Framework limitations, anchor positioning basics, and building without JavaScript dependencies. Plus find your fix for the trending articles and tools in the developer space.
This week we're diving into Next.js middleware frustrations, CSS Anchor Positioning for flexible layouts, and JavaScript-free fallback strategies. Plus learn about cURL debugging workflows and the reliable Beacon API for handling user departures gracefully.
From our sponsor: Ampere Computing
Ampere ARM64: Understanding Crypto Libraries
Cryptography is the science of securing communication and data, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. It is widely used in web services, load balance proxies, databases etc.
Next.js middleware promises easy logging and authentication but delivers frustration instead. The author discovers you can only pass 4 parameters from middleware, can't chain multiple middlewares, and AsyncLocalStorage doesn't work as expected. The "solution" involves hacky header manipulation that splits your codebase into incompatible parts.
With traditional CSS positioning, you can only position elements relative to their parents, often requiring HTML restructuring. But CSS Anchor Positioning lets you position any element relative to any other element, regardless of their DOM relationship. Currently supported in Chrome and Edge only.
Mobile users on slow networks and those using privacy tools may not load your JavaScript. Create fallback experiences using server-rendered HTML and noscript tags to explain functionality requirements. Even complex web apps can provide informative messages when scripts are essential.
Convenient 'Copy as cURL': explicit, executable, editable request replays
Transform browser network requests into editable cURL commands for faster debugging cycles. The executable output captures all headers, authentication, and data exactly as sent, enabling quick edit-test-repeat loops that cut through noise to identify root causes efficiently.
Traditional fetch requests in beforeunload events are unreliable because browsers can't wait for JavaScript execution when users navigate away. The Beacon API solves this with a fire-and-forget approach that guarantees data delivery. It's perfect for analytics and auto-logout functionality when users leave your website.
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🧰 The Toolbox
Tools and products we're excited about today:
WrenAI
WrenAI is a generative business intelligence agent that lets users query databases using natural language to instantly generate accurate SQL, charts, and AI-powered insights without needing SQL knowledge.
Actions Up scans GitHub workflows to discover outdated actions, then interactively updates them to latest versions with secure SHA pinning for better security and reproducible CI.
LiftKit is a UI framework based on the golden ratio that provides formulas and variables for advanced visual design features like optical spacing corrections and dynamic color, powered by Material 3.
Rspack is a high-performance JavaScript bundler written in Rust that provides webpack-compatible APIs with significantly faster build times through native performance optimizations and advanced features. It's gotten updated with new features.
Cryptography is the science of securing communication and data, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. It is widely used in web services, load balance proxies, databases etc.
