PHP ‘include’, ‘get_template_part’, and ‘require’: Best Practices

Tutorials

Including files in a PHP environment can be tricky for new developers.  There are no less than four ways to include a file: include, include_once, require, and require_once.  Moreso, there’s very subtle differences in the reasons behind using each one.  Throw in WordPress (which has its own specific flavor of include tag – get_template_part) and it can be downright confusing.  Using the wrong one,…

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It’s 2020 – Do I Still Need A Website?

Digital Strategy

Maybe it’s because I’m a website developer, but I get asked occasionally if having a website is still one of those NECESSARY things you have to have. The further we get with web technologies and platforms, however, the more I could possibly maybe see the need for something that’s not a website. People stream games on Twitch. Creators make videos to publish on YouTube. Streamers and…

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WooCommerce: Third Party API Calls At Checkout

Tutorials

I've been doing a lot more WooCommerce work as of late. And with good reason - WooCommerce (as of the end of 2016) powers nearly 42% of all eCommerce stores on the internet. One of the biggest requests I have when working with WooCommerce is how to integrate a third party vendor into a checkout screen. An example would be a gift card merchant.…

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How To Search A Specific Custom Post Type (Only!) in WordPress

Tutorials

If you’re like me, you use custom post types a LOT when you’re doing projects (or on your own site, if I’ve done it for you!).  There’s a lot of value in having a type of content that’s unrestrained and flexible.  Sometimes, however, you want to be able to search a particular post type, and leave out all of the other results (pages, blog…

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Splitting Out Spotify: Streaming & Recording With "Tracks" in OBS

Tutorial

It's a known fact that using streamed footage to create YouTube videos is a fantastic way to repurpose content. However, for a lot of streamers, their music of choice on stream leaves them with a problem: YouTube’s (seemingly random) stance on copyright. Using popular songs is guaranteed to get you a strike, but it’s difficult to know or discern if a lesser-known song is…

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Splitting Large Video Files For Editing with FFmpeg

Tutorial

I've been doing more video content than ever as of late, and working with video files is one of my favorite pastimes. Between streaming and editing video for YouTube, being able to manipulate video files - especially large ones - is becoming more and more of a necessity. A few days ago, I had an ambitious project: a 12-hour YouTube and Twitch stream. While…

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Killers & Gamification: "Win… at any cost"

Gamification

A note, before we begin: a lot of people, when they hear the name of the 'killers' player group, don't like to actually be called 'Killers'. There is a negative connotation the name brings. Take it from someone who plays video games - the name is very apt. There are groups of people who, whether it's for achievement or their own enjoyment, love the…

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Killers & Gamification: “Win… at any cost”

Gamification

A note, before we begin: a lot of people, when they hear the name of the 'killers' player group, don't like to actually be called 'Killers'. There is a negative connotation the name brings. Take it from someone who plays video games - the name is very apt. There are groups of people who, whether it's for achievement or their own enjoyment, love the…

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A Twitch Overlay for Spotify (via last.fm) that Works!

Tutorial

I have a guilty pleasure in that I love streaming on Twitch. A few times a week, I throw on some on some good music, fire up a video game, and broadcast myself sucking at playing video games and hanging out with my viewers. Over the past few weeks, I've found the need to showcase the tracks I'm playing on Spotify to my viewers,…

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