Svelte

Svelte 4 Launch Party Recap

Jun 30, 2023

12 min read

In this Svelte 4 Launch Party event, our panelists discussed the release of Svelte 4.

In this wrap-up, we will talk about panel discussions with Svelte core team members, which is an in-depth exploration of the Svelte 4 release, highlighting its key features and performance enhancements. You can watch the full Svelte 4 Launch Party event on the This Dot Media's YouTube channel.

Here is a complete list of the host and panelists that participated in this online event:

Hosts:

Tracy Lee, CEO, This Dot, @ladyleet
Rob Ocel, Team Lead & Software Architect, This Dot, @robocell

Panelists:

Geoff Rich, Svelte Core Team, @geoffrich_
Simon Holthausen, Full-time Svelte maintainer, @dummdidumm_
Puru Vijay, Svelte Core Team, @puruvjdev
Benn McCann, SvelteKit Maintainer, @BenjaminMcCann

Introductions

Geoff, one of the Svelte maintainers, started the introductions. He expressed his excitement about the new major version of Svelte and shared his years of experience using the framework. In his day job, Geoff is a Senior Software Engineer at Ordergroove.

Simon, a full-time Svelte maintainer working at Vercel, was busy preparing and finally releasing Svelte 4. He happily noted that there were very few bugs, and everything seemed to be working smoothly. Simon's dedication to maintaining the framework has contributed significantly to its success.

Puru, a college student, showcased his impressive skills by working on the website and the REPL for Svelte. Balancing his studies with web development, Puru demonstrated his passion for Svelte and his contributions to its ecosystem.

Ben primarily focuses on Svelte Kit, but also pitched in with Svelte 4. Besides his work on Svelte, Ben is an entrepreneur, adding an extra dimension to his diverse skill set. His contributions to the Svelte community have been invaluable.

What Should Everyone Be Excited About in Svelte 4?

Svelte 4 has arrived, and while it may not be packed with mind-blowing features, there are several neat little improvements that are worth getting excited about. The main focus of this release was on maintenance and cleaning up the framework to pave the way for the big Svelte 5 release. So don't worry, there are bigger things in the pipeline!

One of the first things to note is that file sizes in Svelte 4 have significantly decreased by about 10 to 12 fold. This means that your website will load much faster, thanks to the reduced bundle size. Additionally, improvements have been made in hydration, which affects the speed at which pages hydrate. The core around hydration has become smaller, resulting in improved performance.

Another noteworthy enhancement in Svelte 4 is the complete overhaul of custom element support. This change, although technically a breaking one, introduces a new wrapper approach. Previously, in Svelte 3, you had to use every Svelte component as a custom element, even if you wanted to keep certain components as internal implementation details. With the wrapper approach, you now have the flexibility to use components as regular Svelte components internally, fixing a range of bugs and fulfilling numerous feature requests. This change proved to be a tremendous success, resolving multiple issues in one fell swoop.

Svelte 4 brings value to your day-to-day development experience. For example, the improved type generation and autocomplete have made working with Svelte components a lot smoother. The autocomplete feature now grabs the correct import, eliminating the frustrations of navigating to the wrong files. Additionally, the introduction of declaration maps allows you to see the actual source code, providing a better understanding of the inner workings of Svelte.

There's also good news for those who want to contribute to the Svelte codebase. In Svelte 4, the entire codebase has been converted from TypeScript to JavaScript with JS Docs. While type checking is still in place to ensure error-free development, this change simplifies the process of working with the source code. Developers can now directly edit the source and test changes without worrying about the mapping between TypeScript and JavaScript.

In terms of performance, the reduction in bundle sizes has made a significant impact. Although the size reduction percentage may have been misunderstood by some, primarily referring to the compiler size rather than the runtime bundle, it has tangible benefits in scenarios like online tutorials and interactive experiences.

Beyond the technical improvements, Svelte 4 also brings updates to the documentation site and the main website. The team has put in considerable effort to enhance the user experience, making it easier to navigate and find the information you need.

Puru Does a Run Through of the Updates to the Svelte.dev Site

Puru shares exciting news to share about the overhaul of the svelte.dev website. First things first, let's talk about the star of the show: dark mode. It's finally here, and it's a game-changer. They’ve given the entire site a fresh redesign, taking inspiration from the sleek look of kit.svelte.dev. You'll notice some similarities, but they’ve added their own unique touch to make it shine. They’re now linking to the improved tutorial on learn.svelte.dev, which is definitely worth checking out.

Now, let's dive into the docs. They've made some significant changes to make your browsing experience a breeze. Instead of a single page, they've divided everything into multiple pages, making it super easy to find what you're looking for. Each component, logic block, and style module has its own dedicated page. It's all organized and up-to-date, thanks to the auto-generation from the source code. Say goodbye to outdated information and hello to hassle-free browsing.

They've introduced some fantastic new features that you're going to love. In the REPL, they've added multiple cursors, making coding even more efficient. Plus, they've created a REPL User Guide, packed with handy shortcuts and nifty tips and tricks. And here's the best part: our code snippets now support TypeScript. Just a simple click, and you'll have the TypeScript equivalent at your fingertips. It couldn't get any easier to level up your coding game!

So, head over to the new website, immerse yourself in the revamped docs, and enjoy all the fantastic updates we've made. And don't forget to check out the blog section for more in-depth information. Happy browsing, and get ready to experience the best of the new and improved website!

