Stuff We Read

We write code.

We read code.

We love to improve, and doing it daily.

We’d love you to improve, so we share what we find.

Hope you like it!

Go sub-atomic

“Web Pages” are what web apps were referred to as ca 2010.
Today, we do WEB APPS! Which.. contain web pages…

Read More >>

When the bucket is leaking

If you’re ever written a node.js app that contains more than just a plain API, you know that there are some caveats – namely memory management and memory leaks.

Read More >>

To zoom or not to zoom?

זום הוא כלי מדהים, שגדל במאות אחוזים בחודשים האחרונים.

Read More >>

איך עושים React יותר נקי ומסודר?

כיף לכתוב React, נכון?
אפשר לשחק עם קומפוננטות, Composition, ומה לא…

Read More >>

?API אז מי תכנן פעם

.APIs חלק עיקרי מתכנון מערכות תוכנה הוא

Read More >>

Doing React Native? What UI lib are you using?

React Native is on fire, and as in the Frontend world, it’s all about the speedy dev time of the UI.

Read More >>

React components are reusable, right? But… is it out of the box?

Since React mostly handles the UI, there are many strategies concerning building our components.

Read More >>

Using Firebase as your backend? How do you manage it?

Firebase is awesome, right? Right.

Read More >>

Learn modern React – for free – from the best. You can’t skip that one.

Lots of React courses, free and paid, exist online.

Read More >>

Using React? Firebase? Hooks? This one is definitely for YOU.

If you’ve been using React with Firebase and you don’t know this library yet, most chances are you’ve been spending a lot of time on boilerplate code.

Read More >>

More good stuff from the redux team

 

What’s new? Alot!
Redux-toolkit is the opinionated and de-facto way to work with Redux.

needs sorting.Read More >>

Gatsby – not just static blogs!

Static sites frameworks are all the rage right now.

needs sorting.Read More >>

COVID-19 makes your internet crawl? You should definitely help – see how

Nowadays everybody’s online and the network speeds are suffering.

needs sorting.Read More >>

Let’s put it on the table and sort it out.

Sooner or later we all find out that any

needs sorting.Read More >>

New to React? That’s great. Make sure those 10 points are clear for you.
React has a learning curve, we know.Read More >>

Hooks are finally in production! But does it mean?
React hooks are already a well known and used feature in every React project from the past year.Read More >>

A React design system for the brave
Amongst all the design systems we know, there’s Evergreen.Read More >>

Data grid? No problem.
So the DIY table approach works well and is fun to try out.Read More >>

2020 is even Prettier
We all know Prettier, which helps calm down code style discussions and merge “differences” consisting of empty spaces.Read More >>

Looking for work during the Covid crisis?
Covid is upon us, some lost their jobs, some need new jobs.Read More >>

React-burgers to the win!
Who doesn’t use / like hamburger menus (And I mean virtual and edible ones)…Read More >>

Using GraphQL? Why bother writing the queries?
To me, GraphQL is amazing technology which empowers us as devs to do so much more in such a clear way with 1/4 of the effort, and to all this add future-proofing our code.Read More >>

Code reuse to the win!
Have you heard of Compound Components?Read More >>

Hooked on tests
Love hooks? Of course you do. Dan said you should!Read More >>

Fetch data easily in React
A cute lib to fetch data, using… fetch!Read More >>

With the Coronavirus, you better not get into direct touch with objects
There’s an interesting less-known feature in ES2015.Read More >>

PR Review? No problem. Not on my Mac? No problem!
Finally! We can do all work from any place.
Checkout the fresh Github for mobile:Read More >>

Fibers in my teeth
With React, we see new changes every year.
Some are optional, some not.
Checkout Fibers, the latest update – and a critical one to your future in React.Read More >>

Congradulations! Your favorite JS repository has been purchased by Microsoft.
That’s it, npm isn’t only NPM anymore.
It’s now part of Github (Microsoft owned) and changes are (probably) coming.
Check it out:Read More >>

Solving the case of file structures in React

Project and file structures have been the skeleton of any codebase for decades (pun intended). Over the years some brave men (and women) have tried to formalize this subject.Read More >>

State or no state? That’s not the question anymore!

