable, maintainable software - from dependency management and code reviews to continuous delivery and scalable system design.
57 articles from this blog
A guide to automating the reset of a local Django database using a bash script, including migrations and user setup.
A guide to automating PostgreSQL database backups using scripts and AWS S3 for secure, reliable cloud storage.
An introduction to cloud object storage for web apps, covering benefits and AWS S3 setup for file hosting and backups.
A guide on using pg_dump and pg_restore to backup and restore a PostgreSQL database, crucial for data protection in DevOps.
A guide to common Django server setups, from simple local development to professional production deployments with Gunicorn and PostgreSQL.
A beginner's guide to starting programming, recommending Python and outlining a learning path from basics to building small projects.
Advice on pacing your programming self-study to avoid burnout, recommending 4 hours daily for full-time learners and 1-2 hours for those with jobs.
A discussion on the importance of balancing practical tool learning with theoretical computer science concepts for web developers.
Learn how to use Django Debug Toolbar to identify and fix slow database queries in your Django application views.
Advice for beginner programmers on choosing what to learn next, emphasizing following personal interest to maintain motivation and build foundational skills.
Using the Cerberus library in Python to validate configuration files and ensure data structure integrity.
A guide to essential tools for improving the software development experience on Windows, including terminal emulators and package managers.
Learn how to automatically run Python unit tests on every commit and pull request using GitHub Actions.
Final guide in a Django deployment series covering domain setup, DNS configuration with Cloudflare, and SSL for a production web app.
A guide to automating Django deployment using bash scripts for frequent, low-risk code releases.
Guide to deploying a Django app using Supervisor to run Gunicorn as a persistent, auto-restarting service with logging.
A guide to manually deploying a Django application to a server, covering file uploads, line ending issues, and project structure.
A guide to preparing a Django application for deployment, covering virtual environments, production settings, and static files.
A technical guide on setting up cloud infrastructure and SSH keys for deploying a Django application.
A beginner-friendly guide to deploying a Django web application to a live server, focusing on minimal new tools and incremental learning.
