Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
Technology
About
Full Stack Developers Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski dive deep into web development topics, explaining how they work and talking about their own experiences. They cover from JavaScript frameworks like React, to the latest advancements in CSS to simplifying web tooling.
Episodes
- 1002: The Real Pricing of LLMs
Wes and Scott answer questions about LLM usage-based pricing, security risks from malicious code, staying current in the dev landscape, CSS linters, and managing Node environments. They also cover Copilot’s new usage-based pricing and debu…
- 1001: Managing Deadlines + Stress
Scott and Wes discuss managing deadlines and stress in web development, offering practical tips on planning, communication, and avoiding common pitfalls. They cover strategies for handling looming deadlines, staying methodical, and prevent…
- 1000: Syntax Episode 1,000!
Wes and Scott commemorate 1,000 episodes of their podcast, Syntax. They discuss the podcast's beginnings, the team involved, significant moments, listener data, and its development over time.
- 999: Writing Maintainable CSS
Scott and Wes discuss principles of writing maintainable CSS, including how to prevent style leaks, embrace fluid layouts, and choose appropriate methodologies. They also delve into practical tips for leveraging CSS variables, layers, scop…
- 998: How to Fix Vibe Coding
Wes and Scott discuss how to improve AI coding reliability using deterministic tools, focusing on code quality analysis, linting strategies, headless browsers, and task workflows. They aim to enforce better patterns for maintainable and pr…
- 997: Rating and Roasting Your Projects
Scott and Wes review and discuss a variety of community-submitted developer projects, including JSON tools, CSS editors, AI agents, and more. The episode features a rapid-fire showcase of projects such as Arrow JS, Sugar High, and Drift.
- 996: 10 New CSS and HTML APIs
Wes and Scott discuss recent updates to CSS and HTML browser features, including the Grid Lines API, HTML in canvas, name-only container queries, CSS random, ::search-text styling, and element-scoped view transitions.
- 995: Next.js Vendor Lock-in No More
The Next.js team joins the hosts to discuss the new Adapters API, multi-platform support, and how infrastructure affects performance. They also explore the development of TurboPack, the evolution of Next.js bundling, and why the framework…
- 994: AI Sucks At CSS
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer listener questions covering topics including AI in CSS and design workflows, learning to code, debugging performance, soldering for beginners, and navigating job interviews alongside…
- 993: It’s Been A Hell Of Week
Scott and Wes discuss recent developments in web development security, including the Claude Code leak, the Axios npm supply chain hack, and the incident involving Railway's private cache. They also provide tips on how to protect projects f…
- 992: Migrating Legacy Code Just Got Easier
Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski discuss strategies for migrating large codebases using AI. The episode covers planning framework and language moves, establishing patterns, handling templating changes, testing, and deployment.
- 991: Vite’s bet on Cloudflare (VOID Framework)
Scott, Wes, and CJ discuss the launch of Void, a fullstack JavaScript framework built on Cloudflare, exploring whether it offers a new standard for web development or represents platform lock-in. They examine its features, including routin…
- 990: Vite Is Taking Over (Vite+)
Hosts Wes, Scott, and CJ discuss Vite+, a unified JavaScript toolchain designed to integrate linting, formatting, monorepo management, and task running. They explore its performance benefits, built-in Node version management, and its poten…
- 989: State of JS 2025
Scott and Wes review the State of JS 2025 survey results, discussing trends in JavaScript libraries, frameworks, runtimes, hosting services, and AI developer tools. They also cover library tier lists, meta-framework pain points, and testin…
- 988: Cloudflare’s Next.js Slop Fork
Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski talk to Steve Faulkner about vinext, a Vite-powered fork of Next.js created with AI. They also discuss AI coding workflows, agent browsers, code quality, and the future of developer tooling in an AI-driven enviro…
- 987: Remote Coding Agents
Scott and Wes discuss remote coding agents, explaining what they are, how to set them up, and various use cases. They explore different interfaces, environment management, and API key security for running agents.
- 986: Does Code Quality Matter Anymore?
