What the heck, z-index?
Read NoteThe best overview of z-index and stacking contexts that I've come across, plus it keeps getting better as Josh extends the useful tools section …
Search
Better image optimisation by restricting the colour index
Read NoteWhen optimising images with only a few visible colours, reducing the output colour space can have massive savings (Eric is talking about the Acorn software …
Why using an index value for a React key is a bad idea
Read NoteSolid reasoning – with a clear example – of the potential dangers of using an array index as the key value in ReactJS. Not something I'd ever considered (and something I do a lot) but …
Improving Craft on Smaller Screens
Read ArticleCraft CMS can be a very enjoyable mobile authoring experience, but it can be improved with some clever plugins and a few relatively new core features.
Elephant in the room
Read ArticleMemory augmentation has always interested me. I'm envious of those that never forget a name or can quote verbatim. Like Mark Llobrera, I've started using technology to never …
The Weak Link
Read ArticleI enjoyed reading this article, written by Ethan Marcotte. It makes some interesting points, aligns with my own cognitive bubble and provides some deeper insight into areas of stuff that I …
Crafty Asset Management
Read ArticleMigrating assets to a new CMS can be a complete pain, but working out which files go with each page or article on a website doesn't have to be a nightmare if you start with a solid foundation. For me, that means tightly coupling my folder structure on the server with my content structure on the website, a workflow that Craft is particularly nifty at automating.
Installing Craft on Arcustech
Read ArticleA step-by-step guide to installing Craft CMS 3+ on the Arcustech hosting services, because sometimes all the command line steps can seem a little daunting if you aren't used to it!
Adding Search with Algolia (Gatsby, Craft CMS - Part 1)
Read ArticleStatic sites don't make search functionality easy, but luckily there are some excellent services that do. I've been messing around with Algolia and finally have it working with Craft and Gatsby the way I want it... on the backend, at least.
Noopener, noreferrer, and nofollow explained
Read NoteI can never remember what the differences are between noopener, noreferrer, and nofollow, or when best to use them, so here's a handy guide that covers pretty much all of the …
Storage for the web
Read NoteA detailed overview of the various methods available to locally store website or web app data. Overall, the recommendation …
Adding Search: Refining The Frontend (Algolia, Gatsby, Craft CMS - Part 3)
Read ArticleThe search page is live, the index is populated, but it all looked a bit rubbish and it didn't quite work as well as I wanted. Now it's using custom-styled components, queries are tracked/stored via the URL for persistence, and you can filter results based on category.
Adding Search: User Interface (Algolia, Gatsby, Craft CMS - Part 2)
Read ArticleHaving hooked up Algolia with my Gatsby build pipeline and populated a search index from my Craft CMS API, the next step was the build a frontend UI to enable users to actually query my posts. It turned out to be a pretty simple process.
The random link in the age of static sites
Read NoteHeydon has been working on Ga11ery, a neat image portfolio site generator that's ideal for webcomics. But it's built on the Jamstack using 11ty and Netlify, which means it isn't so simple to …
Thoughts on Disney+
Read ArticleTwo months after Disney+ launched I'm still a huge fan of the content catalogue but swing between feeling bemused and exasperated at the actual experience of using the service.
About the Divide
Read ArticleThe idea of a great divide in front-end development resonated with me. I'm worried about how the erosion of certain skills could lead to a less inclusive, accessible web, for both users and developers. On the other hand, there are some massive advantages to our new tools. It's a double-edged sword.
Why a skip navigation link is useful
Read NoteI'd never heard of a "skip link" before but it's a neat idea that's clearly been around for some time. Basically, it's a link placed at the very start of the <body> that's …
Books vs the Web
Read ArticleI love books. I have a huge collection of them and I routinely add to it. But when it comes to the topic of spreading knowledge and information, I think the web wins. It may not be as nice to use, but it is more accessible, and that means it's more valuable.
Using IBM's Carbon Design System with NextJS
Read ArticleThe combination of the Carbon design system and NextJS should make for rapid website development, but I ran into a few small hurdles getting them to play nicely with one another using existing documentation and community guidelines.
Marking up a Tracklist
Read ArticleIs an album's tracklist better suited for a table or a list? The answer may surprise you! (But it probably won't).
Trailing slashes on URLs
Read NoteI saw Zach's poll on Twitter when they posted it, so I was intrigued to see what the results were. Most people agree with me, that URLs shouldn't have trailing slashes. It turns out that we're …
Missing Keywords in Lightroom
Read ArticleA solution for an annoying bug in Lightroom where keyword searches stopped indexing new tags.
A Local Data Store in Astro
Read ArticleA quick (and dirty) way to fetch local data from a JSON file and modify the look of a page in Astro, completely natively.
Lost in translation
Read NoteA wonderful talk from Manuel on the hidden complexities of HTML. There's a huge amount of interesting stuff going on here in terms of writing accessible, semantic websites, but I particularly liked …
Climbing the ladder of abstraction with AI
Read NoteWattenberger frequently breaks my brain with some of their incredibly well-reasoned and unique ideas, and this talk from AI Engineer Summit is no exception. The core ideas being introduced are around …
A filterable, indie search engine
Read NoteAnother attempt at a privacy-focused, simplified search engine, with some interesting filter options – called "optics" – which let you customise your results. Only want to search personal sites? …
Astro Versus Netlify
Read ArticleAstro and Netlify largely play well together, but I've found a few aspects of redirects and URL design that contain the odd foot-gun I had to work around.