Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats - podcast cover

Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Wes Bos & Scott Tolinski - Full Stack JavaScript Web Developerssyntax.fm
Full Stack Developers Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski dive deep into web development topics, explaining how they work and talking about their own experiences. They cover from JavaScript frameworks like React, to the latest advancements in CSS to simplifying web tooling.

Episodes

854: Animating the Web With Matt Perry: Exploring motion.dev

Wes and Scott talk with Matt Perry, the creator of Motion (formerly Framer Motion). Matt discusses building intuitive tools, transitioning Motion to open source, and the future of web animation. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:15 The Framer Motion story Motion 05:16 What’s the status of Framer Motion today? 09:08 What tech is Motion built on? 13:40 Is Motion entirely WAAPI? 16:06 Why hasn’t the Web Animation API gained more traction? 17:46 Does Matt design his demos? 19:25 Performance and...

Nov 29, 202450 min

853: The State of Frontend

Scott and Wes dive into the State of Frontend 2024 Survey, breaking down the latest trends, tools, and frameworks shaping the developer ecosystem. Tune in as they react to hot takes on frameworks, state management, hosting, and what’s next for frontend devs! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:53 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 01:15 About the survey. Follow along! State of Frontend Survey 02:10 Frameworks. 06:15 Rendering frameworks. 07:35 State management. 09:14 Other libraries. Just: Depende...

Nov 27, 20241 hr 1 min

852: Cloudflare Tunnels

Explore the power of Cloudflare Tunnels with Scott and Wes as they break down this essential tool for secure remote server access. Learn how to establish and configure tunnels safely, integrate public webhooks with services like Snipcart and Apple Pay, and master the security practices that keep your connections protected. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:17 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 02:09 How do Cloudflare Tunnels work? 03:52 Publicly exposed webhooks. 04:09 Apple Pay. 04:40 Snipcart ...

Nov 25, 202419 min

851: The Future of VS Code and Copilot

Wes and Scott talk with Cassidy Williams and Harald Kirschner about exciting new features in VS Code and GitHub Copilot, including custom instructions, UI/UX improvements, and the future of AI and Copilot within different editors. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:32 Cassidy’s keynote at GitHub Universe 03:23 New Copilot features 04:55 Use cases for prompt engineering 09:20 UI and UX enhancements 19:18 Copilot Extensions 20:38 Brought to you by Sentry.io 21:26 Multi-line suggestions? 27:00 ...

Nov 22, 202442 min

850: Manage State in JavaScript Like a Pro!

Scott and Wes serve up state management in JavaScript, breaking down key concepts like reactive state, state updaters, and global vs local state. They also explore various approaches and libraries, mutation-based state, and tools like Zustand and xState, to help you manage state like a pro. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:22 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:10 What is state? 03:29 Common state jargon. 03:48 Reactive State. 04:14 Store. 04:46 Immutable vs Mutable State. 05:53 State updater...

Nov 20, 20241 hr 2 min

849: How to Pick a JS Package

You’ve got a project, and you need the right tool—but how do you know if that JavaScript package is the one? Scott and Wes guide you through finding and validating packages, from checking NPM to scoping out social proof, so you can pick tools you can trust. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:29 Brought to you by Sentry.io . Take The Pledge 01:44 How to find a JS package. 02:56 Searching via NPM . 03:28 Searching via Socket.dev . 06:02 Searching via Reddit . 06:24 Searching via Perplexity . 0...

Nov 18, 202422 min

848: Web Components Can’t Save Us with Scott Jehl

Scott and Wes talk with Scott Jehl about the benefits, challenges, and use cases of web components, particularly in design systems and performance. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:55 Scott’s background and career Responsible Responsive Design Webpagetest.org 06:46 An overview of web components 09:06 Why should people care about web components? 13:16 Should you write your own web components? 14:39 Reactivity in web components 15:56 DOM parts 18:23 Styling web components 22:08 Brought to yo...

