Web App Fundamentals (Part 1)

Join Kent C. Dodds for "Web App Fundamentals (Part 1)"

March 30th, 2023

The problem statement

The web is a powerful tool for building applications

And too many web developers don't know how to use it

Since the beginning, the web platform has had primitives for building applications that can reach the increasing number of people on the planet with an internet connection. Tools exist to help you do this, but a lack of understanding in the web primitives they're built upon has led many web developers to build applications that are slow, inaccessible, and difficult to maintain.

Understanding the foundational primitives of the web will make you a better web developer, regardless of the tools you use. In this workshop we'll be working in a real-world application that uses a framework, but do so through the lense of the web platform primitives to make sure we're taking full advantage of the web. And then we'll come back in Web App Fundamentals (Part 2) to take it even further.

At the end of this workshop you'll be able to do all of these things yourself.

Here's why you should register for the workshop.

01.Load CSS and use modern authoring techniques
Learn how to optimize your web application's styling by loading CSS efficiently and using modern authoring techniques that can save you and your team time and effort in the long run.
02.Take full advantage of the power of the URL
The URL is a powerful tool for building web applications. It's one of the super-powers of the web that other platforms don't have. In this workshop, you'll learn how to use it effectively to improve both the user experience as well as the developer experience and the usability of your web application.
03.Load your data efficiently
One of the keys to building a high-quality web application is loading your data efficiently. In this workshop, you'll learn how to optimize your data loading, including using platform standard caching techniques.
04.Use simple forms to build complex interactions
Forms are a key component of most web applications, and in this workshop, you'll learn the fundamental technology of the web for enabling your users to perform data mutations. Just because your application allows complex user interactions doesn't mean your code for managing that has to be complex. And if you embrace the web platform, it doesn't have to be.
05.Optimize your application for search engines and social media
Websites live and die by their findability and shareability. It's more important than ever to optimize your web application for search engines and social media. In this workshop, you'll learn about Search Engine Optimization techniques and how to make your application more shareable on social media.

The topics we will be covering.

This is what we will talk about.

01.
Styling

02.
Nested routing

03.
Data loading

04.
Data mutations

05.
SEO optimization

Required experience

You should have experience with these JavaScript features and attend my React Hooks Workshop or have the equivalent experience. This workshop will use TypeScript, but should be completable if you do not have experience with TypeScript.

Important Note

Depending on the questions asked during the workshop, or necessary changes in the material, the actual content of the workshop could differ from the above mentioned topics.

What to expect from a Kent C. Dodds workshop

My primary goal is retention. If you can't remember what I've taught you, then the whole experience was a waste of our time.

With that in mind, we'll follow the teaching strategy I've developed over years of teaching (learn more about my teaching strategy here).

The short version is, you'll spend the majority of time working through exercises that are specifically crafted to help you experiment with topics you may have never experienced before. I intentionally put you into the deep end and let you struggle a bit to prepare your brain for the instruction.

Based on both my personal experience and scientific research around how people learn, this is an incredibly efficient way to ensure you understand and remember what you're learning. This is just one of the strategies I employ to improve your retention. I think you'll love it!

I'm excited to be your guide as we learn together!

Don't just take my word for it.

What others have to say

Even with nearly 2 years of React experience, EpicReact.dev helped me to refresh and even learn better the basic stuff and apply more advanced patterns to real use cases.

Vasilis Drosatos

Senior Frontend Developer

You can call me an Epic React 🥑 (Advocate), there is no better React course around. Kent's approach to teaching is the one that resonates the most with me. The pacing is amazing and he really focus on practice. This course helped me understand React at a much deeper level. It builds up in the fundamentals and progress extremely well into the advanced topics. Best course investment I made to date.

Yago Pereira Azevedo

Software Engineer @BitGo

I feel incredibly fortunate to have discovered Kent and his work through a colleague. His content and materials have been a true game-changer for me, and I cannot overstate the wealth of knowledge and guidance he has provided to people like me and the entire industry. In my interactions with Kent, whether online or in person, I have found him to be an incredibly kind and down-to-earth human. He doesn't hesitate a second to share his invaluable knowledge. He is my true inspiration and mentor, and I'm truly grateful for everything he has done. Thank you very much, Kent!