profile

Syntax

Syntax Snack Pack: CSS Tic Tac Toe, File Servers in Your Fridge & a Prettier Scare

Published about 1 month ago • 3 min read

A Tasty Treats NEWSLETTER for Web Developers

Issue #51:

  • The Prettier config that shipped malware (and how to check if you’re affected)
  • Why one dev thinks today’s CS students are wasting their time
  • Logic gates... in CSS? Yep, Chrome 137 just unlocked chaos
  • pnpm quietly became your new Node version manager
  • A file server you can run in your browser — or maybe your fridge
  • A tic-tac-toe game made without HTML or JS (yes, really)
  • Plus: a link that un-shortens URLs, Wes gets cocky in CSSBattle, and a dev’s best tip for wrangling your AI coding assistant

​pnpm can now switch node versions

FROM wes

Specify the version of Node in your package.json and pnpm will use (and download+install) the correct version.

​

​eslint-config-prettier Compromised:​

FROM CJ

How npm Package with 30 Million Downloads Spread Malware. Check your dependencies! Several versions of popular packages were published with malware.

​

​Copyparty

HAND selected by SCOTT

Turn almost any device into a file server with resumable uploads/downloads using any web browser.

​

​CSS Logic Gates

ANOTHER ONE FROM CJ!

Logic Gates implemented in PURE CSS using the new if() function available in Chrome 137+.

​

​

​

just for fun:

​Tic-Tac-NoHTML

fun PROVIDED by cj

This guy made a fully functional tic tac toe game ONLY in CSS. No HTML, no JS. I looked at the view source for 20 mins and could not understand the awful/awesome things that were being done here.

​

​

​L(o*62).ong

MORE Fun PROVIDED by cj

An anti-url shortener.

​

All Hail The Algorithm

Some good stuff™ we posted this week

The Feed

New episodes 2×/week + other new video content!

​SHAMELESS PLUG​

Smarter debugging with Sentry MCP and Cursor

​

Syntax 2025 × Unsubscribe​

thanks for being a part of the pack 💛 curated by: Kaitlin Bloom

Syntax

Read more from Syntax

A Tasty Treats NEWSLETTER for Web Developers Issue #53: HTML tips so good you’ll wonder why no one told you sooner jQuery refuses to die — and it might outlive us all Color-shifting CSS tricks to make your UI look like it’s in a Marvel movie Hot take: What’s harder - front-end or back-end? Did you see we dropped the first batch of limited-edition web dev pin packs??? 🚨🗞️ BREAKING NEWS The maintainer of 18 widely used npm packages (over 2 BILLION downloads per week in total) including debug,...

5 days ago • 3 min read

A Tasty Treats NEWSLETTER for Web Developers Issue #52: CSS Grid layouts at the push of a button 2ality shifts gears: beginner-friendly posts from a web dev deep-diver Adventures in State Space — gorgeous math puzzles in motion Spin the globe and stream live radio from literally anywhere Plus: a 6-step framework for starting new projects, brutal truths about iOS parental controls, and Scott’s instant hype over InstantDB New series of blog posts: learning web development FROM CJ Learn the...

19 days ago • 3 min read

A Tasty Treats NEWSLETTER for Web Developers Issue #50: Nuxt 4.0 just dropped. Is it still your go-to full stack pick? Node.js is all grown up. These are the patterns to watch for 2025 JavaScript’s next wave: what’s landing in ES2025 and why it matters Plus: solar-powered coffee breaks, grilled CAPTCHA challenges, and why core coding skills are your AI-era superpower ENTER The History of React Through Code FROM cj A fun trip down memory lane that provides context and reason for why React is...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read