Gazetteer
An interactive world map SPA with real-time country data, live weather, currency conversion, Wikipedia summaries, and marker clustering.
Who I am
About Me
Graduate Software Developer
Dean's List Computing Graduate proficient in Python, Java, and JavaScript. Experienced in architecting RESTful APIs and full-stack systems using SQL/NoSQL and Agile principles, with a proven track record building complex logic and e-commerce platforms.
DegreeBSc Hons Computing Systems · Ulster University
LocationUnited Kingdom
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/saad-ali
StatusOpen to opportunities
Currently working as a Coding Trainee at IT Career Switch, applying OOP in Python, Java, and React to architect modular systems — including a card game engine and a Flask e-commerce platform.
4+Projects Built
18+Technologies
1+Years Experience
What I work with
Skills & Technologies
Languages, frameworks, and tools deployed across my projects.
HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript
Python
PHP
Flask
React
Bootstrap
jQuery
MySQL
PostgreSQL
MongoDB
Google APIs
REST APIs
Linux
Git
GitHub
VS Code
My journey
Curriculum Vitae
Academic background, hands-on experience, and research aspirations.
Education
Sep 2021 – Oct 2024
BSc Hons Computing Systems
Ulster University · London Campus
Studied Software Development, Databases, Networking, Cybersecurity, and AI. Completed team-based projects using Agile and SDLC methodologies. Graduated with a 2:1 and received the Dean's List Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
Jul 2025 – Nov 2025
Full-Stack Engineer Certification
Codecademy
Completed full-stack development covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js, Express, APIs, authentication, deployment, Git/GitHub, and data structures & algorithms.
Aug 2014 – Nov 2018
A-Levels
Beaconhouse
Strong academic foundation in sciences and mathematics.
Experience
Aug 2024 – Present
Coding Trainee
IT Career Switch · United Kingdom
Applying OOP in Python, Java, and React to architect modular systems including a card game engine and a Flask e-commerce platform. Engineering RESTful APIs and MySQL/NoSQL schemas; built async apps using AJAX/PHP to process real-time JSON.
Jan 2024 – Jun 2024
Software Developer Intern
Devnest
Supported development and debugging of web applications using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.
Nov 2024 – Present
Customer Support Assistant
Sainsbury's · United Kingdom
Demonstrating strong communication, time management, and problem-solving skills while working effectively as part of a team.
What I've built
Portfolio
A selection of projects I have designed, built, and deployed.
Company Directory
A full-stack staff directory with live filtering, full CRUD for employees, departments and locations, toast notifications, and mobile History API support.
GeoNames API
A web app demonstrating GeoNames public APIs — fetching country info, timezone data, and weather observations via AJAX, PHP cURL, and jQuery.
Full Stack · CRUD Application
Company Directory
Staff Directory Web App - PHP 8, MySQL, Bootstrap 5
Overview
A web-based staff directory for managing employees, departments, and locations across multiple company sites. Features live filtering, full CRUD operations, and mobile-first responsive design.
Key Features
- Browse and search personnel with live filtering by name, department, and location
- Full CRUD for employees, departments, and locations via AJAX modals
- Duplicate prevention on email, department name, and location name
- Departments and locations protected from deletion if records are assigned
- Toast notifications for all create, update, and delete actions
- Mobile History API support — back button closes modals and clears filters
- Responsive Bootstrap columns hidden conditionally by device size
Implementation Highlights
-
All forms use
.on("submit")withe.preventDefault()— no onclick in HTML -
show.bs.modalevents fetch latest DB record before edit modal opens - All queries use prepared statements with bound parameters (MySQLi)
- Config credentials excluded from version control via .gitignore
Tech Stack
API Integration · PHP · jQuery
GeoNames API
GeoNames Webservices Demo — PHP, cURL, AJAX, jQuery
Overview
A web application demonstrating how to consume GeoNames public REST APIs using a PHP proxy controller and jQuery AJAX. Users can retrieve country information, timezone data, and live weather observations by selecting coordinates from a form.
Key Features
- Country code lookup by latitude and longitude
- Timezone info — current time, sunrise and sunset
- Weather observations — temperature, humidity, wind speed
- Preloader animation during API requests
- Server-side PHP proxy — no API key exposed to the client
How It Works
The user selects coordinates and clicks a button. jQuery sends an
AJAX GET request to geonames.php, which builds the
correct GeoNames API URL, fetches the data via cURL, and returns
structured JSON. The frontend then dynamically updates the results
table.
Tech Stack
Geospatial · Multi-API Integration
Gazetteer
Interactive World Map SPA - JavaScript, PHP, Leaflet.js
Overview
A comprehensive geographical web application providing real-time country data worldwide. Users explore an interactive Leaflet.js map with auto-location detection, country border highlighting, and marker clustering for major cities.
Key Features
- Interactive Leaflet.js map with marker clustering and country border highlighting
- Auto-detects user location on load to centre the map automatically
- Wikipedia summaries with 50-word previews and high-resolution flags
- Live weather and 5-day forecasts via OpenWeatherMap
- Real-time currency converter using Open Exchange Rates API
- Fun Facts modal with unique country trivia via GeoNames
- Modular PHP backend with separate files per API (cURL)
APIs Used
Tech Stack
Let's talk
Get In Touch
Have a question or want to work together? I'd love to hear from you.