Upgrading from Svelte 3 to Svelte 4

Well there are a few things you need to know. But don't worry, it's not too complicated. First off, you'll find all the breaking changes highlighted and summarized on the migration Doc Page. So, if something breaks, you can check it out there.

If you're still on Svelte 3, the best way to start is by using the migration script. Just type in npx svelte-migrate svelte-4 in your command line, and it will go through your code base and automatically update things like tightened up types and local transitions. The migration script will even ask you if you want to migrate your global transitions or not. It's like a little questionnaire to make sure everything goes smoothly.

The migration script does a lot of the heavy lifting for you, updating dependencies in your package.json and ensuring peer dependency versions match up. It takes care of most things, but there might be a few other changes you'll need to handle. That's where the migration guide comes in handy. It covers all the other changes and helps you navigate through them.

Now keep in mind that upgrading to Svelte 4 might require at least Node 16. So, if you're using older dependencies that are holding you back from upgrading Node, it's time to poke your manager or tech lead and emphasize the need to stay current. After all, using outdated versions can pose security vulnerabilities. So make a strong case for the upgrade and let them know it's time to invest in keeping things up to date.

Geoff talked about how he has already upgraded a few sites to Svelte 4, and honestly, just upgraded the dependencies, and it worked like a charm. He didn't even bother running the migration script himself. Different projects may have different needs, so it's always good to be aware of any potential obstacles. Stay up to date and remember, keeping things secure is a top priority!

Svelte 4 and How It Works with Svelte Kit

If you're using Svelte Kit and thinking about upgrading to Svelte 4, here's what you need to know. The good news is that you can stick with your current version of Svelte Kit if you want, but there will be a warning about the peer dependencies not matching up. We made a small change to officially support Svelte 4 within Svelte Kit. But other than that, not much else has changed.

One important thing to remember is to upgrade the plugins file that Svelte Kit uses. You can do this by updating your lock file or simply upgrading to the latest Svelte Kit, which will take care of it for you. The migration script handles all the necessary updates, so running it will ensure everything works smoothly.

When it comes to impact, Svelte 4 brings some improvements. Your hydration code will be smaller, and the hydration speed will be faster, which means your final app bundle could be around 10% smaller. We've been working on even more performance enhancements, and using the Chrome performance tab in the developer tools can help you identify areas that need improvement.

So, in a nutshell, upgrading to Svelte 4 is optional for Svelte Kit users. But, it brings benefits like smaller code and faster hydration. Just remember to update the plugins file and use the migration script to handle any necessary changes. Keep an eye on the Chrome performance tab for optimization opportunities.

Are Svelte and Svelte Kit Going to be Paired in the Future in Updates or Stay Independent?

When it comes to updates for Svelte and Svelte Kit, there's a relationship between the two, but they also have their own focuses. The development of Svelte and Svelte Kit is somewhat interconnected, with learnings and improvements transferring between them. While the maintainers tend to focus on one major project at a time to gather feedback and make meaningful changes, they do draw lessons from both and apply them accordingly. For example, the decision to make transitions local by default in Svelte 4 stemmed from insights gained during the development of Svelte Kit.

Although there may be periods of emphasis on either Svelte or Svelte Kit, they are designed to complement each other and take advantage of each other's features. The development teams work on both code bases, ensuring a coordinated approach. While there may be a Svelte Kit 2 in the future, it's important to note that the release of Svelte 5 doesn't automatically mean a corresponding major update for Svelte Kit. The decision to introduce a new version depends on various factors, such as API changes and compatibility with the latest versions of Svelte, Node.js, and bundlers.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide a seamless and optimized experience for developers using Svelte and Svelte Kit. By developing them in tandem and leveraging the benefits of each, the teams behind these projects ensure continuous improvements and adaptability to the evolving needs of the community.

Svelte Dev Tools Repo and Funding for Svelte

So, regarding the Svelte Dev Tools repo, it used to be a community-maintained project led by a contributor named Red Hatter. She developed and published it independently. But more recently, she transferred the repository to the Svelte team so that they could also contribute and provide support. Currently, the team hasn't been able to publish new versions of the extension to the store, so there might still be the Svelte 3 version available. However, they are working on publishing a new version and may ask users to switch over to it for Svelte 4.

Now, let's talk about funding for Svelte. While financial support is definitely appreciated, the team also values something equally important—time. Companies can make a significant impact by allowing their employees to work on Svelte or Svelte Kit, fixing bugs, and contributing their time and expertise to improving the projects. Donations are welcome, of course, but finding skilled developers like Pooria (one of the Svelte team members) can be challenging even with funding available. So, giving employees the time and freedom to work on Svelte-related projects is highly appreciated and can have a significant positive impact. It's not just about money; it's about investing resources, whether financial or human, into the growth and development of the Svelte community.

Getting Involved in Open Source

If you're interested in getting involved in open source for Svelte, the journey can take different paths. One way to start is by creating projects or contributing to existing ones in the Svelte ecosystem. For example, Peru mentioned that he initially created a Svelte version of a tool called MacOS, which gained attention and led to him becoming a Svelte ambassador. Being active in the community, showcasing your work, and advocating for Svelte through speaking engagements or participating in events like Svelte Summit can also help raise your profile.

Becoming a Svelte ambassador or being recognized by the core team doesn't necessarily require direct contributions to the Svelte codebase. You can contribute in various ways, such as creating engaging content like videos or blog posts that benefit the community, maintaining popular Svelte libraries, assisting users on platforms like Discord or Stack Overflow, and participating in GitHub discussions. The core team and community value not only code contributions but also the positive impact and dedication you bring to the Svelte community.

