How to Separate Development and Production Code in a JavaScript Project Using npm

In the past, I utilized Ant build scripts to separate development and production source code. Now, as I'm working on a 100% JavaScript project, I have decided to implement a similar separation using npm.

If you want to deploy minified frontend files (HTML, CSS, and JS) while keeping your development code as it is, you will need to do the following:

1. Instruct express.js to serve files from different directories.

const NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || "development";

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

const PATH = path.dirname(new URL(import.meta.url).pathname);

const DIRNAME = NODE_ENV === "development" ? "public_dev" : "public";

app.use(express.static(path.join(PATH, DIRNAME)));

This way, your local server will use source files from the public_dev directory, while the production server will use source files from the directory named public.

2. Once you do that, move to your parent directory and run the following commands:

npm init -y
npm install --save-dev html-minifier clean-css-cli terser

3. Add the following to your package.json file:

  "scripts": {
    "build:backend": "npm run purge:backend && npm run minify:backend",
    "purge:backend": "rsync -r --delete --exclude='*' backend/public_dev/ backend/public",
    "minify:backend": "npm run copy:images && npm run minify:css && npm run minify:html",
    "copy:images": "rsync -a --update backend/public_dev/img/* backend/public/img",
    "minify:css": "rsync -a --update backend/public_dev/css/*.css backend/public/css --out-format='%n' | xargs -I {} cleancss backend/public/css/{} -o backend/public/css/{}",
    "minify:html": "rsync -a --update backend/public_dev/*.html backend/public --out-format='%n' | xargs -I {} html-minifier --collapse-whitespace --remove-comments --remove-optional-tags --remove-redundant-attributes --remove-script-type-attributes --remove-style-link-type-attributes --use-short-doctype --minify-css true --minify-js true backend/public/{} -o backend/public/{}"
  },

Now, running npm run build:backend will delete dangling destination files, copy image files, and copy and minimize CSS and HTML files.

 npm install --save-dev html-minifier clean-css-cli tersernpm install --save-dev html-minifier clean-css-cli terser

Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): A Quick Overview

Last update: 2024.01.25

These are personal research notes compiled after a brief exploration of retrieval augmented generation and access control implementations.

Extending LLM knowledge with new data sources is also known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). Here is the Wikipedia definition of RAG:

Retrieval Augmented Generation is a technique that grants generative artificial intelligence models information retrieval capabilities. It modifies interactions with a large language model so that the model responds to user queries with reference to a specified set of documents, using this information to augment information drawn from its own vast, static training data. 

If you plan to implement an LLM with RAG in your company, you will most likely need some form of access control as well. For example, it would not be advisable for an intern to gain access, through prompting, to information that is meant to be restricted to C-level executives.

The following article describes how to Implement Role-Based Access Control in RAG. The example uses Ollama (open-source tool for running LLM's locally).

Here is another article that describes Implementing simple role-based access control in LLM applications, though it's not clear which LLM or tools are used.

Related solutions

LM Studio

https://lmstudio.ai/

Pros:

• Easy installation and setup
• Runs various LLMs, entirely offline
• Chat with local documents
• Chat UI or an OpenAI API compatible local server
• Free for personal use

Cons:

• Not free for business use
• Not open source
• Doesn't support access control

open-webui

https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui

Pros:

• Free and open source
• Chat with several models simultaneously
• Image generation
• Web browsing capability
• Huge community

Cons:

• RAG can not include remote folders
• Not sure what's the state of role-based access control (RBAC).

Other

Another interesting open-source front-end worth following is LibreChat.

Another commercial solution I haven't checked yet is kapa.ai. They say about themselves the following:

Kapa.ai turns your knowledge base into a reliable and production-ready LLM-powered AI assistant that answers technical product questions instantly and helps improve your documentation.

Vector databases that support RAG with access control include Pinecone [docs], which is commercial, and Supabase [docs], an open-source Firebase alternative.