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer listener questions covering topics such as code quality in the age of AI, Obsidian workflows, modern full-stack JavaScript, and web accessibility. The hosts also discuss technical web developme…
- 985: Stop putting secrets in .env
Scott and Wes talk with Phil Miller and Theo Ephraim about Varlock, a tool for managing environment variables with schemas, validation, and improved security. They discuss the risks of traditional .env files and how Varlock handles secret…
- 984: How to Make a DOM Library Render Anything w/ Paolo Ricciuti
Wes and Scott interview Paolo Ricciuti regarding Svelte custom renderers, compiler internals, and the technical challenges of managing open source tooling. They also discuss how Svelte interacts with the DOM and the implementation of Lynx.
- 983: Why I Chose Electron Over Native (And I’d Do It Again)
Wes and Scott discuss the development of the screen recording app v_framer, detailing why they chose Electron over native APIs and Tauri. The episode covers technical challenges including video formats, app crash prevention, licensing, and…
- 982: Bots Are Ruining the Internet
Wes and Scott discuss recent developments in web technology, including Node.js, TypeScript 6, Deno, and the increasing impact of automated bots and AI on the internet. They also explore tools like TanStack Hotkeys, Voxtral, and various AI…
- 981: Browsers Are Finally Catching Up (Interop 2026)
Scott and Wes discuss the Interop 2026 initiative, exploring how various browser features are reaching cross-engine alignment. They break down updates including container style queries, anchor positioning, view transitions, and more, and d…
- 980: AI Coding Explained
Wes and Scott discuss the current state of AI in coding, covering editors, models, agents, skills, slash commands, and MCPs. They explore how these tools function and how developers can effectively integrate them into their workflow.
- 979: WebMCP: New Standard to Expose Your Apps to AI
Scott and Wes explore WebMCP, a new standard designed to allow AI to interact with websites using structured tools. The hosts demonstrate the technology, discuss imperative versus declarative APIs, and share their perspective on its impact…
- 978: Should A New Coder Use AI?
Wes and Scott discuss using AI while learning to code, pagination, upgrading outdated tech stacks, balancing side projects with personal life, and responding to hacking attempts. The hosts also share insights on their background and profes…
- 977: We built a CSS Challenge platform
Scott and Wes discuss the development of SynHax, a real-time CSS Battle platform created for the Mad CSS tournament. They detail the tech stack used, including SvelteKit, Zero, and Supabase, and explain the technical challenges involving s…
- 976: Pi - The AI Harness That Powers OpenClaw W/ Armin Ronacher & Mario Zechner
Wes and Scott interview Armin Ronacher and Mario Zechner about PI, a minimalist agent harness for tools like OpenClaw. They discuss AI coding agent workflows, security risks, and the philosophy that Bash is all you need for agent design.
- 975: What’s Missing From the Web Platform?
Scott and Wes discuss their wishlist for the web platform, covering potential improvements to UI primitives, DOM APIs, CSS features, and native browser capabilities. They evaluate current web limitations and propose future-facing solutions…
- 974: Clawdbot (Moltbot), Agents and the Age of Personal Software
Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski discuss the concept of hyper-specific personal software built with AI agents. They explore how LLMs enable custom, lightweight applications that can replace bloated SaaS tools in areas like home automation and de…
- 973: The Web’s Next Form: MCP UI (with Kent C. Dodds)
Scott and Wes are joined by Kent C. Dodds to discuss the Model Context Protocol (MCP), context engineering, and the development of AI-powered tools and user interfaces. They explore the practical applications, performance considerations, a…
- 972: These Things Make Your App Feel Like Crap on Mobile
In this episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott discuss common web development issues that cause mobile web apps to feel slow or "janky." They cover topics including input zooming, horizontal scrolling, layout shifts, loading times, and viewport…
- 971: Stackoverflow and Firefox are Dead?
Scott and Wes discuss the current state of web development, covering topics such as the future of Stack Overflow, AI integration, browser engine changes in Firefox and Apple, and new development tools. The episode also includes recent soft…
- 970: Why Did Anthropic Buy Bun?
Wes and Scott discuss audience questions covering topics including Git GUIs versus the terminal, web accessibility, security, smart home setups, team dynamics, and the reasoning behind Anthropic's acquisition of Bun.