It's worth noting that the journey can be unique for each person. Even if you haven't contributed to the Svelte codebase directly, like the ambassadors Hunter Byte and Joy of Code, you can still make a significant impact and be recognized for your contributions. For instance, Pooria mentioned that his first contribution was focused on creating the Svelte website rather than working on the core Svelte codebase. So, anyone with a passion for Svelte and a willingness to contribute can become a Svelte ambassador and actively participate in the open-source community.

Contributing to Open Source

Contributing to open-source projects like Svelte may seem daunting, but you don't have to understand the entire codebase from the start. Start by looking for beginner-friendly issues labeled as "good first issue" or similar tags. These provide a starting point to dive into the codebase. Follow the code path, use failing tests as guidance, and utilize features like control-clicking to navigate to relevant implementations.

Documentation and contribution guides are valuable resources for newcomers. Svelte Kit, for instance, has focused on making its codebase beginner-friendly. If you encounter difficulties, join the project's Discord channel and seek guidance from experienced contributors. Providing feedback on areas where more documentation is needed can help improve the contributor experience.

You can also contribute to adjacent tools related to Svelte, such as Prettier or ESLint plugins, which are maintained by the core team. These projects are often smaller in size and provide a manageable entry point. Additionally, non-coding contributions like improving project workflows or setting up testing and CI processes are also valuable.

Remember that contributions, regardless of their scale, have a positive impact on the project and the open-source community. Focus on understanding the specific area you want to work on, leverage available resources, engage with the community, and consider contributing to adjacent projects. With these steps, you can jump into contributing to open source and start making a difference.

Closing Thoughts from Panelists

Simon shared his enthusiasm for the future of Svelte, particularly the highly anticipated Svelte 5. The recent addition of Dominic to the team has already made a significant impact, and the brainstorming sessions have been rewarding. Exciting things are on the horizon for Svelte users.

Geoff encouraged everyone to give Svelte 4 a try and welcomes feedback and issue reports as they continue to refine and improve the framework. He emphasized that they are still in the early stages after the release and appreciate the community's support in upgrading their apps and providing valuable insights.

Peru gave a special shout-out to Paulo Ricca, who has been instrumental in resolving issues with the new REPL. With Paulo's assistance, the REPL is now as stable and impressive as before. Peru expresses his gratitude for the collaboration.

Ben extended his appreciation to the ecosystem integrations, mentioning the Storybook team and Jesse Beech, who contributed to optimizing file sizes and ensuring Svelte's compatibility with other JavaScript projects. The Svelte team is open to supporting and collaborating with anyone seeking to integrate Svelte with other tools in the ecosystem.

Overall, the panelists were thankful, excited about the future, and grateful for the community's contributions and collaborations. The energy and positive feedback drove their motivation, and they encouraged everyone to continue exploring and pushing the boundaries of what Svelte can achieve.

Conclusion

In this Svelte 4 Launch Party, the panelists express their gratitude to the vibrant Svelte community for their unwavering support and positive energy. The launch of Svelte 4 and the promising developments of Svelte 5 have generated excitement and anticipation among developers. The core team's commitment to continuous improvement, collaboration with ecosystem integrations, and dedication to addressing user feedback are evident. As Svelte evolves, the contributions of individuals, whether through code, documentation, or community engagement, are valued and celebrated. With the momentum and enthusiasm surrounding Svelte, the future looks bright for this innovative framework and its passionate community.

This Dot Labs is a development consultancy that is trusted by top industry companies, including Stripe, Xero, Wikimedia, Docusign, and Twilio. This Dot takes a hands-on approach by providing tailored development strategies to help you approach your most pressing challenges with clarity and confidence. Whether it's bridging the gap between business and technology or modernizing legacy systems, you’ll find a breadth of experience and knowledge you need. Check out how This Dot Labs can empower your tech journey.