Useful communities

https://www.reddit.com/r/LocalLLaMA/

Comparing payment provider fees and features: a breakdown of few popular options

Last update: 2024.01.19

As I prepare to launch my new product, I’ve been evaluating several payment providers (LemonSqueezy, Paddle and PayPro Global) to find the best fit for my needs. To simplify the process, I created this document to consolidate all the relevant details about fees, affiliate commissions, payout methods, and other critical features in one place. By comparing these aspects across platforms, I aim to make an informed decision—and help others do the same.

LemonSqueezy

Fees

LemonSqueezy fee details.

Platform Fees

Their base fee is 5% + $0.50. Additionally to that, they charge:

+0.5% for subscription payments
+1.5% for international (outside of the US) transactions
+1.5% for PayPal transactions

So for example, the total fee for international subscription via PayPal would be 8.5% + $0.50.

Their pricing for microtransactions (under $10) is not disclosed on their website. However, if you ask, they will inform you that it is 5% + $0.30—at least, that's what they told me.

Affiliates and Affiliate Fees

They have an affiliate fee of 3% for each sale done through affiliate referral.
They also deduct 2% from affiliate commission. 

For subscriptions, affiliates earn a commission on the initial sale, as well as on all recurring charges, as long as the customer remains subscribed. 

LemonSqueezy affiliate platform.

Payouts and Payout Fees

For payouts via Stripe:

• Free for bank accounts in the US
• 1% per payout for bank accounts outside the US

For Payouts via PayPal:

• A flat fee of $0.50 per payout for accounts in the US
• 3% capped at $30 per payout for accounts outside the US

Payout schedule is twice a month and minimum payout threshold is $50.

Paddle

• They advertise invoicing as a separate service. Customer invoicing is not done automatically.
• They say that they are working with two affiliate platforms, FirstPromoter and Rewardful, but that they don’t have direct affiliate programs.
• Contact form doesn't allow duck.com email addresses.

Fees

Platform Fees

Their base fee is 5% + $0.50. There are no additional fees. For subscriptions under $10, they charge a flat 10% fee.

Payouts and Payout Fees

No any additional payout fees, supported payout methods are: PayPal, Payoneer, Bank/Wire transfer. Payout schedule is once a month and minimum payout threshold is $100.

PayPro Global

They have an affiliate system, it can be set up both for the first order only, or for recurring subscriptions. They support tier commissions too.

Fees

If a chargeback occurs, there is a chargeback fee of $15, regardless of the transaction amount.

Platform Fees

Their fee is 4.9% + $1. There is a separate fee for transactions under $10, and it is $0.90. There are no additional fees.

Payouts and Payout Fees

Payouts are once a month. The minimum payout threshold is $400 USD. Payout fee depends on the method:

• Payoneer pre-paid card – $2 USD
• Wire Transfer – $21 USD
• ACH (North America) – $3 USD
• PayPal For US & Canada – Free
• PayPal Internationally – 2% (max $20 USD fee)

What to ask your potential payment provider

In case you want to prospect another payment provider, here is a list of additional questions that are mandatory to have answers to:

• What are the payout fees?
• What payout methods are supported?
• What is the minimum payout threshold?
• What is the payout schedule?
• Is there any special pricing for microtransactions, e.g., products under $10?
• Are there any affiliate fees?
• How is the affiliate commission for subscriptions set up: only for the first charge or for all recurring charges?

2024. u retrovizoru: Knjiški pregled

U 2024. godini pročitao sam 17 knjiga. Prema statistikama GoodReads-a, kojeg koristim od 2016. godine, čini se da mi je to gornji godišnji limit. Ali dobro je da nađem vremena i za to. Od tih 17 knjiga, izdvojio bih i preporučio sljedeće četiri:

Štorije od žalosti, Drago Orlić

Preporuka iz jedne epizode Explore. Zbirka životnih pričica temeljenih na stvarnim događajima i ljudima. Mjesto radnje je Istra, a period obuhvaća od kraja 19. do kraja 20. stoljeća. Svaka štorija je upečatljiva i osobna, a prikazuje i širi društveni kontekst tog podneblja u tom vremenu. Mene su štorije podsjetile na uratke braće Taviani. Da su braća živa, miritalo bi da ih i ekraniziraju. I to nitko drugi nego oni.