On the endless debate of which state to use for your React app, there’s definitely no concrete answer.Read More >>

Learn React using this CheetSheet

React is great!
Yes, you and I together with of us already agree on that… however part of the reason it’s great, is due to its flexibility.Read More >>

Let your users edit freely inside your React app

Whenever your app gets the requirement to enable a user to do something cool, your first thought is usually “Awesome! Let’s plan, experiment with some code and build it ourselves!”… Come on, say it isn’t so!Read More >>

How many Frontend Engineers does it take to position a popover?

Know what we mean by popover? good.Read More >>

Exactly how many libraries ARE THERE for React?
We can all claim to go vanilla, but you don’t really do Frontend (or backend, or mobile) without a good bunch of quality ecosystem libraries & tools.Read More >>

Who enjoys code reviews?
Probably not you… or me, or anyoneRead More >>

Link your React Native app to the worl
It seems RN apps can do everything native iOS & Android apps can.How to exactly do it? Learn below.Read More >>

Concurrent mode isn’t a curse anymore
If you’ve been in the React world in the past 12 months, there’s a little chance you haven’t heard of Concurrent mode & Suspense. Maybe even seen a lecture or Two.Read More >>

Yes, you can use React to build a small Frontend app FAST. But exactly how fast?
In those 3 to 6 times a week, when during coding for a client / your company, you suddenly get the urge to develop some MVP product of your own, it usually ends there.Read More >>

Javascript, shaken not stirred.
You’ve probably heard, used, or implemented tree shaking in Javascript.Read More >>

React, State, DOM
Ever wanted to write React cleanly without too many libs?Read More >>

This Java business logic nobody wants to touch, solved.
WASM (Web Assembly) is still new – BUT getting super hot and useful by the day.Read More >>

It’s never too much of Event Loop clarifications
We know of the Event Loop, we know about the Event Loop, we know it’s important.Read More >>

So how much exactly can be done with css?
CSS has pushed the limits in the past several years, so much that it created new roles of CSS engineer, existing in some companies.Read More >>

Un-magic Typescript, little by little
Ever wondered how Typescript really works?Read More >>

So today ESLint yelled at you againNo Javascript-based project is run without ESLint today.Read More >>

Getting your Vue components to talk to each other, the easy wayOnce our app holds more than a couple of components, it’s crucial that they easily sync with one another.Read More >>

Ever wondered how much other engineers are getting paid in 2020?Compensation is always a debate in the software industry.Read More >>

Styled component? Yes and yes, but…There are many way to style our component, but as always, few have become more mainstream than others.Read More >>

Reading the src of node.jsWe all write node.js code, but have you considered what happens when it actually runs?Read More >>

A Better ReduxMany of us use Redux, sometimes with middleware and sometimes with other libs.Read More >>

Do you know what have the node.js authors been working on for the past couple of years?Well, not node.js 🙂
Seems they’ve been hard at work on a new way to do what we love – develop secure, robust server side apps.Read More >>

Understand IOC and basics of game development in 1:32 minInversion of Control is a critical piece of knowledge for many frameworks. To mention few are Angular & NestJS.Read More >>

Did you know React Native can do… this?When we think React Native, we think mobile cross-platform apps. Maybe good performance. Maybe some challenges. Maybe 60fps.Read More >>

Prefer learning your Javascript technologies visually?There are a million blogs on any subject, but reading texts is much harder than going over visualizations.Read More >>

Closures frighten you? Well, they should…Working with Closures is native to Javascript but isn’t always well understood.Read More >>

Is predicting the future really needed?It’s time to take a rest from in-depth coding articles and libsRead More >>

When was the last time you used Array.reduce Native ES6 is usually very powerful, more than we know.Read More >>

I promise you that it’s worth to (a)waitWhlie Async/Await isn’t game-changing tech, it can definitely makes things easier for any Javascript dev out there.Read More >>

