Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:30 What is SynHax? This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge) 04:21 The Stack SvelteKit Postgres Drizzle Zero Sync Better Auth Syntax 931: How to make good choices when starting a coding project 07:39 How it works 15:03 The battle experience 28:28 Fun details 34:12 Creating new battles & the admin dashboard Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

It’s Hackweek at Syntax! Scott, Wes, and CJ break down what Hackweek is all about - how they picked their projects, what came out of them, and why it’s the best excuse to experiment, build, and have fun before the deep-dive episodes roll in. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:04 What is Hackweek? 01:05 Hackweek projects spark motivation. 04:05 Choosing our projects. 04:34 What we chose. 05:11 CJ’s Hackweek Project. 05:51 Using SGDK C language toolkit. 07:02 Writing to an Everdrive. 08:09 What game engine did you use? Platformer Engine. LDtk. 12:11 What was the end result? 14:09 Wes’ Hackweek Project. 16:15 Why hardware projects? Watch the Video Here. 19:09 Scott’s Hackweek Project. Watch the Video Here. 21:42 Early considerations. 25:42 AI usage. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only checks, and offer practical tips for protecting sensitive user data in your apps. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! We build the world’s most painful CAPTCHAs (Kitboga scammers) 02:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:33 Wes’ vibe coding experience Wes’ app 04:38 The Tea app disaster Tea app 07:45 Don’t vibe code access control Better Auth with Better Auth 09:38 Let in, don’t lock down 11:23 Server vs. client-side code 13:46 Visualize access control 15:30 Automate tests 17:00 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: A City on Mars Wes: Hotel Collection Essential Oils Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes dive into the fundamentals of project initialization and planning, from outlining ideas and choosing the right tools to making smart technology decisions. They also chat about leveraging AI and collaboration to shape better projects before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:12 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 04:03 Make a plan. 04:06 Start with an outline and let it evolve. 05:59 Mind-Mapping software vs plain text. 08:49 Utilizing LLMs for alternative perspectives. 09:58 Utilizing humans for alternative perspectives. 11:17 Making technology choices. 13:24 Assessing the project’s actual needs. 13:30 Is this a long-term project? 15:43 Is this project Open Source? 16:09 Are you working in a team? 18:12 Are you prioritizing learning? 19:48 Pick technologies with proven compatibility. 20:17 Implementing AI. 20:44 Steering docs. 26:24 Get to work and break stuff. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about VS Code vs Cursor, navigating promotions and job titles, database fundamentals, avoiding decision paralysis, how AI is shaping frameworks, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:56 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:24 Moving from VS Code to Cursor without losing your shortcuts 12:13 Should you bring up a senior promotion at a new job? 16:32 Relying on LLMs vs. learning database fundamentals 20:42 Overcoming decision paralysis in programming 25:00 What to do when your code gets too messy 27:39 Could Wasm replace Docker and Kubernetes? 32:14 Organizing mini-apps in Express: monorepo, micro frontends, or something else? 38:49 Will AI lock us into React and make new frameworks irrelevant? 46:57 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Wes and Scott: Niimbot Shameless Plugs Subscribe to Syntax on YouTube Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes tackle listener questions on everything from local-first databases and AI-built CRMs to protecting APIs and raising kids with healthy digital habits. They also weigh in on Cloudflare’s AI crawler ban, portfolio critiques, and more hot takes from the dev world. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Dreaming about web components. 02:55 Local-First Apps for Customer Support. Brought to you by Sentry.io 08:17 AI-Built CRM: Portfolio or Problem? Ben Vinegar’s Engineering Interview Strategy. 18:55 InstantDB vs. Other Local-First Databases. 21:46 Raising Kids with Healthy Digital Habits. Porta Potty Prince on TikTok. 