Potluck - Terminal Configs × CSS Reset × Flexbox × Freelancing × NPM Dependencies × Project Hand-off × More!

Potluck - Terminal Configs × CSS Reset × Flexbox × Freelancing × NPM Dependencies × Project Hand-off × More!

It’s another potluck! In this episode, Scott and Wes answer your questions about freelancing, handing off projects to other developers, terminal configs, podcast apps, how much flexbox is too much flexbox, npm dependencies, and more! Sanity - Sponsor Sanity.io is a real-time headless CMS with a fully customizable Content Studio built in React. Get a Sanity powered site up and running in minutes at sanity.io/create. Get an awesome supercharged free developer plan on sanity.io/syntax. Netlify - Sponsor Netlify is the best way to deploy and host a front-end website. All the features developers need right out of the box: Global CDN, Continuous Deployment, one click HTTPS and more. Hit up netlify.com/syntax for more info. Show Notes 3:49 - Q: I’m interested in freelancing full-time and have some projects, big and small, lined up over the next few months to work on the side. How much work is a good amount of work to transition into freelancing full-time? 9:52 - Q: How much flexbox is too much flexbox? Is it a bad idea to use a dozen flexboxes for a viewport-filling application? 13:19 - Q: Can you explain the “potential” benefit of resetting CSS and whether it’s necessary? In which circumstances should we use such an approach? 15:26 - Q: I would love to hear an episode, or potluck segment, about your shell/fish/zsh configs. Maybe explain little tweaks you’ve made and why you’ve chosen the shell you use. 23:26 - Q: I always get confused on when and how to use .bind() method. Any pointers on when I should use .bind(), like in what situations? I also see it used a lot in React apps, but have no idea why they are using it. Could you explain this in detail? 27:02 - What are your suggestions for handing off client sites for freelance work? I don’t take many contracts (I have another full time job) but I’ll take one here or there during summer to supplement a little bit. I’m finding it difficult to make a clean hand-off when the project is finished. The contractual requirements are met and like anything, there are always tweaks to be made. I’ll handle some minor deployment issues without billing, but I struggle with where to draw the line. What suggestions do you have? 35:19 - This question is for Wes. I live in Central New York, and every time I go on the highway heading north or south I see several Ontario license plates. Where are ya’ll going all the time? Is there a secret Canadian spot down here? 38:20 - Each time I re-open an old project I lose so much time with npm dependencies being outdated and it drives me mad! I’m starting to dislike npm and everything around it, but is it npm only? How does other languages like php, python or GO handle this mess of dependencies? Are we better today than yesterday and I’m just complaining about nothing? 43:50 - Which podcast player do you use (Android, PC, or other phone/tablet), and why? Where do you listen to them? Links Flexbox React Native CSS Grid Normalize iTerm2 zsh Fish Hyper Wes’ Command Line Power User Course Overcast Pocket Casts Planet Money Joe Rogan The Indicator ××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ××× Scott: Garmin vivoactive 3 Wes: Untitled Goose Game Shameless Plugs Scott: Svelte For Beginners - Sign up for the year and save 25%! Wes: Wes’ Instagram Tweet us your tasty treats! Scott’s Instagram LevelUpTutorials Instagram Wes’ Instagram Wes’ Twitter Wes’ Facebook Scott’s Twitter Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets

Episoder(962)

938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding

938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding

Wes and Scott dive into some hot takes and classic debates—tabs vs spaces, camel vs snake case, export styles, barrel files, variable naming, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:26 CSS variables: descriptive vs. semantic 03:38 snake_case vs. camelCase 04:54 Default exports vs. named exports 06:23 Barrel files vs. direct imports 09:15 Function declaration vs. function expression 11:00 Inferred types vs. explicit types 13:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 14:40 Long and explicit variable names vs. short with comments 16:27 Self-documenting code vs. code comments 17:03 Rebase vs. merge commit 18:39 Naming event parameters: e vs. event 20:33 Tabs vs. spaces 22:18 Big line height vs. small line height 23:50 Hard line length vs. line wrap Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

17 Sep 27min

937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real?

937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real?

Scott takes Wes on a tour of Omarchy, DHH’s polished Arch + Hyprland Linux setup that promises speed, beauty, and endless keyboard shortcuts. From first impressions to daily workflows, Scott debates whether it’s good enough to pull him out of the Apple ecosystem for good. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:55 What is Omarchy? 02:57 Arch-based distribution. 03:42 Hyprland window management. 05:08 Wayland Display Server Protocol. 06:27 Installation Defaults. 06:53 System-wide shortcuts. 09:01 My first impressions. 09:41 Connecting to my NAS. 10:54 Gigantic UI. 12:21 Day 2 Experiences. 13:22 Resizing window challenges. 16:11 Neovim and Lazyvim. 16:49 Lazygit. 19:07 How do you use it and why is it good. 19:14 Command Palette. 19:49 Raycast. Recreating Raycast. 20:50 Using the app launcher. 21:25 Screensavers. 21:59 OS Style. 22:55 My apps, my apps, my apps, check it out. 25:07 Is the hardware comparable to Mac’s M processors? 27:24 Installing new apps. 29:26 Web apps as first class citizens. 32:47 What I’ll miss. 35:56 What’s going on with MacOS UI? 38:37 Annoyances. 39:31 My advice. Read the Manual. 44:39 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Omarchy Manual. Wes: Ugreen 200w Charger, Silicone USB C. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

