Code articles

First let’s define what we mean by “Monolith” and “Microservice”. A monolithic architecture is built as one large system and is usually one code-base. A monolith is often deployed all at once, both front and end code together, regardless of what was changed. A microservices architecture however is where an app is built as a suite of small services, each with their own code-base. These services are built around specific capabilities...

For a couple of years now, AI and Machine Learning have been taking over web forums as well as adding to the excitement of eager developers who are keen to give it a go in their projects. I’m by no means a Machine Learning expert, but I have brushed the surface of it in a couple of development projects which required a “smarter” way of doing things. To be clear, what we’re going to explore today is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Machine...

If you can get through the basics of PHP then you’ll have a solid foundation on backend development. It’s knowledge you can use for WordPress coding or even to build your own webapps. But developers nowadays often use open source frameworks like Laravel. This is by far the most comprehensive framework for PHP development and guaranteed to help you create your own apps, land a job in the industry, or a mix of both! To get you started with Laravel...

AMP is a contentious technology, to be sure. People seem pretty sure that Google intends to use it to shackle publishers and users to the search engine (like we weren’t already), and that it’s just another way for Google to abuse its powers. And more importantly [sarcasm alert], it’s just not all that pretty to look at. I mean, it was never bad, but AMP is all about speeding up the web (and that other thing), and that means cutting down on a lot...

WebVR is an amazing way to create immersive 3D Virtual Reality experiences in the browser. It’s an experimental specification of Javascript API’s and has a lot of backers and people pushing it forwards, with Mozilla being a big part of that. With the explosion of VR headsets coming to market and more on the horizon, now is a great time to experiment and see what awesome things you can create in WebVR. The open web is becoming an exciting hotbed...

With all the talk lately of finally being able to use CSS Grid, it got me thinking: What other amazing CSS features can I use now? CSS Variables was the one that instantly sprung to mind. It’s been a while since I’ve heard anything about CSS Variables and it adds a whole new toolset and way of thinking to front end development that excites me. A Refresher on CSS Variables CSS Variables have been knocking around for a few years now but don’t seem...

There’s a lot you can do with just CSS and a web browser. Great developers love to push the envelope and show just how much is possible. While experimental projects aren’t always useful on production sites, they are incredibly inspiring and educational. We’ve organized a handful of CSS projects that showcase the true power of CSS. These are all hosted on CodePen so you can even study and clone the source code to see how they work. 1. Gradient...

You do not have to start—and finish—every new website design from scratch. Seriously! Before you scowl, think about it for a minute. How many times have you done the exact same thing to start a project? How many times have you created the exact same icons or user interface elements with subtle changes? That’s where a design kit or template can come in and totally change the way you work. For many designers the benefits can outweigh some of...

UX has been the focal point of modern web development for quite some time now. This is influenced by several factors, including page loading speed, readability, usability, and design. But now that more users prefer mobile web browsing over using desktops, any website—be it a niche blog or an e-commerce store—should start prioritizing mobile friendliness. Nowadays, it’s easy to apply a mobile-responsive theme and use tools like...

Data is all around us, and its visualization has already become an essential part of our lives. Charts, infographics, maps, and dashboards are in great demand today because they present information to us in a way that can be easily interpreted. The good thing is that charting does not require great skills or special knowledge from web developers, designers, or anybody else. In this article, we’ll show you the basics and explain how to handle...

As a web designer, you already know that great design is essential for a website—it’s the concept of design you trust, unless a website looks absolutely amazing, it’s going to be hard for new visitors to trust that site. That’s how essential great design is to a website. However, there’s another essential part of having a trustworthy website, the positive UX which comes with a fast, snappy website. After great design, speed is one...

Vue.js is a micro JavaScript framework for creating reusable and reactive components on your site. Front-end frameworks vary widely in both size and scope, where Vue.js stands out is in its minimal design and focus on adaptability. You have the choice of building your entire site using Vue.js, just a making a single element of your site reactive, or anything inbetween. Because of this, it is very approachable with a shallow learning curve....

SVG is winning the race when it comes to graphics that scale on the web. Designers and developers are choosing SVG in lieu of icon fonts, raster images, and raster sprites. The benefits of using SVG are numerous but to me, it boils down to scalability. Using SVG can be as simple as copying and pasting the exported code from a vector-based program. From there the problem lies with delivering those graphics in the most efficient manner. Enter SVG...

Building email templates is down right hard. Building responsive emails is even harder. Luckily, the kind folks over at Zurb have developed a fantastic framework that makes the process of building responsive emails easier than it has ever been before. Foundation for Emails (formerly Ink) is a framework tailor fit for a modern designer/developer looking to use the tools and technologies of today to build responsive email templates for tomorrow....