TLDR Index
TLDR Web Dev

TLDR WEB DEV 2025-02-21

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01ARTICLES & TUTORIALS

RUNNING PONG IN 240 BROWSER TABS

This developer ran a Pong game across 240 browser tabs by using favicons as pixels. Inspired by a favicon-based Flappy Bird, they used AppleScript to create a grid of tabs and solved challenges like favicon update throttling with web workers and tab synchronization using broadcast channels. Careful measurements were needed to align the canvas with the tab bar, which allowed the Pong game to smoothly transition between the main canvas and the tab bar.

eieio.games15 min read

DESIGNING BACKGROUNDS WITH LLMS AND REACT

LLMs speed up the process of making beautiful, interactive website backgrounds using React and Tailwind CSS. Some examples are shown using gridlines, dotted patterns, and animated stars, all generated using a few LLM prompts. It also helps that many LLMs are tuned to produce React and Tailwind CSS code.

vigilant.run5 min read

BUNDLING DEPENDENCIES

Bundling dependencies can help with compatibility, reducing bloat, and making distribution simpler. However, it can hide dependency issues, prevent updates, and remove the deduplication benefits that npm provides. Generally, bundling makes sense for developer tools, but should be avoided for libraries unless absolutely necessary.

e18e.dev7 min read

02OPINIONS & ADVICE

UGLY CODE AND DUMB THINGS

There's a tension between writing elegant, reusable code and building quick, pragmatic solutions for users. Flamework, a pseudo-framework from Flickr, is an example of prioritizing speed and scale over code beauty, where "doing the dumbest possible thing that will work" can be great for product iteration. Reusability is more necessary for libraries and frameworks than applications.

lucumr.pocoo.org7 min read

APPEND-ONLY PROGRAMMING

Append-only programming is where code is appended to a single file, and existing code is never edited. It's not practical for the real world, but it can help enforce better coding practices, like small functions, thinking about what code to write before committing it, and writing more readable code.

iafisher.com3 min read

I LIKE THE FUTURE OF NEXT.JS

The new granular caching system in Next.js with the "use cache" directive at the file, component, and function levels makes Next.js more pleasant to use. It's an improvement on the developer experience and the end user's experience.

tigerabrodi.blog5 min read

03LAUNCHES & TOOLS

REACT NATIVE 0.78

React Native 0.78 has been released, with React 19 integration and various improvements. The main updates include native support for Android XML drawables, streamlined React Compiler enablement, and easier React Native integration in iOS through RCTReactNativeFactory. The release also introduces an opt-in for JavaScript logs in Metro and prepares for smaller, faster, and more frequent releases in 2025.

reactnative.dev13 min read

REACT BITS

React Bits is a library of animated React components. It has over 60 components, including animations and backgrounds, available in JavaScript or TypeScript with CSS or Tailwind CSS styling.

github.comGitHub repository

JETKVM

JetKVM is an open-source KVM over IP solution for managing computers remotely. It has low-latency, high-FPS video and smooth keyboard/mouse interaction. The software is written in Go and TypeScript, customizable via SSH, and allows optional remote access.

github.comGitHub repository

04MISCELLANEOUS

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING JOB OPENINGS HIT FIVE-YEAR LOW?

According to data from Indeed, software developer job postings have declined a lot, reaching levels similar to those seen during the mid-2020 pandemic period, and are down 35% since January 2020. While the US accounting change Section 174 may have a small impact, the trend is global. Potential reasons for the drop include increased productivity through GenAI tools, a correction after the over-hiring boom during the pandemic, and smaller, more efficient teams.

blog.pragmaticengineer.com12 min read

WHEN YOUR LAST NAME IS NULL, NOTHING WORKS

People with the last name Null have issues with online forms and databases. Many systems interpret "Null" as an invalid entry or a potential security threat, leading to errors and blocked processes.

links.tldrnewsletter.com6 min read