Adam Coster articles - 29 total
Custom JavaScript/Typescript Errors: Why and how to use them
Custom error classes are great: You can add your own fields, like error codes and such You can...
HTTP Guide
HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is the main way you get information from other people's computers...
JSON Guide
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a super popular way of representing complex data for several...
The "Can We Not" Principle
One of the most important pillars I use to guide my decisions is the "Can we not?" principle. It's a...
Configure pnpm for the best possible developer experience
I've spent a lot of time with the big-three Node.js package managers (npm, pnpm, and yarn), and I've...
JavaScript wants your functions to have names
JavaScript function names can be quite helpful for debugging and logging, but how does JavaScript...
CommonJS and ESM import/export compatibility, by example
Node's CommonJS vs. ECMAScript ("ESM") divide is probably the source of most of my quality of life...
✂ Save time and make fewer mistakes with Snippets
Last week I was sitting down to write a custom JavaScript error and became immediately annoyed. I've...
🚀 Super-charge your email with your own domain, routing, aliases, and catch-alls via Google Workspace
There's a good chance you're still using an email address you set up in college, or even in high...
Live Dev: How to set up a Node project with Typescript
Learning how to code is a long process. Structured coursework and tutorials are a great way for most...
How Notion's URLs change without breaking your links
I noticed something a while ago while updating the title of a page on one of my favorite webapps...
😴 Laziness isn't real
For most of my life, I was held up as a model of Puritanical work ethic through all jillion years of...
Multi-display workstations: boost productivity without breaking your neck
I got in on that standing desk phenomenon a couple of weeks ago (quite late to the party), and used...
💻 Documentation as code
Programmers hate writing documentation. Most programmers, anyway. That's just stuff that gets in the...
Resolving E404 on global install of a private npm package (Linux)
I was logged into npm (via npm login) and went to do a global install of one of my private packages...
How email previews work
Depending on your email client, when looking at your inbox you probably see three main things for...
Beware silently skipped tests in Mocha
I'm a big believer in test-driven development, though I admit I'm a recent convert. My framework of...
DevChat #2: Piracy, corporations, and pretty JavaScript strings
We've made it to number two! This is an archive of a DevChat newsletter, a weekly dive int...
Prettify your JavaScript strings
A new-ish feature of JavaScript is the Template Literal. It's basically a fancy string that lets you...
Learn how binary encoding works (it's more fun and useful than you think)
Data requires context to create meaning. Let's say I sent you a text message containing just <3....
Setting up Windows 10 for web development, including Docker, Linux, and Node.js
I recently had a catastrophic crash of my desktop, so it was time for a fresh Windows 10 install....
Make coding a joy with these core VSCode extensions and settings
Visual Studio Code (VSCode) has rapidly become the favored editor/IDE for a huge swath of web...
How to run Linux on Windows 10 using WSL2
Matching your development and production environments can save a lot of headache. In webdev our...
Tech Debt: The Bill Comes Due
If we don't solve the problems of our past, the futures that we want become ever more difficult to ob...
Typescript Starter Kit: get up and running quickly!
As much as I love Typescript, I often find myself just using plain JavaScript for small projects beca...
How to stringify class instances in Javascript and Express.js
When trying to take an object-oriented approach in Javscript, you'll run into the following problem:...
The Typescript "as const" trick
Some time ago when I was first learning Typescript, I came across a snippet in a tutorial somewhere...
Create a live-reload server for front-end development
I spent my first few years of web development alt-tabbing over to my browser to manually refresh the...
"Sign in with Apple" implementation hurdles
Note: This post is fairly technical and written for web developers. It assumes a basic understanding...