DevEdu / Blog
·35 essays
Engineering writing for people who actually build things.
Long-form, opinionated essays on framework deep dives, schema design, performance, and developer experience. New every two weeks.
May 9, 2026 · 2 min read · Featured
Writing Better Prompts for Claude: The Engineering Edition
Most prompt advice is for chat. Engineering work is different — bigger context, clearer goals, harder verifications. Here are the patterns that consistently get good code out of Claude.
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Claude Code: The Complete Setup Guide for macOS, Windows, and Linux
An end-to-end walkthrough of installing Claude Code, authenticating, configuring your first project, and getting productive in under thirty minutes — across all three major operating systems.
Setting Up Next.js 16 with TypeScript: A Modern Project Walkthrough
Spin up a fresh Next.js 16 project with TypeScript, Tailwind, and a sane folder layout — and understand the App Router conventions before you write your first feature.
Getting Started with the Claude API: Build Your First App in 30 Minutes
Spin up a working chat app with the Claude API in half an hour — covering the SDK install, authentication, streaming responses, and the patterns you'll actually use in production.
Docker Installation: Step-by-Step on macOS, Windows, and Linux
Install Docker the right way on every major OS, verify the install with a real container, and configure Docker Desktop and the daemon for daily use.
Docker Compose for Multi-Container Applications
Run a real stack — web app, Postgres, Redis — with one command. A practical walkthrough of Compose v2 with the patterns that scale to production-like local dev.
CI/CD with GitHub Actions: Your First Pipeline
Build a real CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions — install, test, build, deploy — for a TypeScript app, with the patterns that scale to dozens of jobs.
Building MCP Servers: A Step-by-Step Guide
MCP is the open protocol that lets AI agents talk to your tools. Build a working MCP server in TypeScript that exposes a database to Claude in under an hour.
A Code Review Checklist for AI-Generated Code
AI writes plausible code that passes your tests and fails your principal review. This is the practical checklist for catching what the model misses before it ships.
PostgreSQL Local Setup on macOS with Homebrew
Install PostgreSQL locally without Docker, create a development database, and configure your shell — the cleanest path for daily Mac development.
Claude vs ChatGPT vs Gemini: Which AI for Coding in 2026?
An honest, hands-on comparison of the three big assistants for daily software engineering work — context windows, code quality, agent capabilities, and where each one wins.
Pair Programming with Claude: Real Workflows from Real Engineers
Beyond demos: how working engineers actually use Claude on day-to-day work — feature development, debugging, refactoring, and reading unfamiliar code.
Your First Dockerfile: A Hands-On Walkthrough
Write a Dockerfile from scratch for a small Node.js service, understand every line, and learn the instructions that matter (and the ones that don't).
Tailwind CSS v4 Project Setup: The Modern Configuration
Tailwind v4 changed how configuration works — no more <code>tailwind.config.js</code> by default. Here's the modern setup for any Vite or Next.js project, explained.
Building Custom Agents with the Claude Agent SDK
Beyond chat: how to build a real autonomous agent that reads files, calls tools, and ships work — using the Claude Agent SDK with TypeScript.
Debugging with AI: Techniques That Actually Work
Debugging is the most underrated thing AI assistants are good at — when you use them right. Here's how to turn a stuck investigation into a five-minute fix.
Git and GitHub Workflow for Solo Developers
A pragmatic Git setup for someone working alone — sensible defaults, the commands that matter, and a workflow that scales gracefully when teammates join.
Cursor IDE Setup: From Install to First Project
A complete walkthrough of installing Cursor, importing your VS Code settings, picking the right model, and shipping a real change with the AI features that matter.
Using AI for Documentation and Refactoring (Without Losing Your Voice)
AI is great at the parts of writing and refactoring no one wants to do — and terrible at the parts that need taste. Here's how to use it for both without the output reading like a press release.
Docker Volumes and Persistent Data, Explained
Containers are ephemeral. Your data shouldn't be. Learn the three storage options Docker offers, when to use each, and how to back them up properly.
VS Code Power User Configuration: Settings, Extensions, and Habits
A focused VS Code setup for engineers — the settings worth changing, the extensions worth installing, and the habits that turn it into a productivity machine.
GitHub Copilot Setup and Best Practices for Daily Use
Get GitHub Copilot working in any editor, learn the prompts that actually produce good code, and avoid the habits that turn it into a liability.
Docker Networking: Bridge, Host, and Overlay Networks Explained
Container networking has more lever than most developers realize. Understand bridge, host, and overlay networks — and pick the right one without overthinking it.
ESLint and Prettier Setup for TypeScript Projects
Wire up the modern ESLint flat config with Prettier in a TypeScript project, set them up to cooperate, and never argue about formatting again.
Aider: AI Pair Programming from Your Terminal
Aider is the open-source, terminal-first AI coding assistant that pairs cleanly with Git. Here's how to install it, point it at any model, and use it without losing your mind.
Multi-Stage Docker Builds for Dramatically Smaller Images
A 1.2 GB Node.js image becomes 80 MB with one trick. Learn multi-stage builds — what they are, why they work, and how to apply them to common stacks.
Continue.dev: The Open-Source Copilot Alternative You Can Customize
Continue is the open-source AI coding extension for VS Code and JetBrains. It works with any model — including local ones — and you control every part of the pipeline.
Dockerizing a Node.js App End to End
From a fresh Express app to a production-ready container — Dockerfile, Compose for local dev, multi-stage build, healthchecks, logs, and graceful shutdown.
Supabase Setup for Authentication and Database
Wire up Supabase as your backend in under an hour — authentication, Postgres, row-level security, and a typed client. Real-world patterns for a Next.js app.
Windsurf IDE: A Walkthrough for Engineers Switching from VS Code
Windsurf is Codeium's AI-native editor, built around the Cascade agent. Here's what's worth knowing if you're considering moving from VS Code or Cursor.
Dockerizing Python and Django Applications
Python in containers has more sharp edges than Node. Here's how to handle native dependencies, virtualenvs, Gunicorn, and migrations cleanly in a Django app.
Docker Best Practices for Production
A checklist of the things that actually matter when your container leaves your laptop — security, performance, supply chain, observability, and operability.
Claude Code Hooks: Customize Your AI Workflow
Hooks are how you turn Claude Code from a generic AI assistant into one that fits your project's exact rules. Learn the hook lifecycle, write your first ones, and lock down your repo.
Kubernetes Basics: Pods, Services, Deployments
The minimum viable mental model for Kubernetes — what pods, services, and deployments actually do, and how to ship a small app to a real cluster.
Codeium Setup and an Honest Review After 30 Days
Codeium is the free-tier-friendly Copilot alternative. Here's how to install it, what it does well, and where it falls short on real-world coding work.