Bruce Wiggleston

@brucerw3 @BruceRW3

Introducing the SolidStart, TanStack Query and Tailwind CSS Starter kit

We are delighted to announce our SolidStart + TanStack + Tailwind Starter Kit on Starter.dev to help you build your next project with SolidStart, TanStack Solid Query, and Tailwind CSS in no time. In this article, we will walk you through the kit and how it is great for building your next project. Why SolidStart? Solid.js is a really cool new framework with a lot of amazing features. Its syntax is mostly like React syntax. However, they work in completely different ways behind the scenes. Solid.js is a declarative, component-based library for building user interfaces. It is a highly customizable, low-level framework that gives you all of the building blocks you need to build bespoke designs without any opinionated styles that you have to fight to override. SolidStart is a meta-framework that helps you build your Solid.js apps with ease. It supports Client-side rendering, Server-side rendering, Streaming SSR, and Static site generation. Vite Vite is a new frontend build tool that significantly improves the frontend development experience. It consists of two major parts: - A dev server that provides rich feature enhancements over native ES Module imports (e.g. module hot-reloading, proper dependency analysis, etc). - A build command that bundles your code with Rollup, pre-configured to output highly optimized static assets for production. Vite is designed from the ground up for the es-module era, and as such, it doesn't require a bundler like webpack or Parcel during development. It also doesn't require a complicated configuration file like snowpack. Instead, it leverages the browser's native support for ES modules (i.e. native ES imports) and the new spec proposal for importing CSS as modules. This means that Vite can provide instant feedback during development, and also enables features that are simply impossible with other tools, such as server-side rendering and static site generation. Vite is designed to be framework-agnostic. It is not opinionated about your choice of framework, and it is also framework-agnostic in the sense that it doesn't require you to use a specific framework-specific toolchain. You can use Vite with any framework that supports native ES imports, including React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, and even vanilla JS. Vite is also designed to be plugin-based. It is built on top of Rollup, which is a powerful and flexible bundler. However, Vite is not a wrapper around Rollup. Instead, it is a plugin-based build tool that uses Rollup under the hood. This means that you can use any Rollup plugin with Vite, and you can also create your own Vite plugins to customize Vite's behavior. Why Tanstack? TanStack is a full-stack framework for building web applications with Solid, Tailwind CSS, and TypeScript. It is a highly customizable, low-level framework that gives you all of the building blocks you need to build bespoke designs without any annoying opinionated styles that you have to fight to override. Why Tailwind CSS? Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces. It is a highly customizable, low-level CSS framework that gives you all of the building blocks you need to build bespoke designs without any annoying opinionated styles you have to fight to override. Testing This kit comes with Vitest pre-configured. Vitest is a tool that is built with Vite in mind from the start, taking advantage of its improvements in DX, like its instant Hot Module Reload (HMR). This is Vitest, a blazing fast unit-test framework powered by Vite. It's a great alternative to Jest. It's fast and easy to use. Conclusion SolidStart is still in the beta phase. However, it has a lot of good DX improvements. This kit is great if you want to build a fast and lightweight fullstack web application. It provides you with everything you need from backend to frontend, even data caching and Tailwind configurations with two examples out of the box. For more SolidJS resources, check our solidjs.framework.dev, where you can find courses, tutorials, and libraries for SolidJS. Also, you can create your next SolidJS project. Try our SolidJS starter kit from Starter.dev. It has a lot of tools pre-configured for you. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to send them to us or reach out to us on Twitter....

