Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

980: AI Coding Explained

Wes and Scott talk about the state of AI coding in 2026—from editors and models to agents, skills, slash commands, MCPs, and more. They unpack what these things actually do, how they overlap, and how to use them effectively without overcomplicating your setup. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 01:39 The tools: editors, terminals, GUIs * 05:27 Wes’ and Scott’s current AI setups * 13:17 Picking the right model * 18:58 How exactly do agents work? * 22:32 Subagents and parallel workflows * 24:29 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 24:54 What goes in agents.md [http://agents.md] (and what doesn’t) * 26:47 Skills vs agents * Skills [https://skills.sh/] * Superpowers [https://github.com/obra/superpowers] * 34:03 Slash commands as reusable prompts * 36:02 Hooks and keeping your code from going off the rails * 38:00 Plugins and bundling your setup * 39:24 What MCP is and why it’s powerful * 40:54 Cloud agents and running jobs remotely * 43:47 Choosing the right AI tool * 47:41 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint WiFi Smart Lock [https://amzn.to/3Zp8Co9] * Wes: St. Denis Medical [https://www.nbc.com/st-denis-medical] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Syntax YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

979: WebMCP: New Standard to Expose Your Apps to AI

Scott and Wes unpack WebMCP, a new standard that lets AI interact with websites through structured tools instead of slow, bot-style clicking. They demo it, debate imperative vs declarative APIs, and share their hottest take: this might be the web’s real AI moment. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:16 Introduction to WebMCP [https://developer.chrome.com/blog/webmcp-epp?hl=en] * 01:07 Understanding WebMCP Functionality. * 03:06 Interacting with AI through WebMCP. * 06:49 WebMCP browser integration. * 08:25 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax]. * 08:49 Benefits of WebMCP. * 11:51 Token efficiency. * 13:02 My biggest questions. * 14:13 My take on this tech. HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

978: Should A New Coder Use AI?

Wes and Scott answer your questions about AI agents, learning to code with AI, pagination patterns, skilling up from outdated tech stacks, balancing side projects with family life, real-world hacking attempts, and more! SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 01:39 Are devs really running multiple AI agents at once? * Scott’s Tweet [https://x.com/stolinski/status/2018401957858402437?s=20] * 09:41 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 12:45 What is pagination and why do websites use it? * 18:17 Should beginners use AI while learning to code? * 30:24 The real-world skills CS degrees don’t teach you * 35:59 Someone tried to hack Syntax * 38:12 How Wes and Scott became co-hosts * 42:00 Moving from junior to mid-level when your skills are outdated * 45:42 How do you balance time for side projects, life, and family * 52:45 Building a ChatGPT-style RAG search for your resume * 56:15 Why Chad Whitacre videos were on the Syntax YouTube channel * Chad’s YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@ChadWhitacre] * 58:44 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: Trmnl [%5Bhttps://trmnl.com/?ref=levelup%5D(https://trmnl.com/?ref=levelup)] * Wes: RYOBI Soldering Iron [https://www.amazon.com/RYOBI-Cordless-120-Watt-Soldering-Topper/dp/B0BQ1DCG1Q/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Syntax YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

977: We built a CSS Challenge platform

Scott and Wes break down how they built SynHax, the real-time CSS Battle app powering the upcoming Mad CSS tournament. From SvelteKit and Zero to diffing algorithms, sync conflicts, and a last-minute hackweek glow-up, this one’s a deep dive into shipping ambitious web apps fast. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:50 March Mad CSS [https://madcss.com/] Tournament. * 03:19 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax]. * 03:59 What the heck is a CSS Battle? * 05:34 The tech stack. * 06:30 Svelte Kit. * 06:44 Zero Sync. * Zero Docs [https://zero.rocicorp.dev/] * Zero Svelte [https://github.com/stolinski/zero-svelte]. * 07:32 Drizzle [https://orm.drizzle.team/docs/overview]. * 07:58 Supabase [https://supabase.com/]. * 08:23 Graffiti [https://graffiti-ui.com/]. * 10:45 Sync Server. * 12:10 Cloudflare Workers. * 12:23 Local File System. * 13:26 How Zero Works. * 13:48 Zero Sync Client. * 15:39 API server. * 19:34 Dealing with states and conflicts. * 24:25 The Hackweek Project. * 25:29 The Diffing Algorithm. * 35:22 The bugs. HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

976: Pi - The AI Harness That Powers OpenClaw W/ Armin Ronacher & Mario Zechner

Wes and Scott talk with Armin Ronacher and Mario Zechner about PI, a minimalist agent harness powering tools like OpenClaw. They unpack why Bash is “all you need,” the risks of agents, workflow adaptability, and where AI coding agents are actually headed. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 03:28 What is Pi [https://github.com/mitsuhiko/pi-mono], and why does it matter? * OpenClaw [https://openclaw.ai/] * 05:54 What do we actually mean by “agents”? * 11:04 Prompt injection: how LLMs get tricked * 14:19 Is Claude Cowork [https://claude.com/product/cowork] actually secure? * 22:01 How Armin and Mario use agents day to day * 26:37 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 27:25 Memory and search: teaching agents to remember * 33:04 Do coding agents even need memory? * 34:36 “Bash is all you need” * 37:21 Adding power: how agents learn new tricks * 47:02 Tools and models Armin and Mario are using right now * 54:15 Sick picks + shameless plugs SICK PICKS * Mario: Cards for Ukraine [https://cards-for-ukraine.at/] * Armin: Pro-Ject Audio Turntable [https://www.project-audio.com/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Armin: * Thorsten Ball Newsletter [https://substack.com/@thorstenball] * Simon Willison [https://simonwillison.net/] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]