2020 In Review

Font Awesome is back with Web Awesome, an open source library of web components that will work with any framework because it’s based on standards. Today on Syntax we have Konnor Rogers and Cory LaViska here to talk all things Web Awesome. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:47 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:49 What is Shoelace? 07:21 What is Font Awesome? 08:07 Font Awesome is getting into Web Components? 11:35 What is Shoelace’s relationship with Web Awesome? 13:33 Is the idea to make it quick to get up and running? 15:46 What is the autoloader? 16:29 Where does Web Awesome fit in the ecosystem? 18:13 What does the styling game look like? 20:33 What is Part in CSS? CSS Part mdn web docs 22:06 The reason we’re so stoked with Web Components. 23:32 Custom elements are a natural progression. 24:51 What are your thoughts on Open UI initiatives? Floating UI Close Watcher Can I Use 27:40 Wes’ escape key conundrum. 30:21 A bug on the Syntax site. 31:19 Let’s talk about Kickstarter. 35:24 Do you know what premium inputs will be available in Web Awesome? 36:12 Rich text editor. 40:18 Setting goals. 41:48 Kickstarter giveaways. 42:47 Have you tried drag and drop? Pragmatic Drag and Drop 44:57 The layout component. 48:50 What are your favorite components? 50:29 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Konnor: Enhance.dev, Extism.org Cory: Lit.dev Shameless Plugs Cory: Kickstarter Konnor: Everyone involved in open UI 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

19 Apr 20241h 1min

Scott and Wes serve up answers to community questions, from navigating Light DOM vs. Shadow DOM to diving into tools for data extraction. Plus, they dish out insights on Gatsby in 2024, utilizing JavaScript ‘wheel events’, and explore the possibilities of hosting a website at home. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:51 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 01:17 When should I use Light DOM or Shadow DOM? 03:43 Do you know of any good tools for extracting data/content from Markup/HTML? LinkeDOM on GitHub 08:29 Wanted to ask you guys your opinion on the state of Gatsby in 2024. LocalFirst.fm MeteorJS UI Updates 15:05 Please get the Goodhertz creator on the pod! Would be a great show. Goodhertz Audio Software 16:34 Effects that involve the JavaScript ‘wheel’ event. Runway.com GSAP Animate Anything CSS Scroll-Driven Animations 23:15 Best tool for rapidly creating UI from the ground up. Episode 751 Thinkmill.com 27:44 Wes, what’s with your frame rate? Frame Rate Testing Results on X 32:31 Is there any way to host a whole website setting on my PC at home? CJ and Self-Host 101 Hetzner.com Cloudflare Docs Create a Tunnel 36:52 Offline functionality like saving data and syncing data to database? Episode 739 Local-First Web Development Syntax Side Dish Explainer Playlist 39:41 Creating a GPT-like tool that can listen to long audio files. OpenAI Speech to Text Insanely Fast Whisper Deepgram 43:51 Sick Picks. Sick Picks Scott: Hair Powder Wes: Mini Grease Gun 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 Apr 202448min

Scott and Wes chomp through CSS Mixins and Functions, discussing the latest features making their way into CSS. From Tailwind-like classes to fluid typography, join us as we explore the possibilities and practical applications of these new tools. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:24 Brought to you by Sentry.io 03:00 CSS Is getting Functions and Mixins! CSS Mixins and Functions Explainer CSS Working Group Discussion 06:19 Functions and mixins, how are they different? 07:26 Don’t get hung up on the syntax, or maybe do. 09:12 CSS Functions. 12:02 Some use-cases. 15:58 CSS Mixins. 16:31 Tailwind-like classes. 17:53 Tailwind-like arbitrary syntax. 20:08 Fluid typography. 21:13 Let’s talk about logic. 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 Apr 202425min

We were wrong, Manifest V3 is a big deal. Scott and Wes sit down with Oliver Dunk from Google to dive into the intricate world of Chrome Extensions development. From dissecting Manifest V3 to exploring the evolving landscape of browser security and extension reviews, this conversation covers the present and future of browser customization. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:32 Who is Oliver Dunk? 02:00 Brought to you by Sentry. 03:17 Manifest V3. 08:59 How many rules can you add? 09:56 What even is a rule? 10:52 Is Google trying to kill ad blockers? 13:56 What are the bad guys doing with Chrome extensions? 15:17 Can a browser extension access HTTP-only cookies? 16:06 Is Chrome reviewing all of these extensions? 19:06 Is there a way to side-step Google’s review process? Reddit Thread, The real threat of Manifest V3 20:32 Do you see the negative chatter? 21:18 Service workers - how do do you access the DOM? 23:32 Do you think we’ll see more DOM APIs in service workers? 25:58 Do you have a favorite Chrome extension? 28:33 Has Google ever explored something comparable to Boost? SidePanel 33:09 Let’s talk about the development stack. 35:54 1Password and Chrome. 38:39 What is the best way to debug an extension? YouTube Chrome for Developers 40:33 Manifest V3 and the web request blocking API. 41:57 Known tracking payloads. 44:04 Do you think there is a path forward that makes ad-block developers happy? 44:45 Do you run an ad blocker? 45:20 Whitelisting and opt-ins. 46:38 What’s your tech setup? 47:18 What do you do to stay up to date? 47:51 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. 51:47 Wait, is Safari adopting V3 as well? Sick Picks Oliver: Defunctland YouTube, LEMMiNO YouTube Shameless Plugs Oliver: Chrome Extensions Getting Started, WebExtension Playground 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