Mar 20, 2023

3 mins

Svelte

Harnessing the Power of Threlte - Building Reactive Three.js Scenes in Svelte

Introduction Web development has evolved to include immersive 3D experiences through libraries like Three.js. This powerful JavaScript library enables the creation of captivating 3D scenes within browsers. Three.js: The 3D Powerhouse Three.js democratizes 3D rendering, allowing developers of all skill levels to craft interactive 3D worlds. Svelte Ecosystem: Svelte Cubed and Svelthree The Svelte ecosystem presents solutions like Svelte Cubed and Svelthree, which bridges Svelte with Three.js, offering streamlined reactivity for 3D web experiences. Introducing Threlte v6: Uniting SvelteKit 1.0, Svelte 4, and TypeScript Threlte v6 is a rendering and component library for Svelte that seamlessly integrates Three.js. By harnessing TypeScript's types, it provides a robust and delightful coding experience. In this tutorial, we'll showcase Threlte's capabilities by building an engaging website header: an auto-rotating sphere that changes color on mouse down. Using Threlte v6, SvelteKit 1.0, and Three.js, we're set to create a visually stunning experience. Let's dive in! Setting up Threlte Before building our scene, we need to set up Threlte. We can scaffold a new project using the CLI or manually install Threlte in an existing project. Option 1: Scaffold a New Threlte Project Create a new SvelteKit project and install Threlte with: `bash npm create threlte my-project ` Option 2: Manual Installation For an existing project, select the necessary Threlte packages and install: `bash npm install three @threlte/core @threlte/extras @threlte/rapier @dimforge/rapier3d-compat @threlte/theatre @theatre/core @theatre/studio @types/three ` Configuration adjustments for SvelteKit can be made in the "vite.config.js" file: `js const config = { // ... ssr: { noExternal: ['three'] } }; ` With Threlte configured, we're ready to build our interactive sphere. In the next chapter, we'll lay the groundwork for our exciting 3D web experience! Exploring the Boilerplate of Threlte Upon scaffolding a new project using npm create threlte`, a few essential boilerplate files are generated. In this chapter, we'll examine the code snippets from three of these files: `lib/components/scene.svelte`, `routes/+page.svelte`, and `lib/components/app.svelte`. 1. lib/components/scene.svelte`: This file lays the foundation for our 3D scene. Here's a brief breakdown of its main elements: - Perspective Camera**: Sets up the camera view with a specific field of view and position, and integrates `OrbitControls` for auto-rotation and zoom management. - Directional and Ambient Lights**: Defines the lighting conditions to illuminate the scene. - Grid**: A grid structure to represent the ground. - ContactShadows**: Adds shadow effects to enhance realism. - Float**: Wraps around 3D mesh objects and defines floating properties, including intensity and range. Various geometrical shapes like BoxGeometry, TorusKnotGeometry, and IcosahedronGeometry are included here. 2. routes/+page.svelte`: This file handles the ui of the index page and imports all necessary components we need to bring our vibrant design to life. 3. lib/components/app.svelte`: This file is where you would typically define the main application layout, including styling and embedding other components. Heading to the Fun Stuff With the boilerplate components explained, we're now ready to dive into the exciting part of building our interactive 3D web experience. In the next section, we'll begin crafting our auto-rotating sphere, and explore how Threlte's robust features will help us bring it to life. Creating a Rotating Sphere Scene In this chapter, we'll walk you through creating an interactive 3D sphere scene using Threlte. We'll cover setting up the scene, the sphere, the camera and lights, and finally the interactivity that includes a scaling effect and color changes. 1. Setting Up the Scene First, we need to import the required components and utilities from Threlte. `typescript import { T } from '@threlte/core'; import { OrbitControls } from '@threlte/extras'; ` 2. Setting Up the Sphere We'll create the 3D sphere using Threlte's ` and `` components. `svelte ` 1. `: This is a component from Threlte that represents a 3D object, which in this case is a sphere. It's the container that holds the geometry and material of the sphere. 2. `: This is the geometry of the sphere. It defines the shape and characteristics of the sphere. The `args` attribute specifies the parameters for the sphere's creation: - The first argument (1`) is the radius of the sphere. - The second argument (32`) represents the number of width segments. - The third argument (32`) represents the number of height segments. 3. `: This is the material applied to the sphere. It determines how the surface of the sphere interacts with light. The `color` attribute specifies the color of the material. In this case, the color is dynamic and defined by the `sphereColor` variable, which updates based on user interaction. The `roughness` attribute controls the surface roughness of the sphere, affecting how it reflects light. 3. Setting Up the Camera and Lights Next, we'll position the camera and add lights to create a visually appealing scene. `svelte ` 1. `: This component represents the camera in the scene. It provides the viewpoint through which the user sees the 3D objects. The `position` attribute defines the camera's position in 3D space. In this case, the camera is positioned at `(-10, 20, 10)`. The `fov` attribute specifies the field of view, which affects how wide the camera's view is. - makeDefault`: This attribute makes this camera the default camera for rendering the scene. 2. `: This component provides controls for easy navigation and interaction with the scene. It allows the user to pan, zoom, and orbit around the objects in the scene. The attributes within the `` component configure its behavior: - enableZoom`: Disables zooming using the mouse scroll wheel. - enablePan`: Disables panning the scene. - enableDamping`: Enables a damping effect that smoothens the camera's movement. - autoRotate`: Enables automatic rotation of the camera around the scene. - autoRotateSpeed`: Defines the speed of the auto-rotation. 3. `: This component represents a directional light source in the scene. It simulates light coming from a specific direction. The attributes within the `` component configure the light's behavior: - intensity`: Specifies the intensity of the light. - position.x` and `position.y`: Define the position of the light source in the scene. 4. `: This component represents an ambient light source in the scene. It provides even lighting across all objects in the scene. The `intensity` attribute controls the strength of the ambient light. 4. Interactivity: Scaling and Color Changes Now we'll add interactivity to the sphere, allowing it to scale and change color in response to user input. First, we'll import the required utilities for animation and set up a spring object to manage the scale. `typescript import { spring } from 'svelte/motion'; import { onMount } from 'svelte'; import { interactivity } from '@threlte/extras'; interactivity(); const scale = spring(0, { stiffness: 0.1 }); onMount(() => { scale.set(1); }); ` We'll update the sphere definition to include scaling: `svelte scale.set(1.1)} on:pointerleave={() => scale.set(1)}> ` Lastly, we'll add code to update the color of the sphere based on the mouse's position within the window. `typescript let mousedown = false; let rgb: number[] = []; function updateSphereColor(e: MouseEvent) { if (mousedown) { rgb = [ Math.floor((e.pageX / window.innerWidth) 255), Math.floor((e.pageY / window.innerHeight) 255), 150 ]; } } window.addEventListener('mousedown', () => (mousedown = true)); window.addEventListener('mouseup', () => (mousedown = false)); window.addEventListener('mousemove', updateSphereColor); $: sphereColor = rgb.join(','); ` We have successfully created a rotating sphere scene with scaling and color-changing interactivity. By leveraging Threlte's capabilities, we have built a visually engaging 3D experience that responds to user input, providing a dynamic and immersive interface. Adding Navigation and Scroll Prompt in `app.svelte` In this chapter, we'll add a navigation bar and a scroll prompt to our scene. The navigation bar provides links for user navigation, while the scroll prompt encourages the user to interact with the content. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the code: 1. Importing the Canvas and Scene The Canvas` component from Threlte serves as the container for our 3D scene. We import our custom `Scene` component to render within the canvas. `typescript import { Canvas } from '@threlte/core'; import Scene from './Scene.svelte'; ` 2. Embedding the 3D Scene The Canvas` component wraps the `Scene` component to render the 3D content. It is positioned absolutely to cover the full viewport, and the `z-index` property ensures that it's layered behind the navigation elements. `svelte ` 3. Adding the Navigation Bar We use a ` element to create a horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page. It contains a home link and two navigation list items. The styling properties ensure that the navigation bar is visually appealing and positioned correctly. `svelte Home Explore Learn ` 4. Adding the Scroll Prompt We include a "Give a scroll" prompt with an ` element to encourage user interaction. It's positioned near the bottom of the viewport and styled for readability against the background. `svelte Give a scroll ` 5. Styling the Components Finally, the provided CSS styles control the positioning and appearance of the canvas, navigation bar, and scroll prompt. The CSS classes apply appropriate color, font, and layout properties to create a cohesive and attractive design. `css .sphere-canvas { width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 1; } nav { display: flex; color: white; z-index: 2; position: relative; padding: 4rem 8rem; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; } nav a { text-decoration: none; color: white; font-weight: bold; } nav ul { display: flex; list-style: none; gap: 4rem; } h1 { color: white; z-index: 2; position: absolute; font-size: 3rem; left: 50%; top: 75%; transform: translate(-50%, -75%); } ` Head to the github repo to view the full code.** Check out the result: https://threlte6-spinning-ball.vercel.app/** Conclusion We've successfully added navigation and a scroll prompt to our Threlte project in the app.svelte` file. By layering 2D HTML content with a 3D scene, we've created an interactive user interface that combines traditional web design elements with immersive 3D visuals....

