Posts tagged "performance"

You write SQL declaratively, but the database engine decides how to execute it. We open up Postgres EXPLAIN to show how query planners actually choose strategies.

HTTP caching is one of the most powerful and most misunderstood web performance tools. Getting Cache-Control right can eliminate most of your server's traffic for static assets.

CSS minification strips out whitespace, comments, and unnecessary characters without changing any rules. On large stylesheets the savings are significant, and the tooling is trivial to set up.

Web fonts are one of the most common sources of layout shift and invisible text flash. The font-display property and a few preload hints can eliminate both problems.

The critical rendering path is the sequence of steps a browser must complete before showing the first pixel. Optimizing it is one of the highest-impact things you can do for perceived performance.

A browser takes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and turns it into pixels. The steps between those two points — parsing, layout, painting, compositing — directly affect performance and user experience.

Embedding images as Base64 data URIs eliminates an HTTP request but increases file size by 33% and breaks caching. Here is when the trade-off actually makes sense.

When you resize an image, your software has to invent new pixel values. The algorithm it uses determines whether the result is crisp, blurry, or filled with jagged artifacts.

CSS sprites were the standard performance technique for reducing icon HTTP requests in the HTTP/1.1 era. With HTTP/2 and SVG, the calculus has changed — but understanding sprites is still valuable.

When you drag a JPEG quality slider from 100 to 80, what actually changes in the file? Understanding the compression algorithm helps you make smarter trade-offs between file size and quality.

Your server already compresses responses with gzip or Brotli — but do you know what those algorithms actually do? Understanding compression helps you optimize assets and set correct headers.

An index can turn a ten-second query into a millisecond query — or slow down your writes significantly if misused. Understanding the data structure behind indexes makes both outcomes predictable.

Rate limiting is invisible when it works and infuriating when it is misconfigured. Understanding the underlying algorithms helps you implement limits that protect your API without frustrating legitimate users.