Thought Storybook is just for React? Think again If you haven’t used Storybook yet, now’s the time to start.Read More >>

Migrate into TS step-by-step – the COMPLETE guideSo you’ve read all our Typescript resources and decided it’s the next best thing, right?Read More >>

The fundamentals of Javascript like never before seenHave you ever learned Javascript and got into confusion?Read More >>

Who’s who in the 2020 JS world?It’s easy to get confused by the sheer number of rising frameworks.Read More >>

How about saving time on every build?The more your project grows, the more time-consuming is each build.Read More >>

Still not sure WHY H00ks?It’s still 2019 and we’re still entitles to post about Hooks!Read More >>

Learn. Learn. Learn. RepeatYes we know we should read more. Investigate more. Code better.Read More >>

What are the core concepts of the core React team?
You’ve read alot about concepts of good coding, SPA apps etc.Read More >>

Put the min inside minimalisticFrameworks, libs, UI components, they’re all becoming more & more minimalistic.Read More >>

Testing and… testingAmongst all the practical testing guides, we lose the purpose, the WHY of testing.Read More >>

Gatsby it on S3!If the headline is Chinese to you, read on…Read More >>

Come on, Debounce this Throttling UI!Finally! Someone took the glove and did it.Read More >>

The (near) future of Node.jsAs all other web technologies, node.js is moving forward.Read More >>

Yes, it’s official – WebAsembly is now hereMaybe you’ve heard about it, maybe you’ve even read about it.Read More >>

ES6/7/XSince several years ago, The Javascript (Ecmascript) ecosystem has been moving forward, not just with libs and tools – but with the language spec itself.Read More >>

A little bit of Javascript nostalgia.Taking a look 20yrs back is always a good thing, especially when it’s still very relevant.Read More >>

Create-React-App next version is taking React + JS a step forward.It’s always interesting to follow CRA releases as they’re shaping the standards and common use cases of the React (and Frontend) world.Read More >>

A well deserved Acknowledgement from a Javascript leader.For beginners and veterans alikeRead More >>

Javascript beginner? Learn through games!Of all the ways to learn stuff today, JS is the best.Read More >>

It’s about time for storybook alternative. By Uber.Every FE dev dreams of live editing their codebase.Read More >>

Some React gifts for the holidays.Ever wanted to get your app moving and shaking?Read More >>

Forget about immutability and edit your redux state with ease.Immer is the slowly-becoming-standard for immutable state mutations.Read More >>

Ionic? With React?? Say what?Ionic is a well known framework for hybrid mobile apps.
React is… well, you know.Read More >>

Hook yourself up with canvasAnimating stuff on the we can be a pain.
But it can also be fun – depends if you use the right tooling.Read More >>

Future-proofing your React appLuckily for us, the React team is a cohesive one and had strong team members who take it to their hearts to keep us well informed and relaxed about our future with React.Read More >>

JSX should stay JSXDo you ever feel like your JSX gets overly complex and long, and mostly hard to read?Read More >>

Typescript + React = Move fast and (don’t) break stuffReact is amazing, I can we can all agree on that.Read More >>

More HooksFor those of you who haven’t really got into hooks yet, this one is a great intro to the concept and basic usage.Read More >>

Just drag alongSeems like Drag n’ Drop is one of those things that will always be desirable yet will also remain one of the big challenges.Read More >>

Next.js: How & WhyNext.js can be very useful and save tons of time in many scenarios.
However, it’s a framework with considerable size, which will dictate how the structure and deployment style of your codebase.
In such cases it’s important to try before you buy – and first watch before you try:Read More >>

React: Concurrent Mode & SuspenseLast year we got Hooks. This year we got Concurrent Mode and suspense.Read More >>

Dan Abramov is writing code!Well, of course he writes code 🙂
But we’re so used to reading his blogs, and personally I don’t remember seeing any NEW code he wrote recently.Read More >>

The story about storybookStorybook is great, right?
IT IS! But greatness also has its flaws, and sometimes it requires some special handling.Read More >>