Aug 14, 2023

6 mins

Svelte

State of Meta Frameworks Recap

In this State of Meta Frameworks event, our panelists discussed the current State of Meta Frameworks. This wrap-up covers the panel discussion on the ever-evolving state of meta frameworks in the digital landscape. Our expert panelists delved into the latest trends, advancements, and challenges faced by developers and businesses in adopting and utilizing meta frameworks effectively. You can watch the full State of Meta Frameworks event on the This Dot Media YouTube channel. Here is a complete list of the host and panelists that participated in this online event. Hosts: - Dustin Goodman, Engineering Manager, This Dot, @dustinsgoodman - Mattia Magi, Senior Software Engineer, This Dot, @mattiamagi Panelists: - Ryan Carniato , Author of the SolidJS UI library and MarkoJS Core Team Member, @RyanCarniato - Ben Holmes, Software Developer, Astro, @BHolmesDev - Maya Shavin, Senior Software Engineer, Microsoft, Nuxtjs ambassador, Google Developer Expert , @MayaShavin - Andreas Ehrencrona, Head of Crown Framework Development at Hyperlab | Svelte Maintainer, ehrencrona - Amy Dutton, Lead Maintainer on the RedwoodJS Core Team, @selfteachme In 5-10 years, where do you think web application development and meta frameworks are heading with the current trend of experimentation? The discussion got off to a quick start, and there seemed to be a consensus that the web development ecosystem is currently going through a phase of experimentation, with numerous frameworks and tools popping up and evolving rapidly. This creative and innovative environment allows developers to explore various solutions, leading to a wide array of choices. Looking ahead, it's difficult to predict the exact form of an ideal development environment in 5-10 years. However, there is an expectation that the web development community will eventually converge on some consensus regarding best practices and tools. Some current practices, like hydration (the process of converting server-rendered HTML into a fully interactive application on the client-side), might be considered wasteful in an idealized future and could be replaced with more efficient approaches. One significant consideration for the future of web development is competition between web applications and mobile apps. While the web has advantages in terms of faster initial loading and no need to download large app files, mobile apps are often perceived as having better user experiences. Closing the gap between web and app experiences will likely be a focus in the coming years. The ease of creating meta frameworks is seen as a positive aspect of the current ecosystem. The availability of bundlers and underlying tooling has made it possible for developers to build their frameworks on top of existing libraries and tools. This ease of creation has led to an explosion of ideas and innovation in the space. However, the growing complexity and the abundance of choices can also be overwhelming for newcomers to web development. The abundance of frameworks and tools may make it challenging for beginners to know where to start. Simplifying the development process and making the technology more approachable for new developers will likely be a concern for the future. There's also a cautious perspective regarding abstracting complexity too much. While meta frameworks and high-level abstractions can make development easier and faster, there's a risk of losing touch with the underlying technology and ending up with monolithic solutions that become difficult to maintain and replace. In summary, the web development landscape is currently characterized by experimentation and rapid evolution. As the community continues to explore and innovate, it is expected that the industry will eventually converge on more standardized practices and tools. Finding the right balance between abstraction and maintainability will be crucial for the future of web application development. Will other tech stacks follow Next.js in adopting server-first approaches with React's server components? The discussion revolves around Next.js adopting React's server components, which indicates a shift towards server-first approaches in their development. The conversation contemplates the potential impact of this trend and whether it might lead to similar shifts in other tech stacks. React's server components are viewed as a new and hot trend in the React ecosystem, with no similar implementations currently in other tech stacks. The participants discuss how web development has evolved over the past years, from server-rendered PHP and Rails applications to the rise of JavaScript and single-page applications (SPAs), and now the current move back towards server rendering and server component rendering. Opinions differ on the real benefits of server components compared to more established server-side rendering approaches. Some participants express support for server components, appreciating the server-first philosophy and the idea of shipping HTML from the server to the client. Others question the advantages of introducing server components when client-side models are already highly capable and suitable for building dynamic apps. The conversation touches on the challenges of adopting new approaches and integrating them with existing ecosystems. Legacy concerns and the need for education within the React community are mentioned as potential obstacles to widespread adoption. However, it's acknowledged that some frameworks have already taken the path of starting with server rendering and then adding client-side functionality later. The debate continues, with participants emphasizing the ongoing innovation and experimentation in reducing JavaScript costs and execution in the browser. Despite the differing approaches taken by underlying libraries and frameworks, there seems to be a degree of consolidation and agreement among metaframeworks in terms of handling progressive enhancement, server functions, file-based routing, and other patterns. React server components are considered a special addition to the Redwood framework, which already incorporates a back-end component, mainly focused on GraphQL. The advantages of back-end flexibility and server-side rendering, particularly for tasks like handling Open Graph meta tags, are highlighted. In conclusion, the participants express various viewpoints on the adoption of server components and server-first approaches. While there are differing opinions on their benefits and practicality, the conversation suggests that innovation and experimentation in web development will continue to shape the direction of tech stacks in the future. What advice would you give to developers just starting to learn a new meta framework, and what are the learning curves typically associated with them? For developers starting to learn a new meta framework, the panel suggests considering the purpose of their project and what they want to achieve. For simple projects like personal blogs or static sites, options like WordPress or templating with Astro may be more straightforward. However, for dynamic applications or job prospects, learning a popular component framework like React is recommended due to its extensive documentation and community support. The importance of having a strong foundation in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS is emphasized before delving into meta frameworks. For beginners, learning the fundamentals is key, and then they can progress to using a meta framework that aligns with their interests and goals. The panel acknowledges that the choice of framework might not be as crucial as many believe. The important thing is to pick one that feels comfortable and appealing, as the skills and patterns acquired will be transferable to other frameworks if needed. Job market prospects can be enhanced by being well-versed in cutting-edge frameworks, as companies using less common technologies may highly value developers with expertise in those areas. Ultimately, the advice is to avoid getting paralyzed by the fear of making the "wrong" choice and to focus on finding a framework that resonates with personal preferences and aligns with project requirements. Being adaptable and willing to learn new technologies will make a developer stand out in the job market and as a valuable consultant. What are each of you using for deployments and what is blocking other platforms? When it comes to deployments in different ecosystems, the panelists shared their experiences and challenges. They discussed the adoption of adapters to simplify deployment processes across various platforms. Some mentioned using AWS S3, Netlify, and Parcel for static sites, while others emphasized the importance of considering the platform's limitations and performance. The conversation touched on serverless functions and edge deployments, with mixed experiences across different frameworks. While some found serverless functions efficient and fast, others encountered configuration challenges and a lack of clear documentation. Overall, the panelists highlighted the ongoing experimentation and search for optimal deployment solutions, with open-source collaborations being key to driving progress in this space. What are some common misconceptions or misunderstandings about your respective frameworks? The panelists addressed common misconceptions and misunderstandings about their respective frameworks. Redwood was mistaken as a new framework, but in reality, it has been stable and established for over four years. They emphasized their focus on startups and core