Podcast Summary
Exploring new tools and technologies in web development: Stay curious and updated in web development by learning about new tools and technologies like CSS custom props, SvelteKit, GitHub Copilot, WASI, and Wazee.
The world of web development is constantly evolving, and there are always new tools and technologies to explore. During this episode of Syntax, Wes Bos and Scott Talinski answered listener questions on various topics, including CSS custom props, SvelteKit, and GitHub Copilot. Wes shared his excitement about having a working ice maker at home, reminiscing about attending Reactathon in San Francisco and learning about the various JavaScript runtimes beyond the popular ones like Node and Dino. Scott talked about his lawn care activities and shared his anticipation for discussing WASI and Wazee on the show. The conversation also touched on the box sizing property and its relationship to border-box. Overall, this episode underscores the importance of staying curious and keeping up with the latest developments in web development.
Using Astro and Svelte together: Combine Astro and Svelte for optimal project building, using Astro endpoints for data submission, and be aware of potential spamming risks with forms.
When building a project using Astro and Svelte, it's recommended to use Astro plus Svelte components instead of dealing with two separate full-stack frameworks. Astro, a selling point, allows the use of components from different frameworks, including Svelte. By using Astro endpoints, you can submit data, but be cautious of forms that submit data to endpoints as they may lead to spamming. Tim also asked about stopping a phone from changing email passwords and shutting off emails, a question that was considered humorous but beyond the scope of the podcast. Another question, from Lilpropup, asked about what cannot go into a CSS custom prop. The answer is that the spec is intentionally lax on what can go into CSS custom properties, but the real limitation is where they can be used. Some things, like strings or pixels, cannot be concatenated or coerced into strings. The future may bring more capabilities for CSS custom properties.
Limitations of CSS custom properties: CSS custom properties, or variables, offer flexibility but have limitations such as inability to assign directly to content property, no support for entire blocks of CSS, and lack of intuitive debugging. Certifications can demonstrate completion of courses, but hands-on experience and a strong portfolio are more important.
While CSS custom properties, also known as variables, offer great flexibility in styling web pages, there are certain limitations. For instance, you cannot directly assign a variable to the content property, and you cannot put entire blocks of CSS into custom properties. Additionally, debugging CSS custom properties is not very intuitive, and there is no way to see the end computed value of a variable or a circular reference error. Regarding certifications for JavaScript or full stack development, while they may not be a guarantee of skill, they can serve as a way to demonstrate completion of certain courses or knowledge in specific areas. Certifications from reputable organizations or free platforms like FreeCodeCamp can be valuable additions to a resume or portfolio. However, it's important to remember that hands-on experience and a strong portfolio are often more important to potential employers than certifications alone.
Certifications aren't everything in hiring: Demonstrating practical skills through personal projects, blogging, speaking, and social media can make a stronger impression on potential employers than relying solely on certifications.
While certifications can be beneficial for certain jobs and industries, particularly in the tech field, they may not be the deciding factor in the hiring process. Instead, demonstrating practical skills through personal projects, blog posts, speaking at conferences, and social media presence can make a stronger impression on potential employers. The most exciting aspect of teaching programming for Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski is the constant learning and ability to positively impact people's lives. They shared a heartwarming story of a woman who learned to code in jail using their videos and turned her life around. However, it's important to remember that the individual putting in the effort is ultimately responsible for their success.
Sharing knowledge and dealing with negativity: Creating content to help others saves time and is rewarding, but dealing with negativity can be tough. Use tools like GitHub Copilot as aids, but maintain independent problem-solving skills to grow professionally.
Creating content to help others can save them time and be rewarding, while dealing with negativity can be a challenge. The speaker shares how they found fulfillment in producing Drupal tutorials to help others overcome the same struggles they faced. However, they also acknowledge the challenge of dealing with haters and mean comments. The speaker advises not to let negativity affect self-confidence and instead view it as a sign of someone else's issues. Regarding GitHub Copilot, the speaker suggests using it as a tool to write comments and understand the output, but always ensuring to read and understand the code generated to avoid becoming overly dependent on it. By striking a balance between using tools and developing independent problem-solving skills, junior to mid-level developers can maximize their potential and grow professionally.