Maximize your Javascript modularityModules have been existing and know in Javascript for a long time. However have they been used correctly?Read More >>

Current state of Javascript frameworksIt’s always good to learn from Pro – and Framework authors are usually THE BEST.Read More >>

They told you React requires “good knowledge of Javascript”Well, they were right. React is keeping itself very lean as a render library, not getting into other areas where other libs / frameworks have gone before.Read More >>

Writing code? Need a job?There are many job boards for all kinds of coders, but some are really good.Read More >>

Generate a generatorJavascript generators can sure come in handy when writing flow for any logic-heavy app.Read More >>

Is Angular Accessible?Sometimes you hear a podcast talking about accessibility. Cool.
Do you ever do something about it, though?Read More >>

Javascript modules? Sure! It’s like import-export no?We’ve been using import-export for years, what’s the big deal here?
Well, if you’re only into writing your code in the box without looking right or left, then nothing.Read More >>

useStateReducerEvery technology or approach has its debates – when React hooks came out it was useState vs useReducer. What should we USE? (pun totally intended)!Read More >>

What’s Top-Level Await?Javascript is an evergreen language. That means it keep improving – letting us do more with less code and less 3rd party libs.Read More >>

Sensible defaults? You still need that?You might hope not, but the short answer is *yes*.Read More >>

God, I HATE package-lock.json!!!Yeah we get you… wasn’t *package.json* enough confusion as it is, right?Read More >>

Instagram is just a blog for some photos. Right?
Right… or not.
Well, if they have an ongoing series of articles…Read More >>

MORE js charts?Yes! But this time, a different one.Read More >>

Ever wanted to detect a face?It’s always nice to try out more Face detection JS-friendly libs!Read More >>

What’s common to node.js, Python and Julia?Do you know how to use node.js? Good!
But do you KNOW node.js?Read More >>

What’s the problem with Electron, and who’s planning to solve it?Electron is well-know and a great tool, howeverRead More >>

Is npm Really Safe? What’s our responsibility as developers to find out?npm libraries are *everywhere* and are here to stay. We use them daily, sometimes without even knowing.
Why should we bother? Well, if you’re in a small startup, you’re usually put in command of the code and that means you’re being counted on to not let the company down when some security breach occurs.Read More >>

Junior to Senior State of MindAs a junior in the development industry you probably keep thinking “how could I level up and gain more skills / knowledge / become better at what I’m doing”.Read More >>

How to learn on the webWe learn all the time. What if we could do it better?
To learn, do you have to *know*? What does having knowledge even means?
And how can we improve on that?Read More >>

No more fiddling with home-made authentication methodsAny app needs auth. There are many methods to perform auth on the web these days.Read More >>

Can promising be bad for you?Promises are everywhere, but are we using them correctly?Read More >>

Do web workers really work for you?
What about those web workers? Do they help us or just make things more complicated?Read More >>

Are you a node.js dev? I sure hope you know this one…THE EVENT LOOP!
OR – how does our code run under the hood?Read More >>

The reason for GraphQL
Read More >>

Save time and have fun writing Javascript
Writing Javascript? So are we! The thing we love about it, is that there’s always more to learn, on all levels…Read More >>

PWA one more time
PWAs have been around for some time, yet are still quite the new kid on the block. This article will provide you with…Read More >>

The fundamentals of routing in Angular
Angular is in its 8th version already, so we decided it’s time to give it some more attention…Read More >>

Back to basics: Can plain JS / HTML be leveraged to do more than we know?
Let’s put the frameworks aside and take a look under the hood…Read More >>

When was the last time your did something in React for the first time?
VR apps are the future. Right?
Right… and no. Seems that today you CAN…Read More >>

React hooks – the next steps
Using hooks is great, how about doing it right?
Now that we know the basics, let’s see real world use cases and design patterns in action…Read More >>

GraphQL going forward
An interesting development in the GraphQL world….Read More >>

Interviewing for React
You do React. You love it. You ace it. You go get interviewed for it. You fall on your face while trying to explain the simple stuff…Read More >>

