Web Development Tips and Tricks

After years of building web applications, I've picked up some useful tips that can help you write better code and be more productive.

1. Master Your Development Tools

The time spent learning your editor and browser dev tools pays off massively:

• Learn keyboard shortcuts in VS Code
• Master the DevTools debugger
• Use browser extensions for productivity
• Set up your eslint and prettier configs

2. Write Semantic HTML

Too many developers skip semantic HTML in favor of endless <div> tags:

<!-- Bad -->
<div class="header">
  <div class="nav">Menu</div>
</div>

<!-- Good -->
<header>
  <nav>Menu</nav>
</header>

Semantic HTML:

• Helps with accessibility
• Improves SEO
• Makes code more readable
• Easier for browsers to understand

3. CSS Grid and Flexbox are Your Friends

Modern CSS layout tools make responsive design much easier:

• Use Flexbox for one-dimensional layouts
• Use CSS Grid for two-dimensional layouts
• Combine them for powerful layouts

4. Test Your Code

Writing tests might feel slow at first, but it saves time:

• Unit tests catch bugs early
• Regression tests prevent old bugs
• Makes refactoring safer
• Documents expected behavior

5. Keep Dependencies Minimal

Every package you add is:

• More code to download
• More potential security issues
• More things to update

Think carefully before adding dependencies.

Conclusion

These practices take time to master, but they compound into better productivity and code quality over time. Start with one and build from there!