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12 Devs of Xmas

Welcome to the 12 Devs of Xmas, 12 insightful articles introducing you to new and exciting things in the world of web development.

Day 12: I know Kung Fu

On the twelfth day of Xmas, Adam Onishi wraps up another series of posts with a look at how we learn. In an industry that is constantly changing learning is a crucial part of what we do, and in our final article Adam looks at ways we can cultivate our own learning environment, even suggesting we look into doing some teaching ourselves.

by Adam Onishi

Day 11: JavaScript Jousting

On the eleventh day of Xmas, Ben Foxall takes us on a through creating a game with JavaScript. Ben pulls out all the stops bringing together movement tracking, colour generation, and device orientation to create a JavaScript version of JSJoust. And all of this with interactive demos throughout the course of the article.

by Ben Foxall

Day 10: Let’s talk about MIDI

On the tenth day of Xmas, Ruth John helps us with all things MIDI on the web. Ever had any questions about what MIDI is, why the MIDI API is coming to browsers, what hardware to buy or how to get started coding with the MIDI API? Don’t worry, because Agony Aunt Ruth is here to answer all your questions!

by Ruth John

Day 9: Service Worker: Santa’s little performance helper

On the ninth day of Xmas, Phil Nash takes a deep dive into one of the most talked about technologies of the last year, Service Workers! In this extensive article Phil takes us through various ways of optimising a site’s performance using the numerous features available through Service Workers.

by Phil Nash

Day 8: Testing using a screen reader

On the eighth day of Xmas, Callum Macrae shows us how to test our websites using a screen reader. Accessibility is an important factor when building any website and while following checklists to ensure compatibility with accessibility standards is great, there’s no better way than actually using your site as an impaired user would do yourself.

by Callum Macrae

Day 7: Surprising CSS properties you can use today

On the seventh day of Xmas, Anthony Dillion kick starts our new year with a look at some new CSS that is finally going mainstream. In this feature packed article, Anthony takes a look at some potentially lesser known, but incredibly useful CSS that are a lot better supported than you might have thought.

by Anthony Dillon

Day 6: From nothing to agile

On the sixth day of Xmas, Gonçalo Morais talks workflow taking us on a journey from nothing to working in a fully agile environment. Gonçalo uses his recent experiences to give you some great detail on the what’s, why’s, and how’s of getting started with agile.

by Gonçalo Morais

Day 5: SKYNET and you; understanding artificial intelligence before it’s too late

On the fifth day of Xmas, Alex Roche takes a look into the world of Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks. While you won’t have enough information at the end to start building your own T-800, Alex takes you through what Neural Networks are and covers some of the many ways the are able to learn from the data we give them.

by Alex Roche

Day 4: Gender representation on the web and in forms

On the fourth day of Xmas, Claire Gowler takes a look at what gender is and how it’s represented it on the web. As web developers and designers it’s important that we not treat gender as a binary, in this article, Claire takes a look at the issues that can arise with gender and some helpful ways we can be helpful and most importantly respectful when we need to ask for a person’s gender in forms.

by Claire Gowler

Day 3: Managing Cognitive Load for Team Learning

On the third day of Xmas, Jo Pearce explores our methods of learning as developers and how the ever-increasing complexity of our field can sometimes cause stress and anxiety. In this article Jo shows us ways we can look to manage our cognitive load and make the most out of our code to help others on the team balance their learning and productivity.

by Jo Pearce

Day 2: Testing React Applications

On the second day of Xmas we welcome back a 12 Devs of Xmas regular, Jack Franklin. Be prepared because this year Jack brings you a brilliant, in-depth look at how you can test your React applications. If you ever needed a mini-project to keep you busy between Xmas and New Year’s, Jack has just the thing!

by Jack Franklin

Day 1: Christmas Is A Time For Reflection

On the first day of Xmas, Melinda Seckington kicks off the return of 12 Devs of Xmas with a look at some of her favourite Xmas movies. For some the break between Xmas and New Year is a time for reflection and looking back on the previous year. In this article Melinda takes a look at personal retrospectives and four ways you can help improve or start your own retrospectives.

by Melinda Seckington