Using Regex? Good. Hating Regex? Sure.
Regex – you can’t do without it.
But HOW can you do with it? And preferably without getting frustrated to the point of smashing your precious butterfly keyboard?…Read More >>

HTML hidden gems
OK, so HTML is nothing new, but sometimes a good knowledge of it can save us from using tedious libs with complex solutions.Read More >>

More than just JS animations!
There are many javascript / css libraries which support animation today…Read More >>

How the become that developer you always wanted back then when you weren’t a developer yet
Read More >>

npm packages for the masses
Looking to write your own npm package but not sure where to start?….Read More >>

Split it with Css grid
We’ve written before about CSS Grid, but more examples are always better….Read More >>

You know Redux is… redux. But what about hooks?

People love / hate redux. And they keep saying “hooks can do the job better” or “hooks doesn’t below there”….Read More >>

Animations again! This time in React.
Animations are a hot thing, and whatever works with React is even white-hot…Read More >>

So how do I…. here’s how! Live chat app.
Read More >>

What’s common to most React UI Libs and special about this one?

Most of us never think about it, but web apps accessibility is a *major* factor in…

Read More >>

Gatsby for those who have the guts

By now almost everybody have heard of Gatsby.js.
However real-life use cases & tutorials are usually harder to find.
Here you can find a very good one that could open your eyes to the more advanced use cases with Gatsby.

https://medium.com/significa/advanced-blog-system-in-gatsby-16e0cd6b85ad

GraphQL for hooks? That’s right! Grab the Beta while it’s **hot**

Apollo have done it again, infusing the GraphQL world with the latest tools & technologies.
Apollo + GraphQL are hot out of the oven and ready to take for a spin – check out this LIVE DEMO here:
https://codesandbox.io/s/github/peggyrayzis/redux-to-graphql/tree/master/client

One more dent in the REST coffin

REST will stay around for a long time, as it’s very stable and very common. It’s a solution which just works and will work in the future.
THAT SAID – GraphQL has proven to have a huge leverage in today’s modern SPA on all frameworks.
Why? this article can help you understand:
https://www.imaginarycloud.com/blog/graphql-vs-rest/

Webworker made enjoyable

Ever used or considered using WebWorkers but had some barriers along the way?
Google’s got your back on this:
https://github.com/GoogleChromeLabs/comlink

Functional Programming doesn’t have to be rigid

If you’re developing in the modern JS world, Functional Programming is something you’re probably doing anyway in at least part of your code.
Taking it to the next step is something people usually want, but afraid of.
This article will help you fight those considerations.
https://medium.com/@bluepnume/functional-ish-javascript-205c05d0ed08

If you’re interviewing for a Javascript related position, you MUST go through this one first

We all do Javascript / React / Angular / node.js, but many of us aren’t sure HOW IT WORKS.
Really it’s important for your job MUCH MORE than just for the interview.
Only thing is that it’s hard to start – that’s why we picked this article to help you do just that.

https://www.valentinog.com/blog/engines/

Redux for designers

Are you a Front-end developer working with a designer? If so, then this one is for you.

Starting in web

Starting your way as a web developer? Have been doing it for some time and still feel like you’re missing the big picture?

Moved to a mac recently?

Moved to a mac recently? Welcome to the world of professional Front-end development!

The real gain of GraphQL

We’ve all heard about GraphQL, and some of us tried it.
However – did you know that it can potentially replace Redux?
And it’s not just Redux – it’s actually what Redux does – which means you can go back to developing UI and not dive into data mutation tasks.
Sounds Interesting? More on that here:

Take your component to the next level

Dan Abramov never stops writing – be it code, platforms, or very useful articles.
This time Dan has taken his time to invest in a broad yet precise guide (don’t say style guide!) which lays out best practices for writing components which play well with others – thus preventing bugs and allowing for easier maintenance.

