Practical notes for everyday debugging tasks.
Learn the concepts behind common Dev Atlas tools, including how to avoid parsing mistakes, unit confusion, unsafe assumptions, and misleading encoded values.
Why these guides exist
The tools on Dev Atlas are intentionally small, but the debugging context around them matters. These guides explain when to use each tool, what common errors mean, and what not to assume from formatted, decoded, converted, or generated output.
How to Format and Validate JSON Safely
Learn how to format, validate, minify, and inspect JSON without confusing JavaScript object syntax with valid JSON.
Open JSON Formatter7 min readHow to Decode a JWT Without Trusting It
Understand JWT header and payload fields, time claims, and why decoding a token is not the same as verifying it.
Open JWT Decoder6 min readUnix Timestamp Seconds vs Milliseconds
Learn how Unix seconds, Unix milliseconds, ISO strings, UTC, and local time relate during API and log debugging.
Open Timestamp Converter5 min readBase64 Encoding Is Not Encryption
Learn what Base64 is for, how it differs from encryption, and how to decode small payloads safely.
Open Base64 Encoder6 min readURL Encoding for Query Strings and Paths
Learn when to encode URL components, why full URLs are different from query values, and how to avoid decode errors.
Open URL Encoder