This post was featured in JavaScript Weekly #213 When you join large projects and fix bugs or build features, you typically rely on senior (in terms of time at the company) engineers to say “don’t forget to test feature X (that you probably didn’t know existed).” Being new, you have limited knowledge of the entire architecture. Our tools... Read More

When learning a new programming language, one important question is always “does language X pass arguments by value or by reference?” Javascript behaves closely to Java in its treatment of arguments – in that all types are passed by value. However for certain types (like object types), a pointer is passed in by value –... Read More

If you get a chance to look at some un-minified javascript code on Github or other, you might see a leading semicolon before the opening IIFE closure or a library or script: ;(function () {})(); Notice the first character, the semicolon? This looks pretty bizarre, but it’s used to prevent other poorly formed scripts from... Read More

Infinite scrolling plugins do waaaay too much, especially if you’re already using Backbone.js. Seriously, look at the configuration options for Paul Irish’s plugin (one of the most popular infinite scroll libs). I wrote a simple plugin that notifies you when you’ve scrolled to the bottom of a particular dom element. It’s called jQuery.bum-smack: for when... Read More

This article was cross-posted from Medium. One of the best decisions I made in 2016 was to find an employer that made something that I loved. It’s provided me with a life-changing sense of work fulfillment and I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Seeking purpose outside of work Back in 2016, I... Read More

I can still feel the trees, the moist rush of breeze through the porous leaves – sweetened by stomata. I can still smell the ground. That smell – of grass; Of each shoot sharpened scent – piercing olfactories that no longer function. There is no grass – to tickle jaded lips, no trees – bagged... Read More

They exist! People too proud to pick from the putrid pileup. How strange an hour – horrendous haste for the hungry, homeless, and haggard. Yet they resist; snarling and snickering with suits and skirts. My intrigue inclines for these eyes to wander – bottle of wine, adjacent green water, The weekly warnings, sports reports, dysentery doughnuts. Divine dinner... Read More