Nov 15, 202451 min

847: Syntax Holiday Gift Guide

Scott and Wes are back with their annual Syntax Holiday Gift Guide! They’ve curated the best gadgets, tools, games, and even kitchen essentials for the dev in your life — plus a few treats anyone would love to unwrap. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:46 Brought to you by Sentry.io . Open Source Pledge Members . 01:59 Syntax holiday gift guide. 02:25 Our absolute favorites. Leatherman Arc . Peak Design Everyday . 1.5 KG of Maldon , Salt Cellars . Anker Cube . Anker MagGo . Theragun , Off-Br...

Nov 13, 20241 hr 4 min

846: Talking EVs: Range Anxiety, Charging, and Tech

Scott and Wes unpack their experiences as electric car owners, sharing the highs and lows of making the switch. From range anxiety to charging infrastructure and cost savings, they talk about everything from the tech perks to the unexpected challenges of driving electric. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:14 What cars and how long have we had them. Hyundai IONIQ 5 . Tesla Model Y Long Range . 10:41 Range and dealing with range anxiety. 11:45 The EPA specs...

Nov 11, 202444 min

845: Are companies hiring? State of the dev job market with Taylor Desseyn

Scott and Wes talk with Taylor Desseyn about the shifting developer job market. Taylor shares practical tips for standing out, building genuine connections, and finding opportunities in a competitive hiring landscape. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:38 Meet Taylor Desseyn 03:51 Is the dev job market as bad as it seems? 06:47 How to stand out when applying for a dev job? 11:03 Who is getting hired? 14:16 What tech/languages are companies hiring for right now? 16:37 Is there less work? 20:1...

Nov 08, 202457 min

844: TypeScript, Branded Types, Streaming vs Polling + More

Scott and Wes serve up listener questions on everything from SvelteKit’s limits and the quirks of branded types in TypeScript to handling email queues and secure token storage in cookies. Plus, they get into app security, the evolution of checkout flows, and why QA teams can actually be game-changers for dev teams. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:50 Catching up. 01:52 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 02:56 What are the limitations of SvelteKit? 06:41 Svelte 5 updates. 07:53 Branded types in ...

Nov 06, 202456 min

843: Copilot Kills Cursor? Reacting to Github Universe Keynote

Scott and Wes react to the big GitHub Universe announcements, recorded live at GitHub Universe. They dive into Copilot’s new features, exploring how its advancements stack up against Cursor AI in the battle for the ultimate AI-driven developer tool. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:12 Our Syntax Meetup. 02:54 AI is everywhere. 03:22 Sherlocking and jockeying for position. 04:49 GitHub Copilot introduces alternative LLMs. GitHub Copilot 06:31 New tools are build upon existing LLMs. 09:14 VS...

Nov 04, 202455 min

842: There's Python in my JavaScript! with Andrea Giammarchi

Scott and Wes talk with Andrea Giammarchi (aka WebReflection) about his projects, including LinkDOM and PyScript, and the exciting future of running Python in the browser via WebAssembly. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:04 Andrea’s background and early work LinkDOM 07:25 Brought to you by Sentry.io 09:56 Pyscript 14:31 Why run Python in the browser? 20:17 Using WebAssembly to run different languages in JS 23:33 The advantages of WebAssembly 25:55 What excites Andrea about WASM Proposal: E...

Nov 01, 202454 min

841: Spooky Web Dev Horror Stories - PART 2

Scott and Wes continue to share hair-raising developer horror stories submitted by listeners. From accidentally severing access to crucial databases to a limitless coupon code that cost millions, these tales will have you on the edge of your seat. Tune in for more wild mishaps, close calls, and hard-learned lessons from the dark side of coding. You won’t want to miss this second round of spooky web dev stories! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 01:32 ‘Monkey...

