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Writer Sufyan bin Uzayr is helping computing students and graduates improve their skills with his latest book, a guide on how to build websites and improve their technological acumen in the digital age.
The Indian native, who moved to Bahrain in 2017 after a family tragedy, has released VuePress Quick Start Guide, a book which provides extensive detail on static site generators, how they are better than general blogging, writing and content tools, and instructs how to build sites with VuePress.
Sufyan, 27, explained: “This book teaches you how to build static sites in VuePress in no time. All the site content is rendered as HTML by VuePress and is then executed as a single-page web app. This means everything works fast and loads quickly.
“The book walks you through installing and setting up the VuePress static site generator and the powerful JavaScript framework Vue.js, which underpins VuePress, looking at its uses and advantages. Readers will then dig deep into the specifics of VuePress, covering content creation in markdown, customisation, internationalisation, and deployment.
“It also provides extensive information on security methods, configuration files for new installations, and many other techniques to have students and enthusiasts building their own sites safely and quickly.”
By the end of the guide, users are expected to have built their own static website for either personal or professional use.
It has been a very busy year for Sufyan, who last year set up a publishing company, Zeba Books, in India, which distributes classic works from the likes of Aristotle, Shakespeare and Plato, plus texts from iconic poets such as Rumi and Hafiz.
Sufyan prefers to be acknowledged as a writer, although truth be told, he could adopt a number of monikers. He has also just finished his fourth Master’s degree, achieving first division marks in political science, having already obtained ones in the fields of history, English and information technology.
He has written a number of textbooks, has been the editor of various journals and magazines, and even published his first science-fiction novel, The Apocalypse, in 2015.
Furthermore, he is a self-taught programmer, having sneaked into his school’s computer room and taught himself while destroying a fair number of computers in the process.
What first started as content writing and tutoring to earn some extra pocket money whilst at school soon exploded into a full-time, seven-days-a-week dedication to providing services and education to people across the world.
However, a year ago he decided to make Bahrain his home after his father, Uzayr Mustafa, passed away after a sudden illness.
He said: “I had already decided to set up my own software development company, Parakozm, which would focus on web development, mobile apps and games, plus digital content like web magazines. The next step was to choose where I’d establish it.
“The world was my oyster, but I chose Bahrain because it’s somewhere in the middle. I can’t forget or delete India and my history there; my mum, family and other businesses are still there, so it’s close enough to visit when I need to. Not only that, Bahrain is very friendly for business people with its open economy.
“I’m delighted I chose here as I love the place. I’ve always been a fan of islands and I like how small it is because in India, it’s massive and crowded and takes a lot of time to get anywhere.”
His next book, pencilled for release in the summer, is titled Modern JavaScript Frameworks, which will be a textbook related to web development in JavaScript. This is regarded as the core language in which VueJS and VuePress is written. He will also publish an as-yet untitled European history textbook.
Aside from his writing, his latest project, arguably his biggest one yet, is the Uzayr Foundation. This is an educational facility and studio, which offers classes without tuition fees or any financial burden. The overall aim is to provide job-ready training for youngsters, especially the disabled and girls, and is multi-national with a presence in India, Africa, Madagascar, Cambodia and Central Asia.
“Overall, my end goal is to create a circle to bring together the three main prongs of my work; writing, coding and educating,” he said.
VuePress Quick Start Guide, published by Packt Publishing in the UK, is available now as an e-book for $5 at https://www.packtpub.com/web-development/vuepress-quick-start-guide, with a print option also available.
For more information on Sufyan’s work, visit www.sufyanism.com or email sufyan@parakozm.com