12 Apr 202454min

Ready to level up your career in web development? Join Wes and Scott as they discuss techniques and best practices for advancing in the field. From mastering technical skills to navigating workplace dynamics, this episode offers actionable advice to help you thrive in your career. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:17 How can a front-end developer advance in their career? 01:10 Brought to you by Sentry. 01:30 Syntax newsletter. Snack Pack 02:02 How do you get better at being a developer? 02:22 Asking questions. 08:09 Get your hands dirty. Hot Tips, Cool Treats 14:07 Share what you know. 17:35 Target your skills for what is needed. Ryan Carniato Tweet Episode 577 Justin Fagnani Tweet Episode 595 21:12 Get out of your comfort zone. 26:55 Getting a better job. 27:27 Understand the stakeholders. 29:18 Find the metric the business cares about and do that. 30:01 Make an impression as being the person that gets things done fast and reliably. 31:47 Improve communications. 35:04 Be the person they want to have in meetings. 37:44 Use systems and tools to help your deficiencies. 39:01 Dress to impress. 39:32 Care. 39:40 Cut the cynicism. Energy Vampire 42:16 Don’t put bad stuff out into the world publicly. 44:29 Get your camera + mic dialed in. 46:23 Leveling up at life. 46:32 Take care of your shit. 47:40 Exercise. Episode 748 47:57 Eat well. 48:22 Sleep as much as you can. 48:26 Clean your workspace. 49:17 Learn new skills. 49:31 Take care of yourself. Habit Path 54:09 Sick Picks. Sick Picks Scott: Zeiss Lens Care Pack Wes: Woosh Screen Cleaner 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 Apr 202457min

Scott and Wes dive into the cache problem, tackling user-specific data and caching security. From marketing A/B testing to content negotiation, they explore various challenges and solutions, including different URL/query parameters, edge logic, and client-side caching. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:22 Syntax is on YouTube. 02:16 Let’s talk about the cache problem. 03:33 User-specific data and caching security. 06:27 Why might this pop up? 06:29 Marketing A/B testing - cookie based. 06:55 User-selected features - such as themes. 06:58 Language or geo-based items - accept language. 07:11 Images - WebP for some browsers, jpg for others. 07:45 JSON/HTML based on accept header. 08:17 Different encoding. 08:26 Content negotiation. 08:54 The solutions. 09:04 Provide different URLs/Query parameter. 11:19 Don’t cache the page, cache the data based on query. 15:01 Implement a “Cache Key” - one render for every option. Netlify Fastly Cloudflare 18:17 Use edge logic. 19:52 Just do it client-side. 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 Apr 202424min

Which framework is best? Join Scott and Wes as they chat with Corbin Crutchley, author of the “Framework Field Guide”, diving into the world of frameworks, metaframeworks, and tips to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in web development. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:48 Who is Corbin Crutchley? 02:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:32 Hilton, like the hotel? 05:57 What is the best framework? 07:23 How do you compare these frameworks? 10:00 Do you feel like the metaframeworks are comparable? 11:02 Exciting announcements from ng-conf? 11:42 Are Wiz and Angular merging? 14:17 Angular signals and Vue comparison. PreactJS Signals 17:53 Adding signals to vanilla JavaScript and browsers. 21:02 What is derived state? 23:11 How can we store state within these different frameworks? 24:37 Passing children. 26:40 Which has the best implementation for passing children? 28:52 What’s the approach for building framework agnostic components? TanStack Store 30:31 How much of it is framework specific? 31:35 Headless or DOM-based? 32:48 What are the best practices for writing this? 35:28 What’s the biggest framework pain point? 36:21 Is there a language that requires significantly more code? 38:52 What about Web Components? 39:58 Your book is free? Framework Field Guide Shout-out Eduardo Pratti and Kevin Aguilar. 42:42 What’s the process of writing a book like this? 45:44 Not a physical book? 46:17 Walk us through the tech stack. 48:27 Supper Club Questions. 48:33 What text editor, theme and font do you use? 49:53 What terminal and shell do you use? 50:19 How do you stay up to date? 53:39 Do you have advice for beginners? 55:26 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Corbin: Shiki Syntax Highlighter Shameless Plugs Corbin: Framework Field Guide 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

5 Apr 202457min

Scott and Wes explore UI Components, discussing functionality, styling, accessibility, and theming. From headless components to styled starters, they share valuable insights to elevate your UI game. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:39 We’re on YouTube. 03:14 The four categories of UI libraries or frameworks. 03:46 What does a UI component need to do? 04:14 Must be functional. 06:20 They must fit styling. 06:33 They must be accessible. 08:09 “Internationalizationable.” 09:29 They must handle theming and variants. 10:05 A few common UI components. 10:14 Date Pickers. 12:10 Dropdowns. 13:21 Toast message. Svelte French Toast 15:11 Some honorable mentions. 16:10 Headless components. 18:54 React Aria. Behavior, Accessibility, Internationalization 19:34 Radix UI Primitives. 20:16 Downshift JS. 21:29 Tanstack Table and Forms. 26:00 Unstyled components. 28:04 Shoelace. 32:47 React Aria Components. 33:00 Headless UI. 33:04 Radix UI. 37:12 Base UI. 38:23 What’s up with Google’s design? 40:22 Styled Starters. React Aria Components Starter ShadCN Tailwind Catalyst MeltUI 47:50 What is the process for overriding with custom elements. 51:10 UI Kits and Design Systems. 53:06 Some things to consider. JS Nation 55:41 A few more options to consider. Pigment CSS Base UI Shoelace BaseLayer JollyUI DraftUI Radix UI PenguinUI Tailwind CSS TailwindUI VerveUI DaisyUI ChakraUI Flowbite FloatingUI Downshift JS Mantine 59:02 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Wes: Battery Daddy Scott: Lazy Susan, Rechargeable Batteries, Charger 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

3 Apr 20241h 6min