Blog

XML vs JSON: Which to Use and When

A fair comparison of XML and JSON: their data models, verbosity, schemas, and the real situations where each is the better choice.

What Is HMAC and Why It Matters

HMAC combines a hash function with a shared secret key to prove a message is authentic and unaltered. Here is how it works and where you…

What Is a UUID? Structure, Versions and Uses

What a UUID is, how its 128 bits are laid out into the 8-4-4-4-12 form, what the version and variant fields mean, and where UUIDs fit…

What Is a Cryptographic Hash Function?

A cryptographic hash turns any input into a fixed-size fingerprint that is one-way and collision-resistant. The properties that matter and what they enable.

UTF-8 and Unicode Code Points, Demystified

Unicode assigns every character a code point; UTF-8 encodes those code points as bytes. How the two layers fit together, with a worked encoding example.

The alg:none JWT Vulnerability, Explained

The alg:none attack tricks a JWT verifier into accepting an unsigned token by trusting the header. Learn how it works and how to shut it down.

A Practical SQL Formatting Style Guide

A practical style guide for readable SQL: keyword casing, indentation, where to break lines, comma placement, alias rules, and join clarity that hold up in review.

rem vs em vs px: Choosing CSS Units

How px, em and rem actually differ: px is fixed, em compounds from the parent font-size, and rem stays anchored to the root. When to use…

Percent-Encoding and Reserved Characters in URLs

The RFC 3986 character sets that decide what to percent-encode: unreserved, gen-delims, sub-delims, and how the rules differ per URL component.

Password Entropy Explained (Bits, Pools, and Length)

Password entropy measures unpredictability in bits. Learn how pool size and length set it, and why it only counts for truly random passwords.