Topic

javascript

Articles tagged as “javascript”.

Making Rails asset pipeline faster

Published

This article reflects the 2016-era Rails asset pipeline—Ruby Sass, libsass, Compass, therubyracer, and Node.js 6—and is not current Rails asset guidance. We all know that for a rather large Rails app with a substantial front end, the asset pre-compilation and more importantly - development mode changes are far from …

On font rendering consistency across browsers

Published

Back in the day (i.e. when Firefox's version was a single digit) font rendering was at its best on Mozilla's browser. I remember comparing Firefox's anti-aliasing to the new-kid-on-the-block Chrome : the difference was huge. Time went by and we all know what happened : most web developers found themselves using Chrome as …

Using Firebug as a scalpel, yet not for web development

Published

Historical and safety note (2026): Firebug reached end of life; its functionality moved into Firefox’s built-in Developer Tools. Adobe ended Flash Player support on December 31, 2020, and Flash is unsafe to install. Deleting a DOM node in Developer Tools is temporary and local: it does not change the server, undo requests …

A few words on frontend performance optimizations

Published

Editor’s note (2026): This describes a 2010 jQuery and script-loader setup. RequireJS and LABjs are historical tools, and the performance result is anecdotal because the promised graphs and test method are absent. Third-party CDN scripts also introduce availability, privacy, and supply-chain considerations. Current …

The frontend backend debacle

Published

Editor’s note (2026): This is a strongly worded 2010 opinion, not hiring or accessibility guidance. Modern web work includes both deep specializations and generalist roles; basic HTML and CSS syntax can be approachable, while production UI work also carries substantial accessibility and standards obligations. Current …