Composition – more than just a React ConceptEver wondered why React is in such wide use and keeps gaining developer love?Well, there are many reasons, but definitely a key factor is composition.Thing is, this flexible paradigm can be used not just in React.
See how: https://tylermcginnis.com/javascript-inheritance-vs-composition/

Manage side effects like a proWhy do we like Dan Abramov?
Since not only he (together with the React team) brings us the latest and greatest in the React world, he then also takes the time to teach us how to make the best use of these tools.Checkout his new useEffect() tutorial: https://overreacted.io/a-complete-guide-to-useeffect/

Want to get into the crypto world but need some incentive?Blockstack is helping you exactly there – $100,000 and growing monthly total awards for your next great blockchain app. Even existing apps can add Blockstack API and enter the competition:https://app.co/mining/february-2019

Still using Redux? We got you covered Today we have hooks, mobx, and several other ways to manage state.
However – Redux is still a serious player in the field and isn’t planned to go away anytime soon.So if you’re looking into how to manage state in your app, you should definitely
checkout this tutorial: https://daveceddia.com/redux-tutorial/

Yet more useful hooks Ever wanted to have your own validation library?
With hooks you can do it in a very straightforward, clean manner!Check it out: https://upmostly.com/tutorials/form-validation-using-custom-react-hooks

Love VSCode? So do we! Did you know you can get it in the browser, with zero loading time, with TONS of features and ALWAYS LIVE? And there’s lots more….
Definitely our most-favorite online (and offline?) code editor ever!Check it out: https://stackblitz.com/

You know TODOMVC? Well of course you do.
But did you ever look for a more robust real-world example of how (any)thing works?Look no further! https://github.com/gothinkster/realworld

Of course you heard about it.Yes, that’s not bleeding-edge anymore.
However – PWAs are just now slowly getting into the mainstream and becoming something *important* for almost any brand – so it’s time to re-engage and join the party!https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/

DidMount, DidUpdate, DidItRun?…Yes we all know all the lifecycles methods, but for those annoying bugs where you feel like you’re losing it (or in case you’re new to React) – this handy reference is a must!http://projects.wojtekmaj.pl/react-lifecycle-methods-diagram/

VSCode vs. The worldTo ask a developer if they ever wondered which IDE to go with, is same as asking if they ever wrote a piece of code.
This is THE basic question any developer struggles with from time to time.
And if you’d ask any senior developer, they’ll tell you the answer is_______, as this is one of the most opinionated subjects in front end development these days 🙂
So we won’t break anyone’s word, but we will happily provide some good resources for those of you looking into working with VSCode. Enjoy!https://medium.freecodecamp.org/immensely-upgrade-your-development-environment-with-these-visual-studio-code-extensions

DAPPS in the real worldWe’ve already discussed Distributed Apps using React on our blog.Let’s see how it looks on a production app in the real world:https://medium.com/blockimmo/a-real-world-overview-to-developing-and-shipping-a-production-grade-ÐApps-the-pragmatic-approach

Future of ReactIn case you haven’t heard yet, on the recent React conference Dan Abramov announced Hooks.
Even though that’s still in the next Alpha version of React, it’s not less than a revolution in the React world and its ecosystem (someone said retiring Redux?)
You can either start on the conference link above or with the great practical example below. Be sure to tune in!https://medium.freecodecamp.org/why-react-hooks-and-how-did-we-even-get-here

Adonis.js – (yet another) node.js framework?Node.js frameworks are fun, right?
Well, sometimes… in any case, it’s always good to be aware of the new kid on the block, as it always has a thing or two to teach the old kids.https://medium.com/dirtyjs/adonisjs-the-best-nodejs-framework-of-2017-8ac1efa9b8e6

React Native – sleep on itSome things you must go through and experience yourself, and yet – learning from experience of other is priceless.
So when a company like AirBNB spends time to write a series of articles about their experience with RN, you want to spend 30 minutes reading it.
(But forget that, checkout this cool office!!!)https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/react-native-at-airbnb-f95aa460be1c

Drop your info here

X

Like what you see?

Sign up to our newsletter to get more tips,
best practices and helpful solutions
straight out from our own experience in the Front-end world.

We won’t spam you and won’t sell your email to nobody. Scouts promise!

X