Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

975: What’s Missing From the Web Platform?

Scott and Wes run through their wishlist for the web platform, digging into the UI primitives, DOM APIs, and browser features they wish existed (or didn’t suck). From better form controls and drag-and-drop to native reactivity, CSS ideas, and future-facing APIs, it’s a big-picture chat on what the web could be. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * Wes Tweet [https://x.com/wesbos/status/2011110928012791836] * 00:39 Exploring What’s Missing from the Web Platform * 02:26 Enhancing DOM Primitives for Better User Experience * 03:59 Multi-select + Combobox. * Open-UI [https://open-ui.org/] * 04:49 Date Picker. * Thibault Denis Tweet [https://x.com/ThibaultDe8548/status/2011134396108288508] * 07:18 Tabs. * 08:01 Image + File Upload. * 09:08 Toggles. * 10:23 Native Drag and Drop that doesn’t suck. * 12:03 Syntax wishlist. * 12:06 Type Annotations. * 15:07 Pipe Operator. * 16:33 APIs We Wish to See on the Web * 18:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax] * 19:51 Identity. * 21:33 getElementByText() * 24:09 Native Reactive DOM. Templating in JavaScript. * 24:48 Sync Protocol. * 25:52 Virtualization that doesn’t suck. * 27:40 Put, Patch, and Delete on forms. * Ollie Williams Tweet [https://x.com/hypeddev/status/2011381049197220331] * SnorklTV Tweet [https://x.com/snorklTV/status/2011400065731154296] * 28:55 Text metrics: get bounding box of individual characters. * 29:42 Lower Level Connections. * 29:50 Bluetooth API. * 30:47 Sockets. * 31:29 NFC + RFID. * 34:34 Things we want in CSS. * 34:40 Specify transition speed. * 35:24 CSS Strict Mode. * 36:25 Safari moving to Chromium. * 36:37 The Need for Diverse Browser Engines * 37:48 AI Access. * 44:49 Other APIs * 46:59 Qwen TTS [https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/qwen-tts] * 48:07 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: Monarch [%5Bhttps://monarch.com/referral/tp2gjynkoo?r_source=copy] * Wes: Slonik Headlamp [https://sloniklamps.com/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Scott: Syntax on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@sytaxfm] 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]

974: Clawdbot (Moltbot), Agents and the Age of Personal Software

Wes and Scott talk about building hyper-specific personal software with AI. They explore personal agents, home automation, JSON-as-a-database, and how LLMs unlock fast, custom apps that reduce friction and replace bloated SaaS. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 01:53 What is personal software (and why it matters) * 04:49 Using AI agents to build hyper-specific apps for yourself * Clawdbot [https://clawd.bot/] * ClawdHub [https://clawdhub.com/] * 13:43 Supercharging your dev workflow with Tailscale [https://tailscale.com/] * 19:06 Privacy when working with LLMs * MLX-Audio [https://github.com/Blaizzy/mlx-audio] * 21:39 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 22:21 Real-world personal app ideas * 39:14 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: FTPManager [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ftpmanager-ftp-sftp-client/id525959186] * Wes: Roku Streaming Stick [https://www.amazon.com/Roku-Streaming-Device-Vision-Controls/dp/B09BKCDXZC] 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]

973: The Web’s Next Form: MCP UI (with Kent C. Dodds)

Scott and Wes sit down with Kent C. Dodds to break down MCP, context engineering, and what it really takes to build effective AI-powered tools. They dig into practical examples, UI patterns, performance tradeoffs, and whether the future of the web lives in chat or the browser. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:44 Introduction to Kent C. Dodds * 02:44 What is MCP? * 03:28 Context Engineering in AI * 04:49 Practical Examples of MCP * 06:33 Challenges with Context Bloat * 08:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax] * 09:37 Why not give AI API access directly? * 12:28 How is an MCP different from Skills * 14:58 MCP optimizations and efficiency levers * 16:24 MCP UI and Its Importance * 19:18 Where are we at today with MCP * 24:06 What is the development flow for building MCP servers? * 27:17 Building out an MCP UI. * 29:29 Returning HTML, when to render. * 36:17 Calling tools from your UI * 37:25 What is Goose? * 38:42 Are browsers cooked? Is everything via chat? * 43:25 Remix3 * 47:21 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Kent: OneWheel [https://onewheel.com/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Kent: http://EpicAI.pro [EpicAI.pro],http://EpicWeb.dev [EpicWeb.dev],http://EpicReact.dev [EpicReact.dev] 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]

972: These Things Make Your App Feel Like Crap on Mobile

Wes and Scott talk about why mobile web apps often feel “janky” compared to native—and how to fix it. They cover input zooming, accidental horizontal scroll, pointer/user-select quirks, frame rate consistency, full-page refreshes, and more. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 01:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 02:57 Zooming inputs * 06:11 Horizontal scrolling * 08:49 Proper use of pointer-events: none, and user-select: none * 11:27 Allowing zoom on everything * 16:37 Cleaning up the “jank” * 19:48 Full page refresh * 24:05 Slow loading times * 29:50 Cumulative layout shift * 32:47 Address bars and viewport units * Dynamic Viewport Units [https://web.dev/blog/viewport-units] * 35:34 Full-width scroll traps 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]

971: Stackoverflow and Firefox are Dead?

Is Stack Overflow actually dying, and what does that mean in an AI-driven dev world? Scott and Wes break down the latest web dev news, from Firefox’s AI crossroads and Apple’s browser engine changes to new tools, docs, and spicy browser updates. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 02:36 Stack Overflow [https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/1926661#graph] is Officially Dead * 05:40 AI’s Impact on Software Development * 07:56 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax] * 08:20 Micro QuickJS [https://github.com/bellard/mquickjs] for Embedded Systems * 13:03 Open Workers [https://openworkers.com/introducing-openworkers]: A Cloudflare Alternative * 20:09 React Aria has new Docs [https://react-aria.adobe.com/getting-started] * 24:12 Firefox and the AI Dilemma * The Mozilla Announcement [https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/leadership/mozillas-next-chapter-anthony-enzor-demeo-new-ceo/] * 31:11 Apple’s Browser Engine Changes * Using alternative browser engines in Japan [https://developer.apple.com/support/alternative-browser-engines-jp/]. * 36:12 Fractured JSON [https://github.com/j-brooke/FracturedJsonJs] for Better Readability * 37:45 New Chrome Permissions Dialogue [https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1pu40e8/ive_never_seen_this_before_what_does_it_mean/] * Chrome Network Access [https://developer.chrome.com/blog/local-network-access] * 41:15 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: TRMNL E-Ink Display [https://usetrmnl.com/] * Wes: ACEBOTT [https://acebott.com/product/acebott-qd021-bionic-biped-robot-kit-for-arduino-esp32-electronic-toy-programming/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Scott: Syntax on YouTube [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]