infrastructure, partnering with incubators to support end-users in that market. Astro clarified that it is not limited to static sites and can handle dynamic single-client rendered apps with its flexibility in mounting components. SolidJS emphasized its goal of raising the baseline of primitives in the ecosystem, encouraging the use of existing libraries and promoting a future without lock-in frameworks. Crown showcased its selling point of partial hydration for optimal performance but acknowledged the challenge of explaining the concept to potential customers. Lastly, Nuxt was differentiated from Next, and it was clarified that Nuxt is optimized for performance, aims to simplify developer experience, and is not just the "next" version of Vue. The panelists agreed that maintaining a meta framework is not easy and often involves complex version upgrading and bug fixes. Overall, the conversation shed light on the unique strengths and goals of each framework, debunking common misconceptions and providing insights into their usage and focus areas. What's causing the shift away from first-class testing in libraries and frameworks, and will we see a return to testing-first tooling? In this candid conversation, the panelists discussed the changing landscape of testing in libraries and frameworks. They acknowledged that many new releases are moving away from first-class testing in favor of end-to-end testing tools like Cypress and Playwright. Some frameworks, like Redwood, continue to support unit testing with Jest and JavaScript testing library, while others, like Svelte Kit, are shipping with Playwright out of the box. The shift seems to be driven by the complexity of modern applications, where bugs often emerge in the integration of various components and data sources. The panelists emphasized that testing needs to address the actual complexity of the application, and in some cases, end-to-end testing proves more effective in detecting bugs and ensuring the overall system works as intended. However, they also acknowledged that there are still benefits to unit testing and emphasized the importance of having both types of testing in a robust application. The challenge lies in finding the right balance and tooling to suit different types of frameworks and projects. The diversity of opinions and preferences within the community makes it difficult to prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach to testing. Some frameworks prioritize ease of use and simplicity for beginners, while others lean towards comprehensive end-to-end testing for complex applications. Overall, the future of testing-first tooling remains uncertain. While there may be a shift back towards unit testing in some cases, it seems that the focus will be on finding the right combination of testing approaches that best suit the specific needs and complexities of individual frameworks and applications. Q&A What are the panelists thoughts on Docusaurus? The panelists discussed their thoughts on documentation tools, particularly Docusaurus. Some mentioned using their own custom solutions or other frameworks like Vpress and VuePress in the Vue ecosystem. Astro introduced their own documentation starter called Starlight, which aims to bring Docusaurus-like features to static templating languages open to any framework. The panel also mentioned Next.js and how the React 18 documentation process used custom React components rather than Docusaurus. The focus on partial hydration was highlighted as a key factor that can make documentation sites even better. Overall, the discussion reflected a diverse range of approaches and preferences when it comes to maintaining documentation for projects. Is transpiling a necessary technique anymore, and what are the panelists’ thoughts on infrastructure as code? The panelists had an interesting discussion about transpiling and infrastructure as code. Regarding transpiling, there was a consensus that while modernizing code to ESM (ECMAScript modules) is becoming more accessible, transpiling will still be necessary for a variety of reasons, including ensuring optimal performance and compatibility with different environments. The panel acknowledged that build tools and compilers are still widely used and will likely remain integral to the development process. On the topic of infrastructure as code, the conversation centered around how frameworks are starting to offer more opinionated solutions for deploying applications seamlessly. Next.js, for example, automatically infers whether a page should be deployed as serverless or static based on code patterns and fetch calls. However, there were also concerns about the potential challenges and risks of overly automatic decisions when it comes to deploying and managing infrastructure. Astra's approach of explicit configuration and allowing developers to set defaults for routes was noted as a more conservative and safer option. The discussion highlighted the ongoing evolution of these practices and how different frameworks are approaching the challenges of modern web development, providing varying degrees of automation and flexibility for developers. The general consensus was that while transpiling and infrastructure as code practices are continuously improving, they will still be essential components of web development for the foreseeable future. Can you discuss a challenging problem you encountered while developing your meta framework and how you solved it? During the discussion, the panelists shared challenging problems they encountered while developing their respective meta frameworks and how they approached solving them. One major challenge for Redwood was integrating GraphQL into their framework. While GraphQL can be powerful, not everyone is comfortable using it. Redwood aimed to simplify the process by providing conventions and handling complexities, making it easier for developers to work with GraphQL. This allowed applications to scale better, addressing over-fetching and waterfall issues. In the Crown framework, caching was a primary focus due to the heavy reliance on third-party data sources that were not always fast enough. To tackle this, they implemented various caching mechanisms, including in-memory caches, persistent caches (e.g., Redis), and HTTP caching. They utilized decorators to specify which data should be cached and employed patterns like "reusing stale while revalidating" to ensure fresh data while maintaining fast response times. For another panelist, the most challenging aspects of their meta framework were related to adapters and runtime components. They faced difficulties in balancing a generic interface for deploying apps anywhere while leveraging specific features of different platforms. Integrating platform-specific features without making the framework feel too platform-dependent was a considerable challenge. They explored the potential of generalizing certain aspects, such as key-value stores, to address common needs across platforms. The panelists emphasized that navigating the ever-evolving landscape of serverless and edge computing, and integrating the innovations from various platforms without compromising the core functionalities of their frameworks, required careful consideration and creative problem-solving. Overall, the discussion shed light on the complexities and ongoing efforts to build user-friendly and powerful meta frameworks in the dynamic world of web development. What are some of the most innovative or unexpected ways you’ve seen your frameworks being used? During the lively discussion, the panelists shared some unexpected and innovative ways their frameworks have been used in real-world scenarios. For instance, with Astro, they were pleasantly surprised to see Bloomberg experimenting with using it to template news articles. It was used alongside their existing framework in A/B tests, demonstrating Astro's versatility and ease of integration with other platforms. Additionally, Astro's middleware mode was another exciting discovery, allowing it to be deployed as a node server middleware, making it even more adaptable for existing projects. Redwood, on the other hand, was amazed by the diverse range of use cases their framework supported, from consumer applications to deep vertical SaaS implementations. The community's adoption of Redwood for various purposes showcased its flexibility and robustness. In the case of SolidJS, the team was surprised to find developers using Solid as the foundation for mobile apps and Electron applications. Solid's client-only mode was adapted for these use cases, demonstrating its potential to support mobile development and native-like experiences. A particularly jaw-dropping example came from the Svelte community, where developers managed to recreate the classic game Wolfenstein 3D in the browser using just DOM elements and CSS 3D transforms. This creative use of Svelte showcased its DOM manipulation capabilities and the powerful potential of modern browsers. Overall, the panelists were impressed by the ingenious ways developers harnessed the capabilities of their frameworks to solve unique challenges and create unconventional applications. Conclusion The overall discussion provided a glimpse into the dynamic and exciting world of meta frameworks and the ever-evolving possibilities they bring to web development. With such remarkable use cases and continuous innovation, the future of meta frameworks looks promising. The panelists expressed their gratitude to the audience for joining and participating in the event, and they all looked forward to meeting again in future events....