32:55 Cloudflare Blocks AI Crawlers. Good for Creators? Cloudflare Pay Per Crawl. Cloudflare No AI Crawl Without Compensation. Chris Coyier’s Blog Response. 41:46 Protecting APIs and Obfuscating Source Code. 44:49 Will Portfolio Critiques Return? 46:45 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Wifi 7 Eero. Wes: Plastic Welder Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Wes and Scott talk about the 2025 State of Devs survey, diving into trends in salaries, job titles, remote work, health, hobbies, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:44 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:08 Years of experience vs yearly income 11:48 Layoffs 18:07 Job title 19:55 Remote work 24:40 Job happiness 25:40 Work hours 26:24 Workplace perks 26:53 What phones devs use 27:46 Desktop OS 28:44 Programming languages 29:29 Productivity apps 30:54 Social media 32:13 Median age of RSS feed users 33:41 Community contributions 35:37 Health and fitness 37:01 Health issues 39:11 Scott’s health update 42:28 Hobbies 45:54 Favorite music 47:10 Favorite video games 47:37 Favorite movies 49:35 Metadata Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes break down the latest in web dev news, from Amazon’s AI-powered VS Code fork and Node’s native TypeScript support, to Vite overtaking Webpack and Svelte’s newest async and remote features. They also cover big moves in developer tools, fresh browser experiments, and what these shifts mean for the future of coding. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 04:08 Kiro. Kiro Video. 09:05 Node 22.18 allows TypeScript without compiler. 11:42 React Router RSC, Parcel + Vite Support. 12:56 Windsurf Bought for real this time. 14:25 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 14:49 Copyparty, the FOSS file server Codeparty Video Codeparty on GitHub. 23:22 Vite Overtakes Webpack. Evan You X Post. 25:16 Rolldown Vite. void0 Rolldown-Vite. 27:06 Claude Code pricing clamp down. Wes’ X Post. 30:07 Async svelte released. Async Svelte Discussion. 31:41 Remote Svelte Released. Remote Functions. 34:59 Trae Solo. 37:58 Perplexity Comet Browser. 43:07 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Black Stuff. Wes: MEKOH Short Pressure Washer Gun with Swivel. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and CJ explore why RSS still matters and how it’s more underused than outdated. They discuss how to self-host RSS readers, escape the noise of the modern web, and reclaim a cleaner, ad-free reading experience across devices. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:09 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:41 What is RSS and how does it work? RSS Atom (web standard) JSON Feed 06:14 Hosting your own RSS server: Miniflux, FreshRSS, and more Miniflux FreshRSS 11:00 Decluttering the web with article scraping 12:38 Best RSS clients for desktop and mobile Capy Reader Google Reader ReadKit Pocket is shutting down wallabag mymind 18:51 Where to find RSS feeds The Brutalist Report Programming Subreddit Hacker News BlueSky Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel: Cursor User Tries Claude Code Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and CJ go full productivity nerd, swapping notes on their favorite web apps for writing, coding, planning, and more. From terminals to to-do lists to dumb phones, it’s a deep dive into the tools powering their workflows. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:35 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 01:56 Text to speech or speech to text. 02:20 Superwhisper. 08:29 Kiro. 16:16 CJ’s current editor preference. 17:59 Finding the right editor. 18:47 Terminals. 20:22 Ghostty. 24:16 Note-taking. 26:32 Obsidian. 30:24 Logseq. 31:03 Todo lists. 31:08 Tweek.so 34:42 Trello. 37:25 Notion Calendar. 38:55 Email. 43:21 FairEmail. 43:43 Dumb phones. 45:10 Olauncher 47:39 Audio Bookshelf. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Wes and Scott talk about local-first sync engines—why they matter, what makes apps feel fast, and which platforms stand out. From LiveStore to Convex to Instant DB, they break down the pros and cons of each and debate what the “next React” might look like in a local-first future. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:52 Intro to local data: what makes apps feel fast 05:08 Could the next React be a local-first sync engine? 