754: How to Level Up Your Web Development Career

Web scraping 101! Dive into the world of web scraping with Scott and Wes as they explore everything from tooling setup and navigating protected routes to effective data management. In this Tasty Treat episode, you’ll gain invaluable insights and techniques to scrape (almost) any website with ease. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:13 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 05:00 What is scraping? Socialblade. 08:01 Examples of past scrapers. Canadian Tire. 10:06 Cloud app downloader. 16:13 Other use cases. 16:58 Scraping 101. 17:28 Client Side. 19:08 Private API. Proxyman. 22:40 Server rendered. 23:27 Initial state. 24:57 What format is the data in? Google Puppeteer Extension. 27:08 Working with the DOM. 27:12 Linkedom npm package. 29:02 querySelector everything. 31:28 How to find the elements without classes. 34:08 Use XPath selectors for select by word. 34:53 Make them as flexible as you can. Classes change! 35:10 AI is good at this! 36:26 File downloading. 38:20 Working with protected routes. Proxyman. 40:41 Programatically retrieve authentication keys because they are short-lived. Fetch Cookie. 43:20 Deal-breakers. Mechanical Turk. 44:58 What happened with Amazon? Uniqlo Self-Checkout 46:42 Wes’ portable refrigerator utopia. 47:25 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: KeyboardCleanTool. Wes: Yabai. 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 and Wes discuss the delicate balance of what’s acceptable to borrow or be inspired by in web development and what crosses into territory that’s off-limits. Tune in as they share personal experiences, discuss where to find ethical inspiration, and offer tips on how to effectively capture and utilize it. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:57 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:26 What is okay to steal? 02:57 Color palettes. 03:14 Font stacks. 06:26 Type scales. Warp’s CSS Gradient Border. Sentry’s Date Picker. 08:52 General layout patterns. 10:39 General vibes. 11:20 What is NOT okay to steal? 11:26 Whole site designs. 13:32 Taking too many things from ‘what to steal’ list. 16:30 Text copy. Wes’ Parity Purchasing Power. 18:48 What we’ve had stolen + how it feels. 21:45 Where to find inspiration. 21:56 Code inspiration. CSS Scan Buttons. CSS Scan Box Shadows. Codrops. CodePen 25:18 Design inspiration. Bentro Grids. Dribble. Site Inspire. SaaS Landing Pages. One Page Love. Type Wolf. Mobbin. Syntax Newsletter. Hoverstat.es. Internet Gems. 32:48 UX inspiration. Good UI. The Component Gallery. Open UI. Nicely Done. 35:25 How to capture inspiration. 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 Cloudflare’s Analytics Engine and Workers with special guest Ben Vinegar, Syntax’s General Manager. Tune in as they explore Clickhouse, data tracking, infrastructure costs, and transitioning from software products to managing a podcast. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:17 Who is Ben Vinegar? Episode 434 with Ben. 02:21 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 04:00 Cloudflare analytics engine. Counterscale.dev. Episode 634 with Armin. 09:08 What is clickhouse? 11:01 Can Clickhouse be used for things outside of analytics tracking? 13:46 What kind of events are you able to track? 15:00 How do you assign values to track? Counterscale Schema. 18:40 Data type limitations. 19:55 The troubles with sampling data. 23:57 Sample intervals. 24:24 Pricing for these services. 25:34 How it actually runs. 27:31 Infrastructure costs and pricing models. 30:19 Running production apps in Cloudflare. 31:49 Cloudflare and HonoJS. 32:47 One year with Sentry and Ben’s role with Syntax. Episode 600 with David. 39:33 How does it feel going from a software project to a media project? Syntax Team. 43:00 How do you sell Syntax to Sentry? 48:37 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Ben: Randy’s YouTube, Boom. Shameless Plugs Ben: Counterscale.dev 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

Join Scott and Wes as they dish out the juiciest VSCode secrets for coding like a boss (or a Tolinski)! From speedy navigation to must-have extensions and the sickest themes, get ready to level up your coding game. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:47 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 01:44 A recording bug. 03:18 VSCode versions. 05:59 Tabs or no tabs. 10:32 Navigation tips. 11:35 Mouse and trackpad input. 13:43 Move, select and expand by 19:07 Interface tips. 19:17 Sidebars. 24:23 Sticky headers. 26:21 Activity bar. 30:30 Show or hide? 31:35 Profiles. 32:43 Keyboard Shortcuts. 32:49 Renaming. 34:32 Extensions. 34:45 Text pastry. 36:43 Better comments. 39:03 Auto rename tag. 40:02 Change case. 40:25 Permute lines. 41:26 File utils. 43:20 Sort JSON objects. 43:50 SQLite viewer. 44:29 Spell checker. 45:42 APC. 49:19 Themes. Syntax Theme 53:05 Final tricks. Log Wrapper 57:44 What about the AI stuff? 01:00:10 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Flicker Free Ultra Definition Phillips Bulbs. Wes: Clear Shoe Box Organizers. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax Newsletter. 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 serve up top tools and tricks for rapid idea execution, from JavaScript services like Valtown and Observable to database solutions including LowDB and Google Sheets integration. Get ready to streamline your development ideation process with these tasty insights! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:16 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:14 JavaScript Services. 03:43 Valtown. 05:44 Observable. 06:35 Notebooks. 08:23 Deno Juypter Notebooks. 09:51 Svelte Repl. 10:32 Playgrounds: TypeScript, Tailwind, etc… 11:05 CSS Services. 11:10 CodePen. 13:14 Full stack services. 13:47 Your own stack. Hot Tips & Cool Treats. Wes’s Hot Tips. Scott’s Cool Treats. 21:01 Bun file routing. 24:25 Tooling and tips. 26:30 Database. 26:51 Write to a file. 27:40 LowDB. 29:00 SQLite + Drizzle. 29:40 Google Sheets. 30:06 Sheet DB. 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

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

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

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

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

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