- 969: This guy is nuts (TypeScript Doom)
Scott and Wes host Dimitri Mitropoulos to discuss his projects using TypeScript, including running Doom within the type system and the development of the Typeslayer tool. The conversation covers the capabilities of Turing-complete types, p…
- 968: Habits and Changes We Want to Make in 2026
Wes and Scott discuss strategies for setting realistic goals, building sustainable habits, and creating effective systems for the new year. They share their own personal objectives and the importance of focusing on incremental progress ove…
- 967: What’s Going to Happen in Web Dev During 2026
Wes and Scott discuss their predictions for the future of web development in 2026, covering topics such as WebGPU, modern CSS, AI-driven tooling, security, frameworks, and developer workflows.
- 966: A Look Back at Web Dev in 2025
Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski revisit their 2025 web development predictions, evaluating the trends and technologies that evolved or stalled across AI, CSS, frameworks, and tooling. They reflect on changes in the industry while looking ahead…
- 965: Baseline 2025 Features web gained in 2025
Scott and Wes discuss 24 new web platform features that reached Baseline status in 2025. They highlight several key APIs and CSS updates, including view transitions, the Popover API, Promise.try, and content-visibility.
- 964: Markdown as a CMS is a bad idea
In this episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer listener questions covering topics such as keyboard shortcuts, AI's impact on development, choosing tech stacks, backup strategies, and managing professional relocations. The hosts also discu…
- 963: Hardware Hacking with Matt Brown
Scott and Wes interview security consultant and YouTuber Matt Brown about hardware hacking. They discuss IoT devices, firmware extraction, and the technical and legal aspects of investigating the inner workings of everyday gadgets.
- 962: The Home Server / Synology Show
Wes and Scott discuss their home server configurations, covering hardware options like Synology and Mac minis. They also explore software choices, the differences between VMs and containers, and methods for securing and exposing services t…
- 961: Keeping Up With The Fast and Furious Web
Scott and CJ discuss how developers can keep up with industry trends without feeling overwhelmed. They share strategies for evaluating new technologies and maintaining a curiosity-driven learning process.
- 960: Reacting to the Weird + Creative Corners of the Web
In this episode, Wes and Scott explore creative applications of web technology, including live-coded music with Strudel, Hydra visuals, shader development, projection mapping, and synced light shows. They also share their latest sick picks…
- 959: TypeScript on the GPU with TypeGPU creator Iwo Plaza
Scott and CJ interview Iwo Plaza at JSNation NYC about his library TypeGPU. The discussion covers WebGPU, shader authoring in TypeScript, the developer experience of graphics libraries, and the future of browser-based GPU computing and AI.
- 958: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
The Syntax team presents their annual curated holiday gift guide, featuring a wide variety of gadgets, desk accessories, tech tools, kitchen items, clothing, and smart home recommendations for developers.
- 957: CSS: Advanced and Obscure
Scott and Wes test their knowledge of CSS with a round of STUMP'd. They discuss various topics including shape functions, scroll snap types, obscure functions, and specific CSS history.
- 956: Should I Keep Using WordPress?
In this episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer listener questions covering topics such as SSL, the state of the software development job market, GitHub Actions, code editors, headless WordPress, TypeScript organization, and career growth.
- 955: SvelteKit has solved data loading
Scott and Wes discuss SvelteKit's new remote functions, exploring how they address challenges with page-level data. The episode covers queries, forms, caching, and RPC ergonomics in SvelteKit.
- 954: Fullstack TanStack! The Scoop with Tanner Linsley
In this episode of Syntax, Tanner Linsley joins Wes and Scott to discuss updates in the TanStack ecosystem, including TanStack DB, local-first syncing, and his perspectives on server components and magic directives. They also explore devel…
- 953: Why v0 creator left Vercel to fix GitHub (GOAT Jared Palmer)
Scott and Wes interview Jared Palmer to discuss announcements from GitHub Universe 2025. They cover the role of agents in developer workflows, improvements to GitHub's interfaces, and the potential for future enhancements in the developer…