Issue #24: Components that Rock, Testing Everything, the AI Act & more!

Another week, another summer bi-weekly edition of the TechRel newsletter!

This one is short, but it packs a punch thanks to our friends writing the best and most valuable articles that help bring actionable results, beautify your apps, get them properly tested and so much more!

Diving into them is a true pleasure each week because there's so much to learn, to test, to experiment with and there's always someone guiding you through each step with lines of code like a symphony and instructions delivered in a way only master techies know how to!

So, let's see what resources await this week! Hope you find them useful and helpful for your current or next app!

Let's dive in!

To .NET & Beyond

Dealing with Complex State Scenarios in Blazor ??

There are many ways to handle complex states in Blazor web apps - fetching data in the OnInitialized lifecycle method or handling global state with a library like Fluxor.

There is no right or wrong approach to state handling in Blazor applications. There are multiple different options for handling state in Blazor web applications. Always keep the big picture in mind when applying techniques.

Claudio Bernasconi has spent some quality time putting these into a neat guide , going over client-side state management, server-side state management on top of revealing the magic of global state handling, the opportunity with OnInitialized and more.

Plus, you can access the code used in this example on GitHub .

Screen Recording in .NET MAUI ??

Ever wondered how to add screen recording features to your .NET MAUI apps ? How about using Gerald Versluis 's awesome ScreenRecording plugin (P.S. it's available on Android, iOS and MacOS) ?

This is a team-up we are super excited about - a plugin written by Gerald, with a guide on how to use it compiled by Leomaris Reyes - it's two of the .NET MAUI forces of nature joining...well, forces!

Leomaris breaks down her guide into:

?? What is the Plugin.Maui.ScreenRecording

?? Initial setup & platform integration

?? How to use it

?? App demo

What more can one wish for? ??

Testing Myths & Effective Test Strategies ??

Getting tangled in the web of myths surrounding automated testing is not an exciting prospect. Did you know there are 10 most common ones? 10! Like:

1. Test automation is expensive and often fails to generate a positive ROI.
2. Test automation replaces all manual testing needs.
3. Automated test suites break so often they’re nearly useless.

You can imagine how the list continues - yet, nothing but myths! Well, Amy Reichert has been busy debunking these myths in her latest blog post , doing also a bit of convincing why you should embrace the power of automation and get a bit of its magic on your side, but also she's setup an entire guide on writing the most effective test strategy EVER, because

A test strategy is the testing map and guide to provide structured testing that increases both testing consistency and quality.

So, debunk automation testing myths and then get busy writing a readable and effective test strategy following Amy's key elements - test objective, testing scope, testing approach, test deliverables.

JavaScript Trends

Nuxt Components Rock! ??

Server-side excellence with Server Components can come easy with a little boost from Vue.js & Nuxt! Now, if Nuxt kind of intimidates you still, that's okay. Nuxt Server Components can be a bit of an uphill, however once you get the gist of them, it's sing-song like to start playing around with Nuxt.

Jonathan Gamble is your experimental adventurer, so check out his journey into Nuxt 3 Server Components!

Testing in Angular ??

So you want to know how to write tests in Angular?

But more testing you say - when is enough testing enough? Simply never.

The current state of testing with Angular is the landscape Dany Paredes explored, also adding Karma, Jasmine, TestBed and Web Test Runner to the equation!

Angular allows us to easily write tests for components, directives, pipes, services and more. It also provides tools to easily mock dependencies to reduce boilerplate.

So create a real-world scenario by writing tests in Jasmine (you get the basics as well), then TestBed, then a combo of both before moving over to Web Test Runner - it's a good time spent testing your components, fake dependencies and many other concepts.

Design Trends & Best Practices

What Web Developers and Designers Need to Know About the AI Act ??

Now that the EU’s AI Act is almost here, the question becomes - how exactly does it change the game for web developers & designers alike?

Suzanne Scacca went into investigative mode to bring you a guide that covers:

?? What Is the EU AI act?

?? Who it affects?

?? What are the penalties associated with it?

?? How to evaluate the risks?

?? How is the AI Act going to impact web development?

Familiarize yourself with what's to come.

Cool Things We Found Along the Way

Angular v18's Many New Features ?

Yes, Angular v18 is officially here but with so many fabulous new features, how do you keep up? Luckily Natanel Basal has the ultimate guide into everything shiny & new here !

Essential Sessions for .NET Devs ??

Imagine - all the essential sessions for .NET developers from #MSBuild in one place! It's a great catch-up resource from James Montemagno that you should definitely bookmark.

Deploy 24 is Happening! ??

Our friends at DigitalOcean are having their awesome virtual conference Deploy 24 on July 9!

You'll be able to hear from their experts on the latest and greatest DigitalOcean updates, get inspired by innovative customers and connect with the amazing tech community!

Don't miss out on the opportunity and register today: https://prgress.co/4c810uR #DOdeploy

That's it for this week! Short and sweet with little nuggets of information to keep you going - kind of like energy bars you bring along for a trip.

Speaking of trips - enjoy yours this upcoming weekend but before that, snack on some .NET & JavaScript knowledge!

Enjoy summer! Catch you next time!

- The TechRel Team ??