Roy Tomeij
Modular & reusable front end code
Summarized using AI
Modular & reusable front end code
by Roy TomeijIn the presentation titled "Modular & reusable front end code" by Roy Tomeij at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2012 event, the speaker creatively intertwines the concepts of modular front-end development with the artistic philosophy of Bob Ross, the beloved painter known for his joyful, modular approach to painting. Roy begins by establishing Bob Ross as a symbol of creative modularity, emphasizing that just as Ross rearranged simple elements to create beautiful landscapes, developers should reuse and rearrange modular code for efficient front-end development.
Key points of the presentation include:
- Modular Code Philosophy: Roy explains that web pages should be seen as collections of modules, similar to how Bob Ross viewed his paintings as composed of distinct elements. This perspective encourages developers to reuse code across different parts of a project, enhancing maintainability and efficiency.
- HTML5 and Reusability: The introduction of HTML5 has revolutionized semantic coding. Unlike HTML4, which restricted the use of multiple H1 elements, HTML5 allows for multiple H1s and introduces semantic elements like
and - CSS Specificity and Clean Code: Roy emphasizes the importance of maintaining clean code through careful management of CSS specificity, proposing strategies such as using class names for styling and IDs for JavaScript behavior to prevent conflicts and maintain the integrity of user interfaces.
- Component Design and Consistency: When designing components, it’s critical for similar elements to remain consistent across pages to ensure modularity. The speaker suggests methods for pinpointing unique modules via collaborative discussions with designers.
- JavaScript and HTML Separation: Highlighting the significance of separation between HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Roy advises maintaining class names for CSS while using IDs in JavaScript to prevent unintended styling changes that could disrupt the user interface.
- File Structure: A well-organized file structure is crucial for maintaining modular code. Roy advocates for a systematic approach to structuring CSS and JavaScript files, ensuring modules are distinct and easily manageable.
In conclusion, Roy underscores the essence of clean, modular code as being foundational to effective front-end design. He reassures the audience that organizing code not only leads to better applications but also enhances team collaboration and project sustainability, encouraging the notion that rewriting code from scratch is often unnecessary if existing code can be refactored intelligently. The session fosters an understanding of how systematic reuse in coding parallels artistic creation, and leaves the audience with practical strategies to improve their approach to front-end development.
Overall, successful modular development fosters better user experiences and a smoother workflow for developers.
00:00:08.910
Thanks for joining me for my talk on modular front-end development with HTML. However, that's not exactly the title of my presentation.
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This talk is actually about Bob Ross, the painter.
00:00:22.800
I love Bob Ross, and I've been meaning to do presentations about him at various conferences. Unfortunately, my proposals were never accepted.
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So, I decided to throw in some buzzwords like Sass and CoffeeScript, and it worked pretty well. You're in for a treat.
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I did a talk a while back at EuroRuby in Amsterdam, and during my presentation, this was the hashtag, which trended on Twitter.
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So do your best! For those who don't remember, Bob Ross is the white guy with the afro, the only one who could pull it off.
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He used to be on PBS. Well, he still is, in reruns. Unfortunately, he has passed away.
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I love to watch Bob. He used to create these awesome paintings, and Bob is the inventor of what I call micro-painting.
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Here's a link between modular front-end development and Bob. He would have this happy little tree, a crooked tree, a house, and clouds, rearranging these modules to create new paintings within 30 minutes.
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That's what we want to do with our front-end code. We want to take those modules, those bits and pieces, and reuse them. Like Bob, we all like to start with a blank canvas. There's nothing better than starting a new project because this time, we're going to do everything right. It’s going to be awesome—no refactoring!
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So you start coding, and for a few weeks, you go at it like Bob Ross, riding a unicorn through a sky of rainbows. Just pure joy!
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I found an awesome image online, Googling 'Bob Ross unicorn rainbow', and it turned out to be one of the top results.
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After a few weeks of coding like Bob Ross, you take a step back, expecting your work to resemble an immaculate Bob Ross painting. But instead, you're greeted by something that looks more like a dead rat lying next to a bottle of ketchup.