Oct 30, 202458 min

840: Spooky Web Dev Horror Stories - PART 1

Scott and Wes unpack the spookiest web dev stories submitted by listeners in this episode. From forgotten MX records to infinite loops, these real-life coding horrors will have you double-checking your WHERE clauses and git backups. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:39 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 00:48 What is Spooky Stories? Submit a story . 02:45 ‘Needs a Coffee’ 04:43 ‘Deleting Github’ Defunkt X Post . 07:42 ‘Rejected’ 09:08 ‘Infinite Loop’ 09:26 ‘MySqueeel Horror’ 11:02 ‘Pet Company’ ...

Oct 28, 202417 min

839: Prisma ORM: Local First, Typed SQL Queries and Serverless with Søren Bramer Schmidt

Scott and Wes talk with Søren Bramer Schmidt, Founder and CEO of Prisma, about database best practices, including the latest developments in serverless, local-first, and typed SQL solutions. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:55 Søren’s thoughts on GraphQL 03:53 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:57 Common database mistakes 08:52 Prisma’s stability and user experience 10:42 Typed SQL and advanced querying Announcing TypedSQL: Make your raw SQL queries type-safe with Prisma ORM Prisma Optimize 20...

Oct 25, 202455 min

838: Productivity Tools for Web Developers

Get your productivity game on point! Scott and Wes serve up the best tools for web developers, covering everything from password managers and to-do apps to mind-mapping tools and little scripts that make life easier. Plus, find out what snippet managers they swear by and how they keep their email under control. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:01 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:44 Syntax meetup San Francisco . 04:26 Breakdancing update. Kid Cruz Instagram . 05:18 Password management. 1Pas...

Oct 23, 202454 min

837: You Should Drop Express and Try Hono

CJ joins Scott and Wes to dive into why he’s all-in on Hono, a fast and lightweight web framework for every JavaScript runtime. From familiar route creation to type-safe middleware, find out how Hono keeps things simple, powerful, and ready to use inside Next.js. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:46 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 01:11 What is Hono ? Watch CJ’s Video Here 03:21 Syntax Meetup San Francisco . 04:02 Why I like Hono, and why you should try it. 04:08 Familiar route creation. Conn...

Oct 21, 202430 min

835: How to Pick a JavaScript Framework

Do you really need a framework? Scott and Wes bring on CJ to break down when frameworks like Vue, Svelte, and Astro are worth it—and when they might just add complexity. They dive into everything from rendering strategies to auth solutions, deployment options, and how to choose the right tool for the job. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:32 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:17 What is a framework? Syntax Meetup San Francisco . 08:21 Examples of frameworks for Vue, Svelte and Angular. 12:39 ...

Oct 16, 202459 min

834: AI Will Improve Your Web Development Workflow

Scott and Wes serve up ways developers can use AI tools like Claude, GitHub Copilot, and more to boost productivity. From error tracing to refactoring code and automating mundane tasks, they break down how AI can handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on the fun stuff! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:23 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 01:43 Using AI tools effectively. 05:29 Stack trace reading and error finding. 08:37 San Francisco Syntax Meetup ! 09:19 Research and validation. 12:19 Com...

Oct 14, 202427 min

833: Next Gen Fullstack React with TanStack

Scott and Wes talk with Tanner Linsley, creator of TanStack, about the React ecosystem, and the evolution and futue of TanStack’s suite of tools, including TanStack Router and TanStack Start. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:59 What is TanStack Start ? UnJS Nitro Vinxi 06:17 What is the Vite Environment API ? 07:21 Was it always the plan to use Vite? 08:02 TanStack Router and client-side vs server-side 16:18 How TanStack Start will work 27:26 Moving from Create React App to TanStack 30:42 ...

Oct 11, 20241 hr 3 min

832: Potluck: When to Use a Framework × Goodbye Webpack × Custom Events in React + More!

