Jorge Iglesias

Author: Jorge Iglesias

  • From WordPress to React: Crafting a Local News Hub

    From WordPress to React: Crafting a Local News Hub

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    There comes a time in every web developer’s journey when the familiar landscapes of platforms like WordPress begin to feel too constraining, too comfortable. That’s when the siren call of modern technologies begins to resonate, luring us towards the vast and tempestuous ocean of coding. This is the story of how I charted my course through these waters, from a WordPress setup to creating a React application to aggregate local news — a beacon of self-improvement and professional prowess.

    The Blueprint of Innovation: Figma Designs and Content Modeling

    Every monumental build starts with a blueprint. For me, it was the meticulous UI design crafted in Figma. The sleek vectors and vibrant mockups were not just a visual treat; they served as a roadmap for what was to come. As I transitioned from design to development, another pivotal step awaited — Content Modeling. This process wasn’t just about preparing the backend API endpoints; it was about laying the foundation of data architecture to ensure that the content flows seamlessly to the front lines of the browser.

    React-ing to Change: My Component Universe

    The world of React was uncharted territory for me. But with the compass of ChatGPT-4 in my virtual toolkit, I began constructing my component universe. The App.jsx stood at the core, like a sun, radiating data and structure to the orbiting components — each a planet with its own ecosystem and purpose, from the HeroSection.jsx that showcased the latest news like a gleaming new dawn to the Footer.jsx, the bedrock that grounded the application.

    From Local News to Broader Horizons

    My local news aggregator wasn’t just a React app; it was a microcosm of my aspirations. The goal was straightforward yet audacious — to bring the scattered news under one digital roof, allowing me to browse without jumping across the web. It was more than an aggregator; it was a statement of self-sufficiency and technical acumen.

    Perseverance and the Programmer’s Plight

    Embarking on this journey wasn’t easy. There were moments when the sirens of doubt nearly shattered my resolve, whispering sweet temptations to return to the WordPress haven. But persistence is the programmer’s credo, and dedication, our rite of passage. With every challenge, from understanding the React lifecycle to integrating APIs, I pushed my boundaries. I was not just building an app; I was honing a craft.

    Documentation: The Chronicle of Progress

    As the adage goes, “The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.” Thus, documenting each step of the way became my chronicle of progress. It served as a testament to the hurdles crossed and milestones achieved. It was not merely for record-keeping; it was a narrative of growth — a growth nurtured by the dual guardians of planning and adaptability.

    The Horizon Beckons

    As I stand on the precipice of this journey, looking back at the WordPress days and ahead to the limitless potential of coding, I realize that this transition is more than a professional upgrade. It is a personal evolution, a metamorphosis from a user of tools to a creator of solutions.

    In this blog, I have shared a snapshot of my odyssey — not just as a guide for others but as a reminder to myself of how far I’ve come. And as I continue to navigate through the ever-expanding React universe, I do so with a newfound confidence, knowing that the only constants in the life of a developer are change and learning.

    As you embark on your own journeys, may you find the courage to leave the harbor, the strength to weather the storms, and the perseverance to sail towards your own horizons of greatness.

  • Jira WTF: My Rollercoaster Ride from Screenshots to Spreadsheets

    Jira WTF: My Rollercoaster Ride from Screenshots to Spreadsheets

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Hello, tech adventurers and spreadsheet enthusiasts! Buckle up, as I take you on a rollercoaster ride that’s part coding saga, part comedy show, and 100% a journey into the heart of tech creativity. It’s the story of how a simple screenshot sparked an epic quest, filled with laughs, gaffes, and a whole lot of ‘aha!’ moments.

    There I was, facing a digital mountain of Jira tickets. Like a modern-day Hercules facing his labors, I had my task cut out for me. But, in a stroke of what I’d like to call genius (and others might call laziness), I decided to bypass the traditional download and instead snapped a screenshot. Why? Because sometimes, the road less traveled is paved with pixels.

    Armed with nothing but my wits and a trusty Python script, I set off on my coding quest. This wasn’t just a battle against lines of code; it was a testament to human ingenuity (and perhaps a bit of stubbornness). The goal? To transform that image into a neat, organized spreadsheet.

    But, as in any great tale, our hero (that’s me, by the way) faced challenges. My first attempt at running the script was like expecting a drumroll and getting a kazoo instead. Error messages popped up like uninvited guests at a party, with a confusing array of ‘command not found’ and ‘DeprecationWarnings’. It was like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube that changes colors every time you blink.

    Undeterred, I dove back into the fray. With each line of code, I was Sherlock Holmes, and the bugs were my Moriarty. The script was a puzzle, and I was determined to crack it. Through perseverance, some creative thinking, and maybe one too many cups of coffee, I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (or just a really long evening), success was mine! The script worked its magic, and the screenshot transformed into a beautifully organized spreadsheet. It was a ‘Eureka!’ moment, a digital victory dance, a high-five from the universe.

    So, what did I learn from this adventure? Coding is more than just typing commands and squashing bugs. It’s about thinking outside the box, facing challenges with a smile, and sometimes, just going for it even when the path seems a little unconventional.

    To all my fellow tech enthusiasts grappling with your own coding conundrums: keep pushing boundaries, keep finding the humor in the chaos, and most importantly, keep coding. Because at the end of the day, every problem is just an opportunity for a great story.

    Until next time, keep your spirits high, your code clean, and your spreadsheets organized. Who knows what kind of adventure your next screenshot might lead to?

  • Streamlining Release Management with Jira Automation

    Streamlining Release Management with Jira Automation

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    As project managers, our goal is to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow, especially when it comes to release management. Merging tasks into the master branch is a critical part of the software development lifecycle, and ensuring that these tasks are part of the upcoming release—or identifying when they are not—is essential for a coherent release process. With Jira’s automation features, we can streamline this process. Let’s explore how to set this up step by step.

