Ken Bellows articles - 23 total
String.prototype.search(): a method I wish I knew about a long time ago
tl;dr: String.prototype.search() is basically .indexOf() but with regexes. It's been supported in ev...
What's your preferred Node.js testing setup?
I'm currently working on building a new Node.js application from the ground up at work. This is the f...
My confusions about TypeScript
I have heard endless good things about TypeScript in the last couple years, but I've never really had...
Chromium and the browser monoculture problem
Okay, folks. This is new territory for me. I'm stepping into the world of.... t h i n k p i e c e s...
AskDev: Real-time group project collaboration tools?
Hey DEV! I'm in grad school, and I'm taking a course for the summer semester all about Education Tech...
What cool ideas have you seen for integrating new team members?
I came across this tweet from a couple days ago and it really struck a chord with...
"currentColor", the first CSS variable
CSS got native variables not too long ago through Custom Properties (🎈🥳🎈), and they let us do some awesome stuff. But we shouldn't forget the grandfather of CSS variables, around long before Custom Properties came around: currentColor!
Do you use a CSS framework based on CSS Grid?
Ever since the advent of CSS Grid, I never feel the need to reach for a CSS framework like Bootstrap...
Why I care about the Semantic Web
Sometimes we as developers can get caught up in the aesthetics of semantic HTML tags, how clean the HTML and CSS becomes. But we need to remember that semantic tags are not primarily about improving code readability.
Rewriting an old project! Part 2: JavaScript
I revisited an old weekend hack of mine from college and decided to rewrite it! Since it's a mostly JavaScript project, this is the part I'm most excited about!
Rewriting an old project! Part 1: HTML & CSS
I revisited an old weekend hack of mine from college, and man, how I (and the platform) have grown! I decided to rewrite it here in 2019, and to share that experience for some reflection and some laughs.
Flex items are not grid columns
There's a subtle but very important difference between how `flex-grow` and other growy-shrinky Flexbox rules behave and how the `fr` unit of CSS Grid works. Here we explore it using a practical example.
Stop using so many divs! An intro to semantic HTML
Sure, divs are great and all, but they give no information about their purpose within the document structure. HTML5 has been around for a while now, and there are better options.
How streams can simplify your life
An introduction to streams and the Observer Pattern, what problems they address, how they work, and why you might care.
Is there a good way to find out when your article is shared around?
I like seeing when people share and comment on my articles, but haven't found a good way to keep track of it.
A few Python REPL config tricks
A few little tricks I discovered over the weekend to make the Python REPL a smidge more useful
Gradians and Turns: the quiet heroes of CSS angles
Degrees and radians are the angle units we all know and hate, but two lesser-known units are often much easier: turns and gradians!
How should we indent `const` declarations?
`var` and `let` work nicely with 4 spaces of indentation, but `const` is 2 characters longer! How will we handle this crisis???
Why we need CSS subgrid
The CSS Grid spec is amazing, but there's still a gap to be filled by `subgrid`.
Advice for online grad school with a busy life?
I'm starting online grad school soon, but I have a busy life as is. Any advice?
CSS Grid Areas are amazing
Let me tell you about the thing that completely convinced me of the power of CSS Grid Layout: Grid Areas!
The JavaScript Iteration Protocols and How They Fit In
Iterators are one of the most underrated features of ES2015, and they're deeply tied into several other great ES2015 features. Let's dive in!
JavaScript vs. Python: Default Function Parameter Values
A discussion of default function parameter values in JavaScript since ES6 vs. in Python