Using AI tools for coding: Save time and expand capabilities, but ensure understanding and alignment: AI tools like GitHub Copilot and OpenAI can generate code, suggest functions, and explain concepts, but it's crucial to read, understand, and test the generated code before implementation. Foster a culture of code quality within a team through education, best practices, and open communication.
While using AI tools like GitHub Copilot and OpenAI for coding can save time and expand capabilities, it's essential to understand the code generated and ensure it aligns with your intended use. These tools can suggest functions, explain concepts, and even help solve bugs, but they may not always be perfect. Therefore, it's crucial to read, understand, and test the generated code before implementing it in your application. Additionally, fostering a culture of code quality within a team goes beyond just education and training. Regularly reinforcing best practices, setting clear expectations, and encouraging open communication can help create an environment where developers prioritize code quality. Automating formatting and linting can also help maintain consistency and reduce manual effort. However, human oversight and review are still necessary to ensure the generated code aligns with the team's standards and the project's goals.
Automating code checks with tools like TypeScript, ESLint, and GitHub actions: Implementing rules and automating checks through tools can improve code quality, save time, and create a culture of quality. Early adoption and collaboration with a team or external resources can further enhance the development process.
Implementing rules and automating checks through tools like TypeScript, ESLint, and GitHub actions can significantly improve code quality and save time. Instead of manually checking and commenting on pull requests, these tools can automatically fail if certain standards aren't met. This creates a culture of quality and allows developers to focus on writing good code rather than fixing basic errors. Additionally, having a dedicated team member or external resource to answer questions and provide guidance on best practices can further enhance the development process. Sentry, for example, offers a Slack community where developers can ask questions and receive help. It's best to add tools like Sentry to a project as early as possible, but turning off error collection during development mode can prevent unnecessary errors from being logged. Overall, implementing rules, automating checks, and fostering a culture of learning and collaboration can lead to better code and a more efficient development process.
Using tools for early issue identification and comprehensive search systems: Tools for production can help catch issues early and comprehensive search systems can help find past content. Make sure to turn off tools during development and add 'box-sizing: border-box' manually.
Using tools for production and implementing them early in the development process can help identify and resolve issues before deployment. The speaker shared an experience of a tool that sends notifications for errors and how it helped them catch an issue before messaging a team member. However, it's important to remember to turn off the tool during development to avoid constant notifications. Additionally, using environments to tag issues can be helpful in managing and filtering them. Another key point discussed was the importance of having a comprehensive search system for finding past content, especially in light of the large amount of information shared in their podcast. The speaker suggested creating a gallery of all the "sickpics" mentioned in the podcast and implementing a chat interface for asking specific questions. The speaker also touched on the reason why "box-sizing: border-box" is not the default in web development. Making it the default could potentially break websites that have not been updated to use this property. Instead, it's important to add it to every project manually. Despite the inconvenience, the speaker expressed gratitude for the existence of this property as it makes the box model more manageable.
Optimizing JavaScript and CSS Performance: Choose strict mode for JavaScript, reset styles for CSS, consider Lodash for complex use cases, and use HTTP-only cookies for JWT token storage.
Developers can choose different modes and approaches to optimize their JavaScript and CSS code for better performance and consistency. Regarding JavaScript, entering strict mode helps eliminate outdated practices and enforces stricter rules. For CSS, there's currently no equivalent to strict mode, but best practices include resetting styles and using modern features. Regarding Lodash, while some argue that vanilla JavaScript can now handle most of its functions, Lodash remains a valuable utility library for complex use cases. Its creator, John David Dalton, is known for performance optimization, so using Lodash is not inherently slow. Instead, developers can import only the required functions to minimize its impact on performance. Lastly, when it comes to storing JWT tokens, the choice depends on the use case. For authentication, HTTP-only cookies are recommended because they can only be accessed by the server, ensuring security. Other storage options like local and session storage are accessible to the client and should be avoided for sensitive data.
Securing sensitive data with HTTP only cookies and encrypted data: Using HTTP only cookies with encrypted data is a secure method for handling sensitive data in web apps. Modernize AJAX requests to fetch API for better performance and security, and consider using patch package to update dependencies in large codebases.