    Setting Up Your Jira Automation Rule

    Step 1: Create a New Rule Go to your Jira project and select ‘Project settings’. Under ‘Project settings’, find ‘Automation’ (you might need to have admin rights to access this feature). Click on ‘Create rule’.

    Step 2: Choose a Trigger For our use case, we want to act when a pull request is merged. So, select ‘Pull request merged’ as the trigger.

    Step 3: Define Issue Field Conditions After a pull request is merged, we need to check if the merge is related to an issue that should be in the upcoming release. To do this, add a new component ‘Edit issue fields’ and select ‘Merged to Master’. Make sure to create this custom field in Jira.

    Step 4: Set Up Conditional Logic We need to compare the fixed versions of the issue with a regular expression to see if it matches the pattern expected for the release.

    For tasks expected in the release, use the condition: {{issue.fixVersions}} contains regex(A[0-9]{1,2}-9[0-9]{1,2}(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-2])|(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-9]|\.2[0-9])$)

    If this condition is true, you will ‘Send Slack message’ stating: “A ticket that is in the release has been merged into master. Please confirm.”

    Step 5: Handle Exceptions For tasks that are merged but are not expected in the upcoming release, set another condition to catch these instances: {{issue.fixVersions}} does not match regex(A[0-9]{1,2}-9[0-9]{1,2}(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-2])|(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-9]|\.2[0-9])$)

    If this condition is true, you will ‘Send Slack message’ stating: “A ticket that is NOT in the release has been merged into master. Please confirm.”

    Step 6: Finalize Your Rule Give your rule a name, such as “PR Merge to Master Marker”, and set the ‘Scope’ to the relevant project. Assign an owner who will receive notifications if the rule fails, and choose an ‘Actor’, which is usually ‘Automation for Jira’.

    Step 7: Test and Activate Before activating, test your rule to ensure it works as expected. Once confirmed, activate the rule by toggling the ‘Enabled’ switch.

    Why This Matters

    Automating this process:

    • Reduces the manual effort to track which tasks are part of the upcoming release.
    • Minimizes the risk of deploying features that are not ready or have not been included in the release notes.
    • Notifies team members promptly, allowing for quick action if something has been merged incorrectly.

    Conclusion

    Automations in Jira are powerful tools that can significantly improve your team’s efficiency and accuracy, especially when managing releases. With the above steps, you can set up a robust automation rule to monitor and notify about the state of issues in your master branch. Embrace these automations and let them take over some of the heavy liftings in your project management processes.

  • Is Email Dead? Alright, Stop the Funeral – We’ve Got Text Alerts!

    Is Email Dead? Alright, Stop the Funeral – We’ve Got Text Alerts!

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    You ever notice how everyone’s always saying, “Email is dead”? Like it’s some kind of digital dinosaur, just waiting for a meteor called ‘WhatsApp’ to wipe it out. Well, as someone cruising through the fabulous 40s – yeah, that’s right, the age where wisdom starts to peek through the chaos of youth – I’ve seen communication tactics flip more than pancakes at a Sunday brunch.

    Remember the good ol’ days? When getting an email was as exciting as Eddie Murphy dropping a new movie? You’d rush to that computer, heart pounding, thinking, “Who’s thinking about me? What’s this mystery message?” Fast forward, and here we are, drowning in a sea of emails, most of which scream urgency but read like the back of a shampoo bottle.

    The Saga of the Overflowing Inbox

    Inbox Zero? More like Inbox Hero if you can even get close. It’s like every email is a little gremlin, and they just keep multiplying, especially if you feed them after midnight. And by feeding, I mean replying. You send one out, and three come back – it’s the Hydra of the digital age!

    Enter the Mighty Text Alert

    So, what’s the game-changer? Drumroll, please… Text alerts! That’s right. We’re talking about taking communication back to basics, to the times when a “beep” meant something juicy was coming your way, not just another newsletter telling you how to lose weight by eating air.

    Text alerts are like that friend who cuts through the nonsense at a party and tells you there’s no more pizza. Disappointing, sure, but at least you know where you stand. It’s direct, to the point, and you’re gonna see it because, let’s be real, who isn’t glued to their phone these days?

    Setting Up Your Own Comedy Show… I Mean, Text Alert System

    Thinking of bringing some laughs and efficiency to your communication? Here’s how to set up your personal text alert system, Eddie Murphy style:

    Find Your Platform:

    Pick a text alert service that doesn’t need a PhD to understand. You want to send messages, not launch a spaceship. I specifically use zapier to connect gmail with slack.

    Emails are already labeled and anytime an email with a specific label comes in, slack will send me a message alerting me to the new email. Hopefully I will never miss an important email again.

    Keep It Fun:

    When crafting your alerts, channel your inner Eddie. A touch of humor can turn a mundane message into a mini comedy show.

    Timing is Everything:

    Just like delivering a punchline, timing your text alerts is key. You want to be the highlight of someone’s day, not the reason they’re throwing their phone on silent.

    Navigating the Text Alert Etiquette

    Now, before you go all “Delirious” on your text alerts, remember the golden rule of comedy and communication: timing and audience. Don’t be the person sending text alerts at 3 AM, unless it’s an actual emergency or you’ve discovered a guaranteed way to bring back “Coming to America” with the original cast.

    Wrapping It Up With a Laugh

    So, there you have it, folks. Email might be taking a long nap, but communication is more alive than ever with text alerts. It’s quick, it’s personal, and if done right, it might just bring a smile to someone’s day. And remember, in the wise words of Eddie Murphy, “If you ain’t laughin’, you ain’t livin’.”