08:23 LiveStore 18:01 Zero 21:58 Instant DB 24:18 Brought to you by Sentry.io 24:43 Convex 27:54 ElectricSQL 29:48 PowerSync and PartyKit 30:51 Choosing the right sync engine 40:34 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Rummikub Wes: Headphone covers Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes share their top strategies for getting high-quality results from AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, and Windsurf. From better prompting to building reusable rule sets, they cover practical tips for making AI your most productive coding partner. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! Wes' Tweet 02:56 How to get the best results when using AI. 03:15 Scaffold it out yourself. 05:40 Be clear with your prompts. 07:45 Use XML tags around specific items 08:47 Utilize Rules like Cursor rules or Copilot rules. 13:20 Ask it to create some rules based on an existing codebase. 16:03 Break things down into clear concise actionable items. 17:22 Where to store your rules files. 18:37 Utilizing llm.txt files. 19:24 Context7. 20:28 Tag relevant files, functions, etc. 21:38 Feed logs back into the AI. 22:36 Logging Errors. 22:54 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 24:14 Long running chats get worse. Wes' Tweet Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about code reviews, migrating legacy apps, CSS attr() use cases, pre-commit hooks, the future of creative web development, whether front-end devs need to be full-stack, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:43 When is the appropriate time to use requestAnimationFrame? 05:10 How do you handle code reviews on larger teams? 13:08 When to use the CSS attr() function 19:01 The future of browsing websites and the impact of AI 28:45 Brought to you by Sentry.io 29:10 Navigating browser preview in VS Code 31:31 Pre-populating email content with mailto 34:29 Is there increasing pressure for front-end developers to become full-stack? 43:14 What pre-commit checks should you run and how? 46:16 How do you deal with a poorly-built codebase when you already have thousands of active users? 50:05 What GitHub Copilot features should you disable while you’re learning something new? 52:22 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: WOLFBOX MF100 Electric Air Duster Wes: Competition Kettlebells Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes break down how to code with and for AI; perfect for skeptics, beginners, and curious devs. They cover everything from Ghost Text and CLI agents to building your own AI-powered apps with embeddings, function calling, and multi-model workflows. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:56 How to interface with AI. 04:07 IDE Ghost Text. 05:45 IDE Chat, Agents. 08:00 CLI Agents. Claude Code. Open Code. Gemini. 11:13 MCP Servers. Context7 14:47 GUI apps. v0. Bolt.new. Lovable. Windsurf. 19:07 Existing Chat app like ChatGPT. 22:37 Building things WITH AI. 23:32 Prompting. 26:53 Streaming VS not streaming. 28:14 Embeddings and Rag. 31:09 MCP Server. CJ’s MCP Deep Dive. 32:36 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 33:25 Multi-model, multi-provider. 36:27 npm libs to use to code with AI. OpenAI SDK. AI SDK. Cloudflare Agents. Langchain. Local AI Tensorflow. Transformers.js. Huggingface. 44:12 Processes and exploring. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Wes and Scott talk about how developers can expose powerful tools to AI using the Model Context Protocol. They discuss tool calling, remote MCP specs, authentication, and real-world use cases that make AI more capable through smarter integrations. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:36 What is MCP? 07:23 MCP tools 11:33 MCP resources 13:43 Saving reusable prompts 16:18 Creating and validating MCP tools 18:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io 18:31 Tool calling vs MCP servers 21:28 Remote vs local MCP servers mcp-remote 26:24 Useful MCP servers mcp-server-cloudflare use-mcp awesome-mcp-servers 32:48 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Mario Kart World Wes: anyloop Kid’s Watch Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes recap the current state of web authentication and explore how Better Auth simplifies the whole process. With built-in plugins, modern features, and no need to hand-roll your own solution, Better Auth makes secure login a breeze for developers. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:59 Scott’s history with authentication. 02:05 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:15 My opinion has changed on auth. 04:40 Current authentication options. 06:32 Arctic. 06:56 OpenAUTH. 