Jul 28, 2023

12 mins

JS FrameworkJavaScript

Being a CTO at Any Level: A Discussion with Kathy Keating, Co-Founder of CTO Levels

In this episode of the engineering leadership series, Kathy Keating, co-founder of CTO Levels and CTO Advisor, shares her insights on the role of a CTO and the challenges they face. She begins by discussing her own journey as a technologist and her experience in technology leadership roles, including founding companies and having a recent exit. According to Kathy, the primary responsibility of a CTO is to deliver the technology that aligns with the company's business needs. However, she highlights a concerning statistic that 50% of CTOs have a tenure of less than two years, often due to a lack of understanding and mismatched expectations. She emphasizes the importance of building trust quickly in order to succeed in this role. One of the main challenges CTOs face is transitioning from being a technologist to a leader. Kathy stresses the significance of developing effective communication habits to bridge this gap. She suggests that CTOs create a playbook of best practices to enhance their communication skills and join communities of other CTOs to learn from their experiences. Matching the right CTO to the stage of a company is another crucial aspect discussed in the episode. Kathy explains that different stages of a company require different types of CTOs, and it is essential to find the right fit. To navigate these challenges, Kathy advises CTOs to build a support system of advisors and coaches who can provide guidance and help them overcome obstacles. Additionally, she encourages CTOs to be aware of their own preferences and strengths, as self-awareness can greatly contribute to their success. In conclusion, this podcast episode sheds light on the technical aspects of being a CTO and the challenges they face. Kathy Keating's insights provide valuable guidance for CTOs to build trust, develop effective communication habits, match their skills to the company's stage, and create a support system for their professional growth. By understanding these key technical aspects, CTOs can enhance their leadership skills and contribute to the success of their organizations....

Dec 5, 2023

2 mins

Engineering Leadership