15 Sep 48min

936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid 03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power WS2812 LED panels 06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware explained ESP32 Microcontroller 10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes 15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix 15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires 17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels 21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server Cloudflare Durable Objects Party.server 22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients Party Client 28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware 41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation Cloudflare tunnel 44:10 Live demos 45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

10 Sep 47min

935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025

935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025

CJ takes us behind the scenes of Hackweek to share how he built a custom Sega Genesis game from scratch, complete with assembly code, level loading, and retro hardware tricks. From SGDK to parallax faking, this episode is a deep dive into old-school game dev with a modern twist. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Why a Sega game? Sega Genesis. Sega Master System. MKBHD Retro Tech: Sega. 06:55 What is it running on? 07:49 Working with assembly code. 10:11 Sega Genesis Development Kit. Stephane-D GitHub. 10:54 Awesome Megadrive. 12:02 Booting on an emulator. 13:07 Gens and KMod. 15:54 Compiling stage. 17:44 Genesis Code VS Code Extension. 18:22 Images and Assets. 19:46 Loading images with bitmap. 23:50 Megacat Studios. 25:21 Z index? Faking Parallax. 27:34 Specific code examples. 27:51 Platformer Engine. 30:01 Platformer Sample Game. 30:44 LDTK (Level Designer Toolkit). 33:13 Tiled Collision mapping. 37:42 What about debugging? 39:37 Loading in levels. RetroGameMechanicsExplained. Sega Mega-CD Development Unit. 43:56 Challenges with graphics. 49:56 Adding music. Super Cartridge. Flahskit Programmer MD. Flashkit Cart MD. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

8 Sep 52min

934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game

934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:30 What is SynHax? This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge) 04:21 The Stack SvelteKit Postgres Drizzle Zero Sync Better Auth Syntax 931: How to make good choices when starting a coding project 07:39 How it works 15:03 The battle experience 28:28 Fun details 34:12 Creating new battles & the admin dashboard Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

3 Sep 37min

933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build

933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build

It’s Hackweek at Syntax! Scott, Wes, and CJ break down what Hackweek is all about - how they picked their projects, what came out of them, and why it’s the best excuse to experiment, build, and have fun before the deep-dive episodes roll in. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:04 What is Hackweek? 01:05 Hackweek projects spark motivation. 04:05 Choosing our projects. 04:34 What we chose. 05:11 CJ’s Hackweek Project. 05:51 Using SGDK C language toolkit. 07:02 Writing to an Everdrive. 08:09 What game engine did you use? Platformer Engine. LDtk. 12:11 What was the end result? 14:09 Wes’ Hackweek Project. 16:15 Why hardware projects? Watch the Video Here. 19:09 Scott’s Hackweek Project. Watch the Video Here. 21:42 Early considerations. 25:42 AI usage. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

1 Sep 32min

932: Vibe Coding’s Huge Problem

932: Vibe Coding’s Huge Problem

Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only checks, and offer practical tips for protecting sensitive user data in your apps. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! We build the world’s most painful CAPTCHAs (Kitboga scammers) 02:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:33 Wes’ vibe coding experience Wes’ app 04:38 The Tea app disaster Tea app 07:45 Don’t vibe code access control Better Auth with Better Auth 09:38 Let in, don’t lock down 11:23 Server vs. client-side code 13:46 Visualize access control 15:30 Automate tests 17:00 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: A City on Mars Wes: Hotel Collection Essential Oils Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

27 Aug 22min

931: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project

931: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project

Scott and Wes dive into the fundamentals of project initialization and planning, from outlining ideas and choosing the right tools to making smart technology decisions. They also chat about leveraging AI and collaboration to shape better projects before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:12 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 04:03 Make a plan. 04:06 Start with an outline and let it evolve. 05:59 Mind-Mapping software vs plain text. 08:49 Utilizing LLMs for alternative perspectives. 09:58 Utilizing humans for alternative perspectives. 11:17 Making technology choices. 13:24 Assessing the project’s actual needs. 13:30 Is this a long-term project? 15:43 Is this project Open Source? 16:09 Are you working in a team? 18:12 Are you prioritizing learning? 19:48 Pick technologies with proven compatibility. 20:17 Implementing AI. 20:44 Steering docs. 26:24 Get to work and break stuff. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

25 Aug 30min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
det-store-bildet
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
e24-podden
rss-ness
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-gukild-johaug
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
dine-penger-pengeradet
unitedno
liverpoolno-pausepraten
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten