2026-05-12T19:54:12-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com Matt Smith 2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/05/11/i-keep-tripping-over-true-false-true createUser(user, true, false) works. It's also surprisingly hard to read. Here's why I've stopped writing APIs like this in JavaScript. 2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/04/20/why-i-dont-chain-everything-in-javascript-anymore JavaScript chaining looks clean at first, but it can hurt readability and hide extra work. Here's when to break chains into simpler steps. 2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/03/30/you-probably-dont-need-to-lift-that-state A quick React tip: don't lift state by default. Keep it close to where it's used unless you actually need to share it. 2026-03-16T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/03/16/native-json-modules-are-finally-real JSON imports finally work natively. Learn how import ... with { type: 'json' } changes runtime behavior, caching, and makes bundlers optional. 2026-02-23T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/02/23/from-instanceof-to-error-iserror-safer-error-checking-in-javascript Why instanceof error fails across realms in JavaScript, and how Error.isError() fixes it. 2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/02/02/explicit-resource-management-in-javascript JavaScript is getting explicit resource management. Learn how 'using', 'Symbol.dispose', and scoped lifetimes make cleanup safer and simpler. 2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2026/01/12/stop-turning-everything-into-arrays-and-do-less-work-instead Do less work in JavaScript: lazy data pipelines with iterator helpers instead of arrays. 2025-12-01T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/12/01/react-has-changed-your-hooks-should-too Modern React has moved beyond overusing useEffect. Discover the Hook patterns that enable cleaner logic, fewer bugs, and scalable architecture in 2026. 2025-11-10T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/11/10/error-chaining-in-javascript-cleaner-debugging-with-error-cause Use JavaScript's 'cause' property to chain errors, preserve context, and simplify debugging. Cleaner stack traces, better test assertions. 2025-10-20T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/10/20/rethinking-async-loops-in-javascript Struggling with 'await' in loops? Explore common mistakes and modern solutions to optimize async code for performance. 2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/10/06/grouping-arrays-in-modern-javascript-object-groupby-and-map-groupby Ditch the reduce() boilerplate! Learn how to use Object.groupBy() and Map.groupBy() in JavaScript to group data with cleaner, more expressive code. 2025-09-22T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/09/22/stop-using-reverse-find-meet-findlast Learn how Array.prototype.findLast() and findLastIndex() let you search JavaScript arrays from the end—no .reverse() required. Cleaner, safer, and perfect for UI logic. 2025-09-08T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/09/08/finally-safe-array-methods-in-javascript Learn how to safely sort, reverse, and splice arrays in JavaScript using ES2023 methods toSorted(), toReversed(), and toSpliced(). Perfect for React and modern JS development. 2025-08-25T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/08/25/understanding-promise-any-when-one-success-is-enough Learn how Promise.any() helps you handle multiple promises by resolving with the first success, perfect for fallback APIs and progressive features in JavaScript. 2025-07-28T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/07/28/logical-assignment operators-in-javascript-small-syntax-big-wins Logical assignment operators streamline conditional assignments in JavaScript, making your code cleaner, safer, and easier to read. 2025-07-14T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/07/14/modern-async-iteration-in-javascript-with-array-fromasync JavaScript's 'Array.fromAsync()' offers a concise alternative to 'for await...of' when working with async iterables and streams. 2025-06-29T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/06/29/default-parameters-your-code-just-got-smarter Say goodbye to manual fallbacks! Explore how JavaScript default parameters make your functions more robust, readable, and bug-free. 2025-06-16T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/06/16/using-await-at-the-top-level-in-es-modules Modern JavaScript is evolving. Learn how top-level 'await' works, where to use it, and when to avoid it in your modules. 2025-06-02T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/06/02/write-more-reliable-javascript-with-optional-chaining Avoid runtime errors and write cleaner JavaScript with optional chaining, a powerful way for safely accessing deeply nested properties. 2025-05-19T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/05/19/how-javascript-at-method-makes-array-indexing-easier Learn how JavaScript's 'at()' method simplifies array and string indexing with cleaner syntax, negative indexing, and broad browser support. 2025-05-05T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/05/05/the-power-of-spread-and-rest-patterns-in-javascript.md Learn how the spread and rest syntax in JavaScript can power up the front-end, from array handling to React state updates, with tips every developer should know. 2025-04-21T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/04/21/when-to-use-map-vs-foreach Learn the key differences between 'map()' and 'forEach()' methods in JavaScript, when to use each, and why map() is often the better choice for transforming data and writing cleaner, more functional code. 2025-04-10T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/04/10/mastering-default-values-in-javascript-with-the-nullish-coalescing-operator The nullish coalescing operator ('??') provides a simple way to handle null or undefined values in JavaScript. It's a must-have, let me show you why. 2025-03-31T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2025/03/31/leveraging-unknown-instead-of-any-in-typescript Learn why using 'unknown' instead of 'any' in TypeScript leads to safer, more maintainable code. Discover best practices, benefits, and examples for improved type safety and error handling in TypeScript. 2020-05-11T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2020/05/11/css-fix-for-100vh-in-mobile-webkit WebKit handles 100vh in a way that differs from other browsers, which can complicate some layouts. But using -webkit-fill-available might be a good enough alternative to get by. 2019-03-25T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2019/03/25/using-closest-to-return-the-correct-dom-element Sometimes you need JavaScript to target specific selectors in the DOM. The closest() method can help you do just that. 2018-01-29T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2018/01/29/phone-number-links-and-accessibility Phone number links are a great feature but styling them to not show on larger screens can be an accessibility concern and detected by screen readers. Here's a useful tip on making the links both functional and accessible. 2017-01-30T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2017/01/30/nope-nope-nope-line-height-is-unitless When setting line-height in CSS, a common mistake is to pass a specific unit for the value. Here's why we should be following the preferred approach and set line-height to a unitless value. 2017-01-16T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2017/01/16/the-front-end-is Front-end development has many skills associated with it, and it's been my experience that the role is often misunderstood. The front-end is tough to describe, but here's a brief nod of recognition to just some of what developers do. 2017-01-09T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2017/01/09/css-reset-for-minimalists Browsers have built-in CSS for native styling. Using a CSS reset helps you enforce consistent styling. Here's a 3-line snippet that may do just enough of what you need. 2016-12-26T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/12/26/add-line-height-to-body copy It's not necessary to add line height to each separate textual element. Here's a helpful tip for elements to inherit line height from the body. 2016-12-21T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/12/21/zero-based-date-christmas-and-emoji Not every method in JavaScript's Date object returns a zero-based number. Here's a tip will help you understand that a little better. 2016-12-12T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/12/12/responsive-video-resizing There are many different solutions for responsive images, but video is a media element that's often ignored in fluid layouts. Let's change that by looking at how we can keep video responsive across viewports. 2016-12-05T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/12/05/flexible-type-using-root There are a few different ways to manage responsive type on the web. My personal approach is to use the :root selector for maximum flexibility. 2016-11-28T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/11/28/use-attribute-selectors-with-empty-links If a hyperlink doesn't have a text value, use CSS attribute selectors to insert the href value in its place. 2016-11-14T00:00:00-05:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/11/14/math-floor-and-math-random-and-jurassic-park If you're new to math methods in JavaScript here are a few words about Math.floor and Math.random and a fun way to use them to build a custom text generator. 2016-10-24T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/10/24/show-my-password-please Allowing users to view the password they've entered helps avoid frustration and improve engagement. This is a quick JavaScript example. 2016-10-10T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/10/10/splitting-a-border-around-another-element Here's an effect that you may have seen but not realized that can be done with some straightforward CSS. 2016-10-03T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/10/03/responsive-table-layout Data tables on the web are used to communicate important information to a user. Yet so many of these aren't mobile-optimized. Here's one easy way to do just that. 2016-09-25T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/09/25/accessible-floating-labels Accessibility is a key piece to building the web, but for some reason using labels is considered unattractive. However, there's a design-friendly way to make accessible labels. 2016-09-12T00:00:00-04:00 https://allthingssmitty.com/2016/09/12/checking-if-font-awesome-loaded Icon fonts are a very popular visual web asset today. Unlike JavaScript libraries there's no straightforward way to detect if an icon fonts library has loaded. Here's a clever way to do just that.