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I’ll leave that on for a bit while I sip some water. Oh, that’s gross.
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So how did that happen? You have this h1, and you want it to be black—well, that makes sense.
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But in some cases, it has to be red. So when it's used inside some element with the ID 'sidebar', it has to change.
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Wait, for the Twitter widget, it needs to be green!
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You see, CSS specificity can be tricky. The previous rule takes precedence unless you use '!important'—that’s how it works.
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For tweets in the sidebar, they should indeed be green. I just do it like this; it’s only one more exception to the rule.
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So you add an extra class, like 'alt-header', because that has significance in how you manage your code.
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This is how you end up with code that looks like dead rats lying next to bottles of ketchup. Ah, as Bob would say, you’d be in agony by now.
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I did not make this up. Again, the Internet’s go-to source for Bob Ross quotes is available.
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A little about myself: My name is Roy Tomeij, and you can follow me on Twitter at @edroy.
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I get a lot of mentions from people looking for a different Roy, and I appreciate your feedback, whether it’s positive or critical.
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I'm the co-founder of Rubicas and 280 Beans in Amsterdam. Enough about me; my company Craft is the only one globally providing Photoshop PSD to HAML, Sass, and CoffeeScript services.
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I’m also writing a book on the subject; here’s a shameless plug—visit roytomeij.io/book to sign up for the beta release.
00:04:11.290
To get started, a webpage is a collection of modules. Luckily, I don't have to explain this in too much detail because we all know Twitter Bootstrap.
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Bootstrap has reusable modules that can be utilized anywhere on any page, and it will just work.
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But we don’t want the entire Internet to look like Twitter Bootstrap; we already have that.
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Bootstrap is great, but we want our own branding, our own modules styled according to our design.
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What we're aiming for today is to create code for your design that leads to a Bootstrap-like approach.
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The objective is to have your own modules reused throughout your application, meaning we shouldn't think of a webpage as just a page anymore.
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Instead, we want to view it only as a collection of modules.
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Let me illustrate by referencing the site for Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. This site was constructed entirely out of tables.
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That’s something we don't do anymore; we haven't been doing it for at least the past ten years.
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Yet, tax money still goes to sites built this way.
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But look at this—instead of assuming an H2 will only follow an H1, we should make every piece of code reusable.
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The first aspect we must discuss is HTML5. Since its introduction, we now have new ways of writing code that encourage reuse.
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In HTML4, you would have had only one H1 for SEO purposes, followed by other heading tags.
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In HTML5, you can use multiple H1s. We now have new semantic elements.
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Instead of a div with an ID, we should actually use an aside. Instead of a div with a class for an article, we can now use an article element.
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All these new sectioning elements allow us to start with an H1 without breaking the hierarchy.
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So please don't go around replacing all your divs with HTML5 elements just yet. Some divs are simply divs.
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However, elements like aside and article can help you build a design that’s easier to reuse.
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It's also essential to ensure that your code will work in older browsers; that's where tools like Modernizr come in handy.
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Any SEO experts in the room? Oh, I once had a guy tell me he hated me for saying this.
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He was vehement about the 'one H1' rule, but I challenged him.
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We've been using multiple H1s for years without penalties from Google.
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Google even used multiple H1s on their sites and products. In 2009, Google stated that using multiple H1s was fine.
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So go ahead. SEO experts may have their opinions, but you should structure your code in a way that allows for easy reuse.
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Just remember this is your world.
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Next up is CSS. Now that we have structure, styling is key.
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To style something modularly, the first step is to find a suitable designer.
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I've seen designs where the same element appeared on multiple pages but looked slightly different each time.
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You don't want that. Elements need to look alike to encourage reusability.
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One trick I use is to print all designs, put them on a wall, and then cross out anything not unique.
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You’ll end up with everything crossed out except for the truly unique modules.
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However, I understand this isn't very eco-friendly.
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If you want to save trees, look for ways to identify common elements without wasting paper.
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When people ask me how to refactor an existing project, my answer is usually to throw out everything and start over.
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People often resist this, especially when they’ve been working on a project for years.
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Instead, I suggest they keep current code and start the refactoring process.
