Christopher Miller

In 1983, Christopher was introduced to computers by his dad, at the tender age of 3. now, over 40 years later, he has been working in the industry for over 20 years making an impact across multiple sectors of the industry. Starting with launching the first web development company in Staffordshire, Christopher dealt with the web – when the web was little more than just pretty text. He established the websites for many different businesses in their first inception, before moving onto web applications a little while later. Illness prevented Christopher from working in the industry full time for some considerable time – but recovery meant he could tackle once again the joys of code – but he soon found that his skills had become out of date, so thanks to the School of Code in the UK he was able to return to the workplace with revitalised skills ready to tackle the next wave. Specialising since the School of Code in Readable Code, He has worked with a large number of languages, specialising in supporting businesses to grow standards for their code base, and now he is ready to share his processes with the world.

twitter: @ccmiller2018

Articles

The Origins of PHP

By Christopher Miller

Early on Thursday, 8th June 1995, Rasmus Lerdorf, sitting in the glow of the CRT monitor with a half-empty coffee cup next to him, is about to change the world of development for the web forever. He has no idea, of course, what a monumental post this would end up being at the time, but I’m sure he knows now what impact that simple decision had. by Christopher Miller

Published in Lounging Around with PHP, November 2024

Symfony: Not Just Your Grandpa’s Framework – A Laravel Dev’s Journey

By Christopher Miller

Symfony: The framework that sounds like you probably need to blow the dust off the box before you use it. But hey! Don’t be fooled – it might be old, but it’s also still got the moves that keep the new kids on the block on their toes. by Christopher Miller

Published in The Symfony of PHP, October 2024

Securing PHP Applications: A Deep Dive – Part Six – Third Parties

By Christopher Miller

We’re on our final stage of Securing PHP Applications: Dealing with third parties. by Christopher Miller

Published in The Symfony of PHP, October 2024

Securing PHP Applications: A Deep Dive – Part Five – API Security

By Christopher Miller

So far, we’ve now looked at: 1. How a hacker can get in; 2. Some ways of securing that in code; 3. Authentication and authorization; 4. Educating users and handling incidents by Christopher Miller

Published in PHP Is Listening, September 2024

How Not To Make Your Developers Happy

By Christopher Miller

We don’t want happy developers around us! I mean, is there anything more annoying than those code-driven people who sit quietly in the corner, pumping out incredible work while grinning ear to ear because they actually enjoy their jobs? The audacity! Why would anyone want a team that’s passionate, innovative, and driven by a genuine love for what they do? There’s absolutely no benefit to having a bunch of content, enthusiastic developers who actually care about the company’s success, is there? by Christopher Miller

Published in HaPHPy Developers, August 2024

Securing PHP Applications: A Deep Dive – Part Four – Incidents And Education

By Christopher Miller

So far, we’ve reviewed some attacks a hacker can use, some ways we can think about code to get out of that scenario, and authentication and authorization. This month, we’re delving into Incident Management and Educating Users. by Christopher Miller

Published in HaPHPy Developers, August 2024

Securing PHP Applications: A Deep Dive – Part Three – Authentication And Authorization

By Christopher Miller

So far, we’ve examined some of the attacks for a hacker, as well as some of the thoughts around code—but now, let’s consider Authentication and Authorization: the first layer of defense on any active site. One overriding thought should *ALWAYS* be “don’t roll your own authentication”—in other words, people have spent a long, long time building this out. The examples here are purely informational and should be steps to consider—and should be treated as pseudo-code. by Christopher Miller

Published in Search For Good Code, July 2024

Securing PHP Applications: A Deep Dive – Part Two – Securing The Code

By Christopher Miller

Last month, we looked at some of the ways that attackers can get in – that wasn’t exhaustive, but gave a flavor of the ways in. This month, we’re digging into some code and working out how we can add some control against hackers. by Christopher Miller

Published in AI Llamas, June 2024

Securing PHP Applications: Understanding The Threats

By Christopher Miller

Over the next six months, we’re going to deep dive into Securing PHP Applications—we have already learned a lot about readability, now let’s pivot to some patterns to help us more in the flow of our application. by Christopher Miller

Published in PHP Reflections, May 2024

Is Your Code Clear Enough For A Non Developer To Understand

By Christopher Miller

Before you get out the pitchforks and hunt me down – at least give me the time it takes to read this article to explain my point. You see, if a non-developer can understand it, then just how much easier will it be for a developer to understand it? by Christopher Miller

Published in World Community, March 2024

Is Your Code Documented Enough To Help?

By Christopher Miller

So Far In The Series, we’ve looked at Planning, Abstraction, Encapsulation, and Testing. That’s a good place to start – the last major section to set out our groundwork is the dreaded thing of Documentation. As developers, we’re naturally divided into a dichotomy of documentation – we either love it and document all the things or hate it and document none of the things. I advocate for a place in the middle – Document the things we need documented, not the things we don’t. by Christopher Miller

Published in The PHP Gambit: Winning Strategies in Code, February 2024

Is Your Code Tested Enough To Be Confident?

By Christopher Miller

So far in this series, we’ve looked at Planning, Abstraction, and Encapsulation – but now we’re getting stuck with the next of our items: Testing! I know, I know – I can hear the groans from here! But let me start with a story… by Christopher Miller

Published in Bad Bug Bounties, January 2024

Is Your Code Encapsulated Enough To Be Clear?

By Christopher Miller

In this journey, we won’t merely scratch the surface. We’ll dive headfirst into the world of encapsulation—a fundamental concept within PHP development. Encapsulation  is your partner in crafting code that is not only clear but also highly maintainable and scalable within the PHP ecosystem. by Christopher Miller

Published in Generating Efficient PHP, December 2023

Is Your Code Abstracted Enough To Minimize Load?

By Christopher Miller

Last month, we looked at the handling of plans—well, building from that, we’re going to start delving into abstraction and minimizing load. What do I mean, though, by abstraction? by Christopher Miller

Published in Command Line Picasso, November 2023

Is Your Plan Extensive Enough To Help Someone Else?

By Christopher Miller

Do you remember your first introduction to computing? How about what happened next? My life would be forever changed by the experience and for the better. This article will walk you through what happened next and the overall development of my code. by Christopher Miller

Published in Software Archeology, October 2023