Engineering Notes

Technical writing by Aasif Ashraf on full-stack development, Next.js, TypeScript, databases, and building production web applications.

  1. 01

    My 14-Year-Old Self Built a Pen-and-Paper Cipher (And Locked Me Out 14 Years Later)

    I found a 2012 sheet where my 14-year-old self built a pen-and-paper cipher to hide an email password. It was a full cryptographic escape room.

    • Security
    • Cryptography
    • Story
    • Passwords
  2. 02

    Type-Safe Forms in Next.js with Server Actions and Zod

    Build a production-grade contact form in the Next.js App Router with Server Actions, Zod validation, and progressive enhancement, without API routes.

    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Server Actions
    • Zod