Sandor Czettner Software Engineers

26/09/2024

AI in software engineering. Yes, or no? For us, it could help with repetitive tasks and speed up development time, but it could also introduce bad design into the code, or return with a code that does not work sometimes. However, I personally keep an AI assistant open. I would say it's getting increasingly helpful by time. Have a look at this simple task, for example. The code it generated is 100% what I would have written by myself. But a 2 minutes prompt writing saved me 20 minutes of coding.

14/06/2024

This is Magento usage statistics from BuiltWith and it is actually a good thing. Let me explain: when I started with Magento (1.3), it was virtually the sole option for shops to go online. I bashed eBay and Adobe in the past for making Magento 2 so complicated that they made it only suitable for stores who can afford a team of developers to maintain it. Now, I have a different opinion. We have ShopWare for the corner stores wishing to go online with their products. We have the usual PaaS providers (Shopify, BigCommerce) for folks who want a quick business prototype that can start selling within weeks. Then, we still have Hyva for the middle ground if someone needs a robust system but still would like to hire a developer and a designer instead of a full scale agency to work together and create their online store. Without Hyva, Magento would be dead within a few years. It's slow, complicated and a hog on the frontend without the proper theme. Themes based on Luma were outdated on day 1 of the release of Magento 2, and we had to go to lengths to make it somehow modern and fast.

The good thing about the declining usage is the availability of good quality alternatives for creating an eCommerce store. For the size of sellers I like to work with, my usual go-to recommendations are ShopWare and Magento with Hyva theme.

This is also a weekly reminder to stay away from WooCommerce if you ever considered it 😜

17/05/2024

POV of a software engineer.

27/04/2024

I waited almost 2 years for this room to complete, so I can work in silence away from my kids and the noise of the house. For people who don't know: I purchased a farm in Hungary back in 2022. This building was originally a horse stable with massive adobe walls and 2 small windows (one behind the camera on this picture)

We try to restore it in the spirit of the period. The cabinet on the right is 150 years old, freshly oiled with linseed oil, and I absolutely love the smell of it.

So from next week, our meetings will be less distracted, and my work will be a lot more organized. I'm happy with the results.

08/04/2024

Software engineers are the most expensive workers for any company.

If they're in the zone coding, keep them in the zone.

Stop distracting them with "quick calls", adhoc meetings, and random messages.

Let them cook.

27/02/2024

Attention all online store owners! Are you looking to increase your sales and take your business to new heights? Look no further! I am a seasoned PHP developer and successful entrepreneur with years of experience in the software development industry. My core focus is on delivering high-standard eCommerce solutions that are cost-effective, timely, and detail-oriented. As a contractor, I take pride in my can-do attitude and problem-solving skills. No challenge is too big or too small! No pie in the sky! Check out my website or reach out to me directly to learn more about how I can help your business thrive. And don't forget, I am open to part-time contracts!

21/02/2024

If you happily recommended Magento for clients under the $2M/year revenue mark during the Magento 1 era (2008~2015), you might find that today, Adobe Commerce (Magento 2) would not be the best option for these clients. Don't get me wrong, Magento 2 is a powerful tool for what it is, but I would struggle to find a reasonable excuse to offer it for stores this size. This is unfortunate because this is the size of companies I enjoy working with the most.

I carefully studied multiple alternatives, and I had a really tough time finding an alternative that fits these small companies, and I also don't find it infuriatingly low quality (I'm looking at you, WooCommerce) or just annoying to customize (Hello, OpenCart).

Until last year, when I was approached by a recruiter to maintain a Shopware 5 store until they migrate to Shopify. Shopware slipped under my radar previously because all their documentation forces you to install it through Docker, but I already had good working hosting for local development with Warden, which now has a Shopware configuration as well, but I did not have the time for it at that time. Shopware installs with Composer, it's simple enough for quick changes, and relatively easy to customize. The built-in console commands are somewhat similar to Magento 2, so it does not require extensive and difficult XML configurations like in Magento 1, where a simple typo can lead to hours or days of debugging. And unlike Magento 2, Shopware is blazingly fast. Therefore, it will run on cheaper hosting. Just what smaller companies need.

This is also your weekly reminder to get off from WooCommerce if you are still using it.

16/02/2024

Software engineering is not equivalent to development.

In the realm of technology, the term “software engineer” often conjures images of lines of code, intricate algorithms, and complex technical solutions. However, true mastery of software engineering goes beyond mere coding proficiency. It lies in the ability to approach problems holistically, und...

10/02/2024

17/01/2024

I'm offering the following eCommerce services, and I have free capacity now:
- Migration between Adobe Commerce (Magento) and Shopware
- Theme development, including PWA
- Adobe Commerce (Magento) extension development
- Upgrade and security patches
- Ongoing maintenance and support

12/01/2024

Written in Rust, designed in Blender (including the level). Source code will be opened when I'm satisfied with how it looks.