Scott and Wes answer your burning questions! They cover everything from moving off create-react-app and the benefits of Next.js, to transitioning from junior to senior dev, working with QA teams, and even dive into game development with Godot. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:31 DenverScript . 03:14 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:54 Question 1: Moving off create-react-app. Proposal: TC39 Import Attributes . HTML iframe srcdoc Attribute . 09:10 Question 2: Working together with QA teams. ...

Oct 09, 20241 hr 3 min

831: Preventing Spam and Fraud

From CAPTCHAs to shadow banning, Scott and Wes break down the best strategies for keeping your app safe from spam and fraud. They cover tools like email verification, rate limiting, shadow banning, and more to protect your users and data. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:15 The problem. 02:47 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 04:23 CAPTCHA. 06:24 Data collection. 07:11 Stripe Radar score calculation. 09:12 Rate limiting. 11:34 Shadow banning. 13:53 Email verification. 15:38 Tie to accounts. 16...

Oct 07, 202427 min

830: GitHub and Code Reviews with Sarah Vessels

Scott and Wes talk with GitHub’s Sarah Vessels about the ins and outs of code reviews, their critical role in collaborative development, and tips for making your reviews more effective. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:59 What is a code review? How to review code effectively: A GitHub staff engineer’s philosophy 04:18 Strategies for an effective code review processes 06:59 Should you test and fix in the same pull request? 07:57 How to ask for code reviews 12:12 Feature flags and their role...

Oct 04, 202451 min

829: 14 Web Development Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner

Scott and Wes share 14 game-changing tips they wish they’d known earlier in their web dev careers. From embracing tools to learning by doing, these insights will help you level up your skills faster! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:09 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:45 13 Web Development Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner. 03:49 Number 1 - No one is all-knowing. 05:39 Number 2 - People with extremely strong opinions. 11:13 Number 3 - Using tools to help you isn’t a bad thing. 12:34 Number 4 - App...

Oct 02, 202451 min

828: Logging in Verification: Magic Links, 2FA, SMS Codes

Scott and Wes serve up the pros and cons of modern authentication methods like magic links, 2FA, and SMS codes. Learn how each technique works, the security trade-offs, and what might be the best approach for your apps. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 00:34 Logging in Verification. 01:09 Magic Links. 01:24 Pros of magic links. 03:50 How magic links work. 04:25 Cons to magic links. 06:21 Magic Sessions. 06:37 Using email verification. 07:12 Using code verif...

Sep 30, 202415 min

827: Career Development with Topher Martini

Scott and Wes talk with Topher Martini, a former Engineering Program Manager at Apple, about his extensive experience over two decades in the tech industry. Topher shares his journey at Apple, from starting as an intern in 2001 to working on groundbreaking products like iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:40 What it was like working on the first iPhone 04:47 How Topher landed at Apple early in his career 08:40 How Apple’s culture has changed over time 11:03 What ...

Sep 27, 202456 min

826: You Need These 30 Apps - PART 2

In part 2 of covering the best apps for web developers, Scott and Wes dive into must-have tools that will level up your workflow. From screenshot utilities to development tools and video production apps, this episode is packed with recommendations to boost your productivity and creativity. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:44 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 02:30 Utilities. 02:48 BetterTouchTool . 09:31 Hyperkey . 11:46 Amethyst . 12:51 Klack . 13:47 Bottom (Btm) . 14:54 Pearcleaner 16:40 App...

Sep 25, 202456 min

825: Syntax Assistant Desktop App

Scott walks Wes through the new Syntax Production Assistant Desktop App, designed to streamline and automate their complex publishing process. From tech stack choices like Svelte5 and Rust to AI-driven features, they dive into how this tool keeps everything consistent. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 01:37 What was the idea? 05:42 The tech. Svelte5 , Tauri , Rust , FFMPEG . 08:32 Markdown editor. ink-mde , Dillinger . 09:32 Epoch timestamps. Epoch.vercel ....

Sep 23, 202429 min