For securing sensitive data in web applications, using HTTP only cookies with encrypted data is a common practice. This method ensures that the data is not accessible on the client side and is automatically sent with every request to the server. Cookies provide the convenience of not requiring additional functions to be written for every request, unlike local storage. However, if there's untrusted JavaScript running on your page, storing data in cookies or local storage may not be secure. Another topic discussed was converting AJAX requests to the fetch API. While AJAX and fetch are similar in making dynamic requests, fetch is a more modern approach and has become the preferred method. To convert AJAX to fetch, simply paste the AJAX function into a chatbot like ChatGPT and ask it to convert it to a fetch request. Lastly, Mike shared his experience of working on a neglected React Native codebase with many deprecated dependencies. Instead of ripping out old code and swapping libraries, he's using the patch package from npm to manually update some libraries. This approach allows him to maintain the existing codebase while gradually updating dependencies.
Maintaining outdated libraries in React Native: Staying updated with dependencies and libraries is crucial to avoid compatibility issues and potential headaches in React Native projects. Patching and forking libraries can be temporary solutions, but they come with their own challenges and may not be the most ideal long-term solutions.
Maintaining outdated libraries and dependencies in a project, especially if they're no longer being actively developed, can lead to significant challenges and potential headaches. This was discussed in the context of React Native, where it was noted that the platform and its dependencies can change frequently, leading to compatibility issues and potentially requiring patching or even forking the libraries. The speaker is currently facing this issue and is considering starting a fresh project as a solution. Another approach mentioned is using patch packages or finding equivalent libraries to replace the outdated ones. However, these solutions come with their own challenges, such as dealing with updates and the potential for tests and functionality to break. It's important to note that these situations can be avoidable by staying up-to-date with dependencies and being aware of changes in the ecosystem. The speaker expressed their appreciation for the valuable feedback and insights gained from the podcast, which has helped them approach and solve problems more effectively. In conclusion, while patching and forking libraries can be temporary solutions, they come with their own challenges and may not be the most ideal long-term solutions. It's crucial to stay informed and proactive when it comes to managing dependencies and libraries in a project to avoid potential issues and ensure the project's success.
Exploring anonymous confessions and insights from various industries through Tales of Taboo podcast: Rubber flooring is a cost-effective and durable solution for gym spaces, offering good grip and easy installation. Being resistant to change can hinder progress.
It's fascinating to explore the experiences and challenges of people in various industries through podcasts like Tales of Taboo. This podcast offers anonymous confessions on topics such as high-end restaurants, teaching, fitness, plastic surgery, and boutique fitness. Listening to it provides valuable insights into the lives of others and fosters empathy. Another takeaway is the recommendation of rubber flooring for gym spaces. It's a cost-effective and durable solution that offers good grip and can handle heavy weights. The flooring comes in puzzle pieces and is easy to install, making it a great alternative to laminate, tile, or carpet. During the conversation, the speaker also shared a personal anecdote about a team that refused to use modern technologies, and the audience wondered about their current status. This story serves as a reminder that being resistant to change can sometimes hinder progress. Overall, the podcast recommendation and the discussion about rubber flooring, along with the shared anecdote, offer valuable insights and practical tips for listeners.
Transforming a basement into a gym increases home value: Creating a gym space in a basement can significantly boost home value. Use tools like Sentry for app performance monitoring to enhance functionality and site speed.
Transforming a basement space into a gym can significantly increase the value of a home. The speaker shared his experience of installing gym flooring, which was a heavy and challenging process, but worth it due to the potential resale value. He also recommended Sentry, a tool for monitoring application performance, which can help improve site speed and functionality. During the conversation, the speaker mentioned his excitement about turning a basement bedroom into a gym, as it seemed to be a desirable feature in many houses they had looked at. He described the difficulty of transporting and installing the heavy gym flooring, but was determined to do it himself with some help from neighbors and his wife. Additionally, the speaker highlighted the benefits of Sentry, a tool he works with, which allows users to monitor their application's performance and identify issues in real-time. He mentioned the profiling tools, which provide an in-depth look into the server-side aspects of a site and help optimize it for better speed. The speaker encouraged listeners to check out Sentry and use the coupon code "tasty treat" for two months free. Overall, the conversation emphasized the importance of considering home improvements that add value, such as creating a gym space, and utilizing tools like Sentry to enhance the functionality and performance of websites.