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I'm not a Ruby developer, but I understand that refactoring Ruby code can be tough. Refactoring front-end code isn’t any more enjoyable.
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Give those modules a new class name without changing the CSS file. Keep everything updated without worrying about breaking changes.
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Finding and normalizing recurring modules that look slightly different can be achieved through discussions with your designers.
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It’s essentially the only way to ensure you’re on the right path during refactoring.
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Clean code leads to clean files. It’s perfectly fine to copy and paste code between files. Just remember to remove the duplicates from the old file.
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Over time, you’ll end up with empty files, so just delete them and focus on maintaining clean new files.
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When writing code, each module should have its own scope or namespace.
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For example, I use a class name that starts with 'mod-'.
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This indicates that the elements with this class name are expected to be reusable.
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You should be able to copy and paste those HTML elements, up to the closing tag, and have it still work.
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This emphasis on independent modules supports the best practices in CSS.
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When dealing with generic modules used in other modules, like buttons and forms, you need super shallow selectors.
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Don't limit your styling to specific HTML elements; use a class name without tying it directly to an element.
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For instance, you may have a button that looks like a button, but you also want links that behave like buttons.
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In practice, use descriptive class names to convey the meaning and styling for generic modules.
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Media queries are also part of this reusable approach, so they belong inside your modules.
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You can nest a media query inside a module class name to maintain its relevance and functionality.
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This provides a great way to ensure your media queries are tied directly to your modules.
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If you're wondering, this is not OO CSS or SMACSS, which are different approaches that require you to manage many class names.
00:11:26.600
My approach is about writing reusable code for back-end developers. They typically want to copy HTML and apply classes without heavy CSS influences.
00:11:33.190
People often mistakenly treat the entire page as a module, which works for truly unique pages like a signup or landing page.
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However, many smaller modules exist in any design, and recognizing them is crucial to effective design.
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Once you can identify these modules, you are well on your way to successful front-end development.
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Now that we have structure and styling, let’s move on to behavior.
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I follow a practice where I use class names for CSS and IDs for JavaScript.
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In our example, we have a class name for articles, and I use it consistently across CSS.
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However, for specific interactivity, I'll target elements based on unique IDs.
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This keeps things clear and manageable when working with jQuery or other libraries.
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Using IDs in CSS can be problematic, thus I reserve IDs purely for JavaScript.
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This can help avoid unintended changes or conflicts within the CSS.
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When an ID is changed, it could inadvertently affect the styling of the element. This often leads to broken UIs.
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Keeping your JavaScript separate from CSS as much as possible is crucial.
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Elements can be easier to manage if you maintain a clean separation.
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Using data attributes is also a great way to maintain interactivity without overloading your CSS.
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What does this look like? An example might include a list item with a data attribute indicating gender.
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Using jQuery, you can easily target and manipulate elements based on those data attributes.
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People often debate the efficiency of selecting elements by class names versus data attributes, but both have their merits.
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For instance, you can compare performance and usability across various devices.
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Using data attributes may provide clarity when working with JavaScript.
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If you want to take it up a notch, run performance tests using various test cases to gauge effectiveness.
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Each piece of functionality should align with a purpose within your code structure.
00:14:06.280
Finally, let’s talk about file structure. Your code needs to be organized.
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I prefer to use a single Sass file per module, making it clear and concise.
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We also apply this principle to JavaScript, with files named according to their module.
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This ensures your code is cohesive and structured.
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Here’s an example of my directory structure, with separate folders for base, generic, and module-specific styles.
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This helps maintain order and ensures that your core styles load before module-specific styles.
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Using Sass, you can control the load order and manage how your styles apply.
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With this method, your code focus remains on maintaining a clean environment that is efficient and functional.
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As we wrap up, always keep in mind that clean and modular code promotes effective design.
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This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it provides a good foundation for developing responsive and adaptable interfaces.
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Remember, successful code leads to better applications.
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Thank you for your attention, and I’m happy to take any questions you may have.
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What are your thoughts on using modules inside other modules?
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Avoiding collisions is crucial. You may run into situations where one module assumes the default text size, leading to conflicts.”},{
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