Episodes

  • 874: Fast Apps - Easy Perf Wins

    874: Fast Apps - Easy Perf Wins
    Feb 5 2025
    Is your app feeling sluggish? Scott and Wes break down the biggest performance bottlenecks—like bloated assets, slow databases, and waterfall requests—and share easy wins to make your site feel lightning fast. From smarter caching to preloading tricks, these tips will have your app zipping along in no time! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:58 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:01 What makes apps slow? 02:10 Loading too much. 03:26 Slow database work. 04:04 Slow server. 04:54 Waterfall requests. 06:34 How do I know what is slow? 06:45 Web vitals. 12:50 Streaming. 14:05 Network tab. 18:18 Performance tab. 22:53 Caching. 22:59 Client-side caching. 23:38 Server-side caching. Valkey.io. Redis.io. 25:40 Local data. 26:11 Gzip. 29:23 CDN. 30:57 Images. Cloudinary. Cloudflare Images. Imgix. Vercel Images. 31:08 Serving. 34:16 Compressing. 35:06 Ship fewer images. 35:50 Loading JS. Async vs Defer Attributes. 37:00 CSS. 38:28 Preloading & Prefetch. 39:40 Preloading on hover. 41:44 Ship less code. 43:49 Icons Nucleo App. 47:01 Fonts Tolin.ski. 51:13 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Skywalkers on Netflix. Wes: Oxo Swivel Peeler. 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
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    55 mins
  • 873: Standard Schema: The Universal JavaScript Data Interface

    873: Standard Schema: The Universal JavaScript Data Interface
    Feb 3 2025

    Wes and Scott talk about the standard schema for data validation, a collective effort by various library authors to create a unified interface. They discuss the benefits, how it works, and its impact on developers and libraries.

    Show Notes
    • 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
    • 01:24 Brought to you by Sentry.io
    • 02:44 What is Standard Schema and how does it work?
      • Standard Schema Spec
      • Fabian Hiller
      • Valibot
      • David Blass
      • ArkType
      • Colin McDonnell
      • Zod
    • 06:00 Benefits of Standard Schema
    • 08:54 Implementation and usage
    • 11:25 Is this primarily for end users or library authors?
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    14 mins
  • 872: Too much AI × Disappointed in Firefox × Planning New Projects × Hard Truths

    872: Too much AI × Disappointed in Firefox × Planning New Projects × Hard Truths
    Jan 29 2025
    Wes and Scott answer questions about HTML semantics, TypeScript, adapting to AI’s impact on web development, and the best and worst browsers for developers. They also tackle project planning, deploying SvelteKit apps, and navigating online opinions in tech. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:04 Best container element for a grid of products? 04:50 TypeScript null checks 09:44 Adapt to AI or get left behind Syntax Episode 870 13:13 Why did 3D never take off? three.js React Three Fiber Rep Fitness Rack Builder Maxime Heckel GitHub Universe The element 18:53 Podcast audio and video in one feed? Who Smarted? 21:06 Brought to you buy Sentry.io 22:30 Best and worst browsers for web dev? Firefox Edge Chrome Arc Safari 27:39 Why use a lock file for managing dependency versions Don’t gitignore your lock files! 30:34 Should you build your own sync engine? Scott’s Naive Sync Example 34:21 Best practices when starting a new project from scratch Habit Path 38:33 How to deploy a SvelteKit app on something other than Vercel or Netlify Coolify Crash Course 42:54 The reality of online opinions in tech 48:10 Spending $120k on an app idea 54:12 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: My Mind Wes: Metal Detector 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
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    58 mins
  • 871: Coding Agents Cursor + Windsurf Tips

    871: Coding Agents Cursor + Windsurf Tips
    Jan 27 2025

    Scott and Wes explore the world of coding agents, diving into tools like Cursor and Windsurf that promise to change how we write and manage code. They discuss modes, workflows, and practical tips for experimenting with these AI-powered tools in your next project.

    Show Notes
    • 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
    • 04:12 What are AI Agents?
      • Cursor Features, Windsurf Features.
    • 07:25 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
    • 07:50 Chat Mode.
    • 08:11 Composer Mode.
    • 08:55 Agent Mode.
    • 10:03 Inline Chat Mode.
    • 11:02 JavaScript Set Methods Demo.
      • Wes’ Example on X.
    • 16:10 Fire Dispatch Data.
    • 20:01 Rules Files.
      • Cursor Directory.
    • 22:37 Use screenshots.
    • 23:36 Refactoring to separate files.
    • 23:53 Use it to experiment.
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    27 mins
  • 870: Windsurf forked VS Code to compete with Cursor. Talking the future of AI + Coding

    870: Windsurf forked VS Code to compete with Cursor. Talking the future of AI + Coding
    Jan 22 2025

    Wes and Scott talk with Kevin Hou and Varun Mohan from Windsurf about the evolving landscape of AI in coding, and the future of software development.

