Blog

• Excel VBA: Retrieving Outlook Address Book Values

  A custom VBA function for retrieving field values from Outlook address book entries, with support for both local contacts and Exchange.

• Astro: Collection Pagination Using Rest Parameter Dynamic Route

  Implementing collection pagination in Astro using rest parameter dynamic routes, with TypeScript type handling and page navigation included.

• Power Query: Access REST APIs Secured by Basic Auth and API Key

  Querying secure REST APIs from Power Query using API key and Basic Auth headers, covering both authentication patterns with practical examples.

• Power Query: Handling Paginated REST API Data

  Three Power Query methods for retrieving paginated REST API data, covering known page counts, calculated page counts, and fully unknown page counts.

• Power BI Map Visualizations: Mapping Continents and Countries

  Continent and country mapping in Power BI is more complex than it appears. Geopolitical ambiguity and inconsistent place names require deliberate handling.

• Power BI Map Visualizations: Mapping Common City Names

  Non-unique city names frequently map to the wrong location in Power BI. Correct data categories, country context, and coordinate data resolve the ambiguity.

• Why I Switched from WordPress to Astro

  After years on WordPress, Astro offered lower maintenance, reduced hosting costs, better performance, and full control over every line of output.

• Create Self-Signed S/MIME Certificates

  Using OpenSSL to build a local certificate authority and issue self-signed S/MIME certificates for signing and encrypting email at no cost.

• Starting Over: Rebuilding My Website Using Astro

  Why I rebuilt my website from scratch using Astro, what the process involved, and how it resulted in a faster, simpler, and easier site to maintain.