Portfolio Site Soon
28 Jul 2020Current thoughts about web technologies
Thoughts on CSS
I spent a lot of time working with CSS grids and flexilayout over the past few months. I really felt as if my ascension to developer at Groundspeed was all about React, and although that is super cool, it was more about working the way my peers worked, which included some disdain for styling. I have been slowly adapting to the mindset that CSS is pretty awesome, and that with grid, you can really create just about all of the resonsive design patterns you need, without having to resort to Bootstrap or MaterialUI, or Ant. I do like CSS-in-JS, but I like writing CSS, plain CSS, a lot more at the moment. Maybe I’ll change my mind when I get to building something bigger.
Thoughts on HTML
I kinds feel like the only reason anyone pays attention to HTML syntax with any proper attention is for SEO purposes. I think this really indicates a divorce from what HTML was meant to do, which I understand to be marking a document contents constituent parts to add semantic meaning to the parts of the document for the browser. With the growth of CSS, and the development of JavaScript frameworks for creating web-based applications and websites, it seems HTML is seen as a stepping stone to styling and functionality for the user. I’m not complaining too much about it, but there is something nice about well-formed markup.
Thoughts on Web Components
Damn cool. I look forward to writing as many web components as I can to put into my personal projects. I first came across web components while investigating how someone had created something that I was trying to create. It has taken me along a reverse-engineering path. This will be for my Deity Generator application. Since web components are a standard in all major browsers, they are useful, light-weight, and fast. I imagine enterprise software using web components would be really efficient.
About getting a portfolio site up
I have been really working a lot on learning over the past few months. I started out hard on focusing on JavaScript algorithms. Then, I came back to HTML and CSS to sharpen the saw. Now, I am starting on a Gatsby-based website to show off projects as I develop them to replace this Jekyll-based website. I feel like my transition to a mid-level developer is going to come with a more focused vision and skill set, and I want my new site to demonstrate more effectively that quest for mastery and growth. I’m not a blogger. I want to be the artist and craftsman that I have always longed to be, and that is what I want to show people.
It’s really hard to become the type of way-finder you need to be to grow in front-end software development. In fact, “front-end” means so many different things. It’s really a point of contention for people who are learning and wanting to break into web development. There are so many opinions divorced from practical examples when you turn to the internet to find a path forward as a newbie. I am glad that I am coming to know how I want to grow as a developer instead of feeling like I need to learn EVERYTHING THERE IS. It means that I can focus on the basics that will allow me to adapt to new trends as they are adopted by the companies and people that I work with.
I will have that fresh start up and running by the end of August. I’ve been doing studies on Codepen, and I have been working through some tutorials. I have also been working with a couple of clients on web design, so I hope to show that off, too.
New growth. Better things on the horizon.