A classic problem in CSS is maintaining the aspect ratio of images across related components, such as cards. The newly supported aspect-ratio property in combination with object-fit provides a remedy to this headache of the past! In this article, Stephanie Eckles will show you how to use these properties, in addition to creating a responsive gradient image effect for extra flair.
Read more…
We use abstractions and conventions to hide away the tricky and error-prone parts, which in turn makes it easier for everyone who needs to do the same task. The ideas Steven Frieson shares here should be actionable in most applications depending on your styling solution and browser support. Migrating to use this system is not very risky since stacking contexts are already scoped individually; you can migrate one context as it already exists at a time.
Read more…
Markdown is a powerful markup language that allows editing and formatting in plain text format that can then be parsed and rendered as HTML. It has a declarative syntax that is both powerful and easy to learn for technical and non-technical folks. However, due to the consequential ambiguities in its original specification, there have been a number of distinct flavors (or custom versions) that aim to erase those ambiguities as well as extend the original syntax support. This has led to a steep divergence from what can be parsed and what is rendered. CommonMark aims to provide a standardized specification of Markdown that reflects its real-world usage.
Read more…
In this overview of WebXR technologies and the Babylon.js framework, we’ll embark on a journey through the past, present, and future of mixed reality both on the web and on immersive headsets. We’ll inspect the underpinnings of WebXR and the most important aspects of the WebXR Device API before turning our attention to Babylon.js, a framework for building immersive applications in JavaScript for web, mobile, and headset. This tutorial is geared toward web and JavaScript developers who build web applications but are looking to dip their toes into immersive experiences.
Read more…
Being able to run Google’s Lighthouse analysis suite programmatically provides a lot of advantages, especially for larger or more complex web applications. Using Lighthouse programmatically allows engineers to set up quality monitoring for sites that need more customization than straightforward applications of Lighthouse (such as Lighthouse CI) allow. This article contains a brief introduction to Lighthouse, discusses the advantages of running it programmatically, and walks through a basic configuration.
Read more…
Splitting colors into three levels (palette, functional, and component) can help you be more adaptive to changes and new requirements while working on a project. In this article, Artur Basak introduces a modern approach on how to set up CSS Custom Properties that respond to the application colors. The idea of dividing colors into three levels can be quite useful: a palette (or scheme), functional colors (or theme), and component colors (local scope).
Read more…
With Angular Material and ng2-charts, you can take advantage of schematics to cut down the effort and time you may spend building a dashboard. Schematics in Angular 9 are code generators that can create components and patterns in projects using predetermined templates and layouts. In this article, Zara Cooper explains how to take advantage of schematics in Angular Material and ng2-charts to substantially reduce the time and work that goes into building a dashboard.
Read more…
Which aspects should we take into consideration when designing and developing for reading? How can we create accessible, comfortable, inclusive experiences for all readers, including the most challenged and those affected by dyslexia? In this article, Edoardo Cavazza will cover how we can improve websites legibility using some modern CSS techniques, great new technologies like variable fonts and putting into practise what we learned from doing scientific researches.
Read more…
Every month, we present an overview of things the Smashing team has been working on — all in one place. We organized Smashing Meets on three days — events that were open to everyone in the web community. With sessions on performance, CSS, GraphQL, and creative courage, we made sure to leave plenty of time for Q&A, networking, competitions and prizes. The past few weeks have been quite challenging: COVID-19 crisis, #BlackLivesMatter, and so many other ongoing issues taking place all over the world. Here’s what’s been happening on our end in the meantime.
Read more…
A desk is an essential piece of equipment for a web designer. Without it, you’d end up working from wobbly tables at cafes or staring down at your lap all day — uncomfortable options, to say the least. Then again, your desk could also cause you discomfort if you sit in it the wrong way or for too long. Rather than feeling like your desk is a torture device, Suzanne Scacca shares some pointers for enjoying the time you spend there.
Read more…
