← Omar Harkouss5 articles
Writing

Ideas, craft,
& process.

ArchitectureFeatured
01

Layered Architecture in Java: Beyond the Diagram

A production-focused breakdown of layered architecture in Java — dependency rules, package structures, transaction boundaries, rich vs. anemic domain models, and every trap that academic diagrams never show you.

11 March 202618 min read
02
Deep Dive

Error Handling in Next.js + tRPC + React Query + Prisma: A Complete Guide

A thorough walkthrough of every error boundary in a modern full-stack TypeScript application — tRPC errors, React Query error states, Next.js built-in error files, and react-error-boundary for granular client-side recovery.

7 March 2026
16 min read
03
Research

The True State of AI-Assisted Development in 2026

A research-driven examination of what AI coding tools actually deliver — productivity gains, quality trade-offs, trust erosion, and what the data says engineers should do differently.

6 March 2026
12 min read
04
Engineering

How to Actually Use AI Coding Agents

A practical guide to Cursor, Claude Code, and OpenCode — what each tool is built for, how to prompt them well, and how to combine them without losing control of your codebase.

6 March 2026
8 min read
05
Case Study

Building a Production HR SaaS Platform: Architecture, Trade-offs, and Lessons

A deep technical walkthrough of the architecture decisions behind a production employment marketplace — modular monolith design, tri-role RBAC, AI CV analysis, full-text search, and real-time messaging.

6 March 2026
14 min read