Front End Astronaut

Today, we're going to explore the world of semantic HTML and learn why it's essential for creating accessible, maintainable, and user-friendly websites. In this guide, we'll discuss what semantic HTML is, why it's important, and how to incorporate it into your projects. So, let's dive in! Understanding Semantic HTML Semantic HTML refers to using HTML elements that convey meaning and context about the structure and purpose of the content they enclose. It's a way of writing markup that provides more information about the content, rather than merely describing its presentation.  By using the appropriate  semantic elements, we can improve the accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO), and maintainability of our websites. The Importance of Semantic HTML Before diving into practical tips, let's discuss why semantic HTML is so important: Accessibility : Assistive technologies, such as screen readers, rely on the structure and meaning provided by seman...

Hello fellow developers! Today, we're going to explore the world of web accessibility. This is the first post of a series on this topic. While it may not seem like the most exciting topic, it's an essential one to understand. I personally enjoy working on doing accessible web applications, it has many advantages. Accessibility is all about ensuring the digital world is inclusive and user-friendly for everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, but not only that. So, let's dive in and learn how to create websites that are usable by people with disabilities, following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) . The Importance of Web Accessibility Before we dive into the practical side of things, let's discuss why web accessibility is so important. An estimated 15% of the global population has some form of disability, which means that inaccessible websites can exclude a significant number of users. Furthermore, ensuring your website is accessible can als...

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in Sitecore’s Hackathon 2023 . It was my first hackathon experience, and I have to admit that I was both excited and nervous about it. The thought of working with a team to develop a simple application in just 24 hours seemed daunting, but I was ready to take on the challenge. The event was fun, challenging, and exhausting, all at the same time. It was a great chance to put my skills to the test and learn from my colleagues. As an associate frontend architect at Verndale , I was happy to see that several teams from our company were participating in the hackaton. This allowed us to compare our experiences and share our knowledge. I participated in the hackathon with Sandy Foley and Cristhian Castro, two colleagues from Verndale . It was the first time that we had worked together, so it was a great oportunity to get to know them and learn about their strengths and skills. We worked well together, and I was impressed by their creativity and d...

  Hello everyone! I'm excited to share with you my favorite VS Code extensions that have helped me boost my productivity and workflow, first as a developer and now as a frontend architect at Verndale . After some time trying other tools, I've been using VS Code as my go-to Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for a while now and have come across some fantastic extensions that have helped me write cleaner code, automate repetitive tasks, and save time. So, without further extra hassle, let's take a look at the extensions I've added. Edit Hosts File This extension allows me to edit my hosts file directly from within VS Code. This is especially useful when I'm working on local development and need to switch between multiple environments quickly. With this extension, I no longer need to open my hosts file in a separate editor, edit it, and save it. I can do it all from within VS Code. EditorConfig for VS Code This extension allows me to maintain consistent coding st...

I am an Associate Frontend Architect at Verndale , where I currently lead an initiative to adopt GitHub Copilot as an everyday tool. Every developer in the company, including both frontend and backend engineers, are integrating this tool to their IDEs of preference -mostly Visual Studio Code- to evaluate whether if it helps to increase our overall productivity.  I'm positive we are going to adopt it and so far I'm loving it. GitHub Copilot is a powerful AI assistant that can help you write better code. It can generate code suggestions, provide context-aware comments, and even help you debug  your code. If you're a developer, you should definitely give Copilot a try. It could save you a lot of time and effort, and it could help you write better code. Here are some best practices when using Copilot: Use Copilot to generate ideas and suggestions, not to replace your own coding skills. Copilot is a tool that can help you write better code, but it's not a replacement ...

 The world of work has changed dramatically in the past few years. With the rise of the internet and the proliferation of digital tools and services, remote work has become increasingly common. This has been particularly true for developers, who can now work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. For frontend developers, in particular, remote work can present a number of challenges. With so many distractions at home and no coworkers to keep you accountable, it can be difficult to stay on track and get your work done. However, with the right habits and practices, it is possible to be a successful remote frontend developer. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best practices and good habits that can help you be productive and successful as a remote frontend developer. 1. Establish a routine One of the biggest challenges of remote work is maintaining a routine. When you work from home, it can be tempting to stay in bed a little longer or to work late into th...

 In October of last year, together with some colleagues from the Verndale offices in Latam, we resumed the activities of the UIO Frontend Community. These activities are generally talks on different topics that may be of interest to the community, and are offered by different members each time. In the same way, they work as a pretext to personally meet other people who usually spend most of their day sitting in front of a computer, doing pretty much the same we do. The central theme of the talk, offered by Marcelo Bonilla and myself, together with other collaborators, was to mark the differences on the main types of front end rendering: server-side rendering (SSR) and client-side rendering (CSR). Not with the idea of establishing a match, but with the aim of pointing out in which cases each one can be useful. This is not a new topic, but as the technologies we use evolve, we are forced to make decisions that can have a major impact on our work. The basic elements on which we develo...