Što nam serviraju: zašto je gotovo sve što ste čuli o hrani pogrešno, Tim Spector

Originalni naslov knjige je Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong.

Zanimljivo je da je ova knjiga preporuka jednog hrvatskog 'političara', katolibana i antivaksera. Ne, ne pratim njegovu inače dijareju na društvenim mrežama, nego jednog od njegovih kritičara, pa je posredno tim putem ta preporuka dospjela i do mene. Naslov knjige je poprilično točan, barem u mom osobnom slučaju, jer knjiga razotkriva niz poprilično uvriježenih i lažnih mitova o prehrani. Napisao ju je profesor genetičke epidemiologije i stručnjak za mikrobiom crijeva. Obavezno je pročitajte ako vodite računa o vlastitom zdravlju.

Životinjska farma, George Orwell

Brutalna kritika brutalne politike Sovjetskog Saveza. "Sve životinje jednake, ali neke životinje su jednakije od drugih", vrijedi na žalost kod nas i danas. Jer naši su vodeći političari, iako su neki od njih kasnije promijenili boje, ipak bili mladi i perspektivni komunistički lideri, pa njihova percepcija vlastite uloge, uloge medija i gospodarstva nije puno drugačija od percepcije koju imaju svinje iz Orwellove farme. Zna se na koga mislim. Oink, oink.

Predvidljivo iracionalni: nevidljive sile koje upravljaju našim odlukama, Dan Ariely

Originalni naslov knjige je Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.

Na naše odluke utječu očekivanja, emocije, društvene norme i drugi nevidljivi faktori. Sustavno činimo iste pogreške – precjenjujemo ono što imamo, preplaćujemo ili podcjenjujemo ono što nemamo, odgađamo bitne odluke, itd. Svi ti obrasci su predvidljivi, a ne nasumični. Ova knjiga govori o tome kako ih prepoznati i donositi bolje odluke u životu.

Sve spomenute knjige imate u gradskoj knjižnici, a godišnja članarina je manja od €15. Vjerojatno jedna od najboljih investicija za ovu godinu. Jedna od najboljih, a možda i najbolja investicija za ovu godinu. Navali narode.

Software development on a touch phone (2)

Continuing on my previous post Software development on a touch phone (1), I’m excited to share that my Bluetooth keyboard has finally arrived! I’m still getting used to its dimensions and unfamiliar layout. Additionally, I’ve set up Neovim and even added a GitHub Copilot plugin. The results are promising—check out the images and video below!

Rate my setup:
$0.96 Bluetooth keyboard (AliExpress welcome deal)
$1.20 Phone stand
$40 Second hand Nokia 6.1 (with charger!)
$0 LineageOS + Termux + Neovim + GitHub Copilot

Converting webm video to mp4 on Ubuntu

Ubuntu's built-in screen recorder saves videos in WebM format. Some social media platforms do not support it, so you might find yourself needing to convert them to MP4 format. Make sure you have FFmpeg installed first:

sudo apt install ffmpeg

After that, it's just a one-liner (command line parameters are explained below):

ffmpeg -i video_file.webm -vf "pad=ceil(iw/2)*2:ceil(ih/2)*2" -r 30 video_file.mp4

-vf "pad=ceil(iw/2)*2:ceil(ih/2)*2" is a workaround for videos whose dimensions are not even numbers.

-r 30 sets the rate to 30 frames per second. You can set your own value here. FFmpeg actually keeps the frame rate of the original file, though it might get confused in case it is a variable rate.