August 7, 2025
Exploring C# 14: Cleaner Syntax, Smarter Spans, and More Flexible Lambdas
Released alongside .NET 10 and supported in Visual Studio 2022, C# 14 introduces a set of thoughtful improvements aimed at making your code more concise, efficient, and expressive. Whether you’re maintaining large-scale applications or writing performance-critical components, these enhancements will help streamline your workflow.
In this article, we’ll explore the standout features of C# 14, explaining their benefits and providing practical examples so you can start using them right away
View More
July 14, 2025
Setting Up and Customizing Rules in Cursor AI
In Cursor AI, Rules are customizable instructions provided to the AI (Agent) model to guide how it handles your requests. Simply put, Rules act as fixed prompts that are always attached to the context whenever the AI executes, helping it remember your principles and preferences consistently. By setting up Rules, you can personalize the AI’s behavior to match your programming style, coding standards, and workflow.
View More
June 21, 2025
SOLID DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
SOLID is an acronym for five design principles, coined by the American computer scientist and instructor Robert C. Martin. The goal of these principles is to assist developers in creating a understandable, flexible, and maintainable software or system. So let’s dive in to see what kind of advantage these principles can offer.
View More
June 20, 2025
Progressive Web App: A native app experience wrapped in a website
Have you ever thought that a website could behave like a native app on mobile devices—such as Swift for iOS or Java/Kotlin for Android? Or the possibility of using an application offline while still supporting basic display and interaction features?
Let me introduce you to a solution for this: it's called a Progressive Web App (PWA).
View More
June 20, 2025
Getting Started with GitLab Runner: A Comprehensive Guide to GitLab Runner
GitLab Runner is an open-source application designed to execute jobs defined in GitLab CI/CD pipelines. Whether you’re building, testing, or deploying code, GitLab Runner acts as the engine driving automation in your development lifecycle.
1. Key Features of GitLab Runner:
- Multi-Platform Support: Works across Linux, macOS, Windows, and even Docker containers, providing unmatched versatility.
- Executor Options: Includes Shell, Docker, and Kubernetes executors to cater to various infrastructure setups.
- Concurrent Jobs: Allows multiple jobs to run simultaneously, improving pipeline efficiency.
- Open Source: Being open-source, GitLab Runner offers flexibility for custom configurations.
2. Installing GitLab Runner on Window:
For Windows users, download the GitLab Runner binary from the official GitLab website and execute the following commands:
cd install-folder
.\gitlab-runner.exe install
.\gitlab-runner.exe start
install-folder is the directory without the gitlab-runner.exe file.
3. Registering GitLab Runner:
Once installed, GitLab Runner must be registered with a GitLab instance. The registration process links the runner to a GitLab project or instance and specifies how jobs should be executed. Run the following command to start registration:
gitlab-runner register
During registration, you will be prompted to enter:
After successful registration, the runner is ready to execute CI/CD jobs.
- GitLab instance URL
- Registration token (found in GitLab under Settings > CI/CD > Runners)
- Enter a description for the runner.
- the job tags, separated by commas
- an optional maintenance note for the runner.
- Executor type (Shell, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.)
Get GitLab instance URL and token
How Does GitLab Runner Work?
The process revolves around configuring .gitlab-ci.yml, the pipeline definition file, which outlines the stages and jobs to be executed. GitLab Runner fetches jobs from the CI/CD pipeline and performs them within the specified environment (such as a Docker container).
Example
stages:
- build
- test
- deploy
build_job:
stage: build
script:
- echo "Building the application..."
test_job:
stage: test
script:
- echo "Running tests..."
deploy_job:
stage: deploy
script:
- echo "Deploying the application..."
4. Conclusion
GitLab Runner is a powerful tool that enhances GitLab CI/CD by executing jobs efficiently across different environments. By properly installing, configuring, and optimizing GitLab Runner, teams can significantly improve their development workflows and CI/CD performance.
If you’re looking to automate your builds, tests, and deployments with GitLab, setting up GitLab Runner is a crucial step
Whether you need scalable software solutions, expert IT outsourcing, or a long-term development partner, ISB Vietnam is here to deliver. Let’s build something great together—reach out to us today. Or click here to explore more ISB Vietnam's case studies.
Cover image from freepik.com
View More
June 20, 2025
Implementing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) with TOTP in Flask
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a crucial security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to your web applications. In this tutorial, we'll learn how to implement Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) authentication in a Flask application, similar to what you see in Google Authenticator.
View More
June 20, 2025
The best apps to learn Japanese: a comprehensive guide for beginners and beyond
Japanese isn’t the easiest language to learn, but with supportive tools, it can quickly become a rewarding part of your daily routine. In this guide, I will explore some of the best apps available to help you master Japanese, from beginner-friendly options to advanced resources. Whether you're just starting out or aiming for fluency, these apps cater to various learning needs and levels.
View More
May 31, 2025
How Effective Are Translation Tools? A Look at Their Pros and Cons
In today's globalized world, translation tools and machine translation have become indispensable for businesses, individuals, and organizations. However, while machine translation offers significant advantages, it also comes with limitations that can impact accuracy and context.
View More