How I Built This Portfolio in Pure PHP

The site you're currently browsing isn't built on any framework. It stores data in JSON files, and all content can be modified through an admin panel. This was a conscious decision: I wanted to understand every single file I uploaded to the server.

What's Under the Hood

Two language versions, server-side light and dark mode selection, a client portal with an access code, a blog, a contact form that converts messages into support tickets, and a chat connected to a language model.

What I Learned

That most of the time is consumed by details nobody thinks about at the start: browser cache after uploading a new stylesheet, Polish characters where file extensions are missing, data backups before every deployment.

And that your own project is the best proving ground: nobody will report bugs for you, so you learn to find them yourself.