    Show Notes
    • 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
    • 00:50 The origins of Windsurf and Codeium
      • Windsurf
      • Codeium
      • Vs Code
      • Cursor
    • 03:14 Rethinking IDE UX
    • 05:45 Will Microsoft eventually implement these AI features in VS Code?
    • 09:27 The "agentic" editor concept
    • 17:58 The future of software development with AI
    • 24:37 AI in large codebases
    • 28:22 Brought to you by Sentry.io
    • 28:46 How does AI stay current with frequent language/library updates?
    • 33:07 Behind Windsurf's fresh design
    • 35:23 Challenges with forking VS Code
    • 38:47 AI and future innovations
    • 43:04 How Windsurf approaches AI experimentation
    • 45:11 Pricing and user segments
    • 48:38 Will Windsurf ever run in the browser?
    • 50:58 Sick Pick + Shameless Plugs
    Sick Picks
    • Kevin: Ricoh GR IIIx
    • Varun: Di2 Shifter
    Shameless Plugs
    • Windsurf
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    58 mins
  • 869: Node + TypeScript in 2025

    869: Node + TypeScript in 2025
    Jan 20 2025

    Scott and Wes explore the experimental world of running TypeScript in Node, breaking down the differences between type stripping and compiling. They cover the pros, cons, and quirks of the current implementation, plus explore tools like tsx, ts-node, and even alternatives like Deno.

    Show Notes
    • 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
    • 00:41 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
    • 01:29 Running TypeScript in Node.
    • 01:45 Experimental Type Stripping.
    • 03:17 TypeScript refresher.
    • 04:05 TypeScript can be compiled and/or Type Stripped.
    • 05:09 Current Node implementation is only type stripping.
    • 05:40 Limitations of no compiling.
      • 05:57 Enums.
      • 08:30 Other issues.
      • 08:35 Parameter properties.
    • 09:20 Experimental transform types.
    • 10:01 Importing types with type keyword.
    • 11:17 No need for sourcemaps.
    • 11:42 No dependencies.
      • 13:08 Other tools.
      • 13:25 tsx.
      • 14:28 ts-node.
      • 14:44 JSDoc.
      • 16:30 Deno and Bun.
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    18 mins
  • 868: The State of JavaScript

    868: The State of JavaScript
    Jan 15 2025
    Wes and Scott talk about the State of JavaScript survey, tends, popular features, and the evolving landscape of tools and frameworks. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io 01:16 The state of JavaScript Twitter fantasy football 02:27 Syntax features The State of JavaScript survey 05:27 Logical assignment 07:49 Strings 08:18 Arrays 14:16 Sets 2025 New Years resolution: use maps and sets more and objects / arrays less. 16:10 Browser APIs 22:50 Library tiers list 27:21 Upgrading from M1 Mac Chris Coyier - M4 30:08 Front-end frameworks 32:18 The top front-end frameworks used at work 33:49 What is the highest paying framework? 35:01 Meta frameworks 36:32 Meta frameworks pain points 42:33 Testing tools 43:58 Build tools 44:41 Most used libraries 46:33 Back-end frameworks 48:34 JavaScript runtimes 50:35 Serverless runtimes 51:25 Other languages people are using 52:49 AI tools 53:37 The State of JS Awards 57:18 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Wes: Headted Vest Scott: Super Mario Party Jamboree 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
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 867: Zero Sync is the Future of Data Loading

    867: Zero Sync is the Future of Data Loading
    Jan 13 2025

    What’s the deal with Zero Sync? Scott and Wes dive into this cutting-edge database tech, exploring its real-time interactivity, blazing-fast performance, and how it stacks up against the competition. Plus, they break down setup, querying, authentication, and whether it’s ready for prime time.

    Show Notes
    • 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
    • 01:59 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
    • 02:21 Today’s agenda.
    • 02:52 What is Zero Sync?
      • The Docs.
      • InstantDB.
    • 07:02 Zerobugs loading speed.
    • 11:04 Real-time interactivity.
    • 11:38 Why is it different?
    • 12:11 How to get it set up.
      • 12:58 Querying Data.
      • 16:22 Writing data.
      • 16:31 Upsert.
      • 17:39 Authentication and permissions.
        • Johannes Schickling Ep 767.
      • 19:27 Preloading.
      • 19:41 Migrations and deployment.
    • 20:17 Some extras.
    • 21:16 CreateSubscriber.
    • 23:08 Can you use this today?
      • Zero Syn Roadmap.
      • Scott’s YouTube Video.
    Hit us up on Socials!

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    29 mins