Version 5.5: New Features, Automation, and a Fresh Look (PR #77 & PR #78)

Hey everyone! I’m back with some exciting news. After weeks of tinkering, testing, and a few late-night debugging sessions, I’m thrilled to roll out Version 5.5 of my website! This update packs in some amazing new features, design upgrades, and optimizations that I can’t wait to share with you. Let’s dive right in:

1. Removing Authentication from the API Token

To streamline the development process and improve usability, authentication has been removed from the API token. This change simplifies integration and ensures smoother access to the API.

Before this update, the API token was required for authentication, but it wasn’t actually being utilized, making things unnecessarily complicated—especially for mobile applications. Since I’m also working on an Android application that will use this project’s API, the authentication token only added extra complexity. So, I decided to remove authentication from the API token.

The main reason behind this decision is that all the data from this API is already open-source and accessible directly from the GitHub repository. Given this, authentication for the API token felt redundant. However, there is another concern: request bandwidth. If someone were to launch a DoS attack on the API, it could overload the server and cause issues.

To mitigate this, I have enabled rate limiting for the API. This ensures that if someone attempts a DoS attack, their requests will be blocked temporarily. Additionally, with Vercel’s firewall integration, any such attack will be restricted automatically.

With these protections in place, I decided to remove authentication from the API token while ensuring that the API remains secure and efficient.

• GitHub PR: #77

2. Automated Scripts for Build, Cleanup, and Deployment

A new automated script has been added to handle:

• Building the project
• Cleaning up unnecessary files
• Pushing changes to the GitHub repository

This automation ensures a faster and more reliable deployment process.

The reason behind adding this script was to make the development process more efficient and streamlined. With just three options, I can build, clean, and deploy the project using a single command, simplifying workflow and saving time.

• GitHub PR: #77

3. Introducing the “MS Notes” Section

A brand-new section called “MS Notes” has been added to the website. This section will allow me to showcase my Master’s in Computer Science (MS) notes, featuring a comprehensive collection of study materials and resources.

Unlike other sections, this one will not be integrated with Tina CMS but will remain a standalone section. I will be writing all notes in Markdown, ensuring a simple and structured format for easy access and readability.

• GitHub PR: #79

4. Redesigned Header and Navigation System

The website’s header and navigation system have been redesigned to provide a more modern and intuitive user experience. This update enhances accessibility while delivering a cleaner and more cohesive design.

The new layout seamlessly adapts from desktop to mobile, ensuring full responsiveness across all screen sizes. With this update, I hope the website becomes more user-friendly and enjoyable to navigate.

• GitHub PR: #79

5. Robust Error Handling Across Content Layers

I’ve implemented more robust error-handling mechanisms for each content layer. This ensures greater stability and better handling of unexpected issues.

• GitHub PR: #77

6. API Updates and Code Optimization

In the previous version of the API, a lot of code was repeatedly written, leading to redundancy. This update optimizes and cleans up the code, making it more efficient, streamlined, and easier to maintain.

• GitHub PR: #77

7. New Section for “What’s New” on the Homepage

In this update, I wanted to showcase the development of the website and highlight some of the new features and improvements that have been made. To achieve this, I created a new section on the homepage called “What’s New”, which displays the latest updates and news related to the website.

All the information from Version 1.0 to Version 5.5 has been included in this version as well.

The section fully integrates with Tina CMS, ensuring that it always displays the most up-to-date content and news about the website.

• GitHub PR: #79

What’s Next?

I’m constantly working on enhancing the website, and I’m excited to bring more updates in the future. If you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to share them. Stay tuned for more improvements and features!