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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about VS Code vs Cursor, navigating promotions and job titles, database fundamentals, avoiding decision paralysis, how AI is shaping frameworks, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:56 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:24 Moving from VS Code to Cursor without losing your shortcuts 12:13 Should you bring up a senior promotion at a new job? 16:32 Relying on LLMs vs. learning database fundamentals 20:42 Overcoming decision paralysis in programming 25:00 What to do when your code gets too messy 27:39 Could Wasm replace Docker and Kubernetes? 32:14 Organizing mini-apps in Express: monorepo, micro frontends, or something else? 38:49 Will AI lock us into React and make new frameworks irrelevant? 46:57 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Wes and Scott: Niimbot Shameless Plugs Subscribe to 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

Scott and Wes tackle listener questions on everything from local-first databases and AI-built CRMs to protecting APIs and raising kids with healthy digital habits. They also weigh in on Cloudflare’s AI crawler ban, portfolio critiques, and more hot takes from the dev world. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Dreaming about web components. 02:55 Local-First Apps for Customer Support. Brought to you by Sentry.io 08:17 AI-Built CRM: Portfolio or Problem? Ben Vinegar’s Engineering Interview Strategy. 18:55 InstantDB vs. Other Local-First Databases. 21:46 Raising Kids with Healthy Digital Habits. Porta Potty Prince on TikTok. 32:55 Cloudflare Blocks AI Crawlers. Good for Creators? Cloudflare Pay Per Crawl. Cloudflare No AI Crawl Without Compensation. Chris Coyier’s Blog Response. 41:46 Protecting APIs and Obfuscating Source Code. 44:49 Will Portfolio Critiques Return? 46:45 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Wifi 7 Eero. Wes: Plastic Welder 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