Introduction Here at Clock, we recently deployed a large Node.js and MongoDB application for a client to Joyent’s cloud platform, designed for horizontal scalability. This document gives a brief overview of the configuration, and observations in the setup. We are not explaining how to design a scalable application; it’s assumed that any Node instance can [...]
17 Feb 2012
versionator – Static content versioning in node.js using express
versionator was built to solve the problem of static assets getting stuck in browser and proxy caches when new versions of the assets are deployed. Without versionator this is what can happen: You set your static content to be cached and expire in 30 days time. express.static(__dirname + ‘/public’, { maxAge: 2592000000 }) This gives [...]
6 Feb 2012
Upstart and Node.js
One issue that we have had with Node.js projects is how to allow our developers to assume the role of devops for the various different sites a machine may be running – i.e. to restart node sites without incurring a large overhead in server configuration. To date we have been running our node sites out [...]
11 Jan 2012
Zsh: [Ctrl + left arrow] outputting ’5D’?
If you’ve recently started using Zsh as your shell of choice and have noticed that some key bindings are not working or are now outputting unusual characters, you need to update your .zshrc. I noticed the issue on a virtual machine running Ubuntu Server, however, other systems vary and output slightly different key codes (i.e, ‘;5D‘ and [...]
6 Jan 2012
and now… Will the fat lady sing?
As discussed, I am trialling new browsers – to enrich and broaden my horizons. I ended up using Chrome for longer than I intended and with good reason, I found it to be the best browser I had used. Previously I was an adherent Firefox fan. So, how does Opera fare? With more than 220 million [...]
15 Dec 2011
Secret Santa app
The ‘Secret Santa’s Tombola’, is a new free iPhone web app from digital agency Clock Limited to help you find that perfect Secret Santa gift. The Secret Santa app, developed in-house at Clock, guides you through various choices about the recipient before helping you find them the perfect gift, all of which were hand-picked [...]
The Rise and Rise of Game Mechanics
We all like games. They are fun, social and as it turns out tremendously useful in real life. (See my previous post on that subject here. Read it? Good, then welcome back!) How did it start? So lately, the world of gaming has started to spill out from the realm of hardcore gamers to, well… [...]
5 Dec 2011
Compiling ActionScript 3.0 with Sublime Text 2
At Clock we typically spend our time developing JavaScript and PHP, however, occasionally Flash presents itself as the most suitable platform for certain components. To avoid the need of installing a separate authoring environment (and even the license fees associated with some of the official Adobe IDE’s) I sought to empower my text editor Sublime Text 2 with the ability to compile SWF’s. Choosing to [...]