07:36 Auth.js. 08:02 Better Auth. 10:45 Better Auth CLI. 11:37 Email integration. 12:09 Hooks and Tokens. 13:43 CAPTCHA Integration. 14:36 Database Integration. 15:04 Integrations. 15:19 Plugin Ecosystem. 17:40 Admin features. 19:41 The Docs. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Wes and Scott talk with Loïc Houssier about how Superhuman builds lightning-fast, delightfully-designed email software. They dig into engineering philosophy, offline-first architecture, local databases, AI-powered productivity, and what it takes to create tools that people love. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:05 Inside Superhuman and Loïc’s role 06:49 Is Superhuman native? What’s the tech stack? 08:16 How Superhuman approaches product design and speed 12:17 Local-first architecture – Sync, storage, and performance Realm 13:46 Vector search, AI, and privacy considerations 18:12 How the team ships fast and stays focused 21:27 Rethinking email for the future 26:54 Brought to you by Sentry.io 27:19 How calendar integration and smart features work 29:54 Where new ideas come from 31:54 Will there ever be a true dark mode? 33:02 Are people actually using keyboard shortcuts? 36:42 How shortcuts work and the role of the command palette 41:28 Engineering for speed – Costs and trade-offs 43:32 How Superhuman’s sync engine works 46:09 What code runs locally and what runs on the server? 46:51 How Superhuman handled the Google and Cloudflare outage Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes round up the hottest AI tools you should have on your radar; from text-to-speech wizards to self-hosted image generators. They break down what they’re using, what’s worth paying for, and which tools are changing their workflows. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Getting too cozy with your tools. 01:34 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:40 LangFlow. 08:44 Super Whisper and Whisper Flow. 15:00 Dia. 23:16 Chat apps. Claude ChatGPT Raycast Cursor Midjourney (Imagine.art) 26:58 Self-hosted. 27:01 Comfy UI. 31:27 Automatic1111 and Forge UI. Xenova Shoutout 34:11 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Rat A Tat Cat Card Game. Wes: Syntax Hats Shameless Plugs Wes: Syntax Hats Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about maintaining popular open-source projects, where to start after a layoff, impostor syndrome, Scott’s recording setup, whether a computer science degree is still worth it in the age of AI, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Brought to you bySentry.io 04:16 How to maintain a successful NPM package 08:03 What to do in Denver while attending Laracon 11:18 How to branch out and learn new frameworks while balancing work life and family 15:55 Built-in state management vs external state managementFull Stack App Build | Travel Log w/ Nuxt, Vue, Better Auth, Drizzle, Tailwind, DaisyUI, MapLibre 19:43 Suggestion for CSS battles: Removing white space and new lines after the time limit? 23:06 What is Scott’s recording setup? Aputure Light Dome Aputure Amaran 150c Sony FX3 Electro-Voice RE20 27:46 Snake case vs camel caseEye Tracking Study on camelCase and under_score Identifier Styles 31:16 Have you ever had impostor syndrome? 34:56 Is a degree worth it for computer science or machine learning? 38:41 Should I use a reverse proxy server?Ep 798: Self Hosting: Reverse Proxy Servers 42:03 Where to start when updating your webdev skillset 50:11 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott:Cardboard Cutter Wes:Kitchen Scissors Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax:XInstagramTiktokLinkedInThreads Wes:XInstagramTiktokLinkedInThreads Scott:XInstagramTiktokLinkedInThreads Randy:XInstagramYouTubeThreads

AI coding agents are getting wild. Scott and Wes break down the latest tools that run in the background, write code across multiple steps, and charge you $200 a month to do it. From CLI-based primitives to full-on copilots, this episode covers the next wave of dev tools and what it takes to use them effectively. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:13 Background Agents. 04:26 Appropriate tasks for background agents. 12:46 CLI tooling. 14:17 Claude Code Pricing. 18:20 Approaches to get the most from these tools. 19:56 PRD Documents. Atlasian What’s a PRD Document. 20:50 Claude Taskmaster. Langflow. 25:29 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: RingConn. Wes: Dell Projector Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads