Issue #9: Trendsetters, Micro-Learnings & a Few Guides for the Perplexed

Trendsetting topics in web, desktop & mobile are a thing, right? It makes sense we can call certain topics trendsetting since they create such a buzz and wide-spanning conversation among techies. Or maybe it's a term we like to use for topics we get really excited about. Guilty on that account!

Jokes aside, in between trendsetting topics, there are less obvious ones that are equally impactful and knowledge-rich.

It's a privilege to have access to micro-learnings that support your career growth and help you expand beyond your current state of knowledge. And to guides that help you navigate complex problems, or personal journeys that help you set expectations and make decisions.

We're thankful for everyone who takes the time to build those guides, share their journeys, craft systems, and even drop a trendsetter.

We hope you enjoy this week's trendsetters, micro-learnings, and handy guides - we learned a lot from them and we hope you'll appreciate them too!

So, you found any of the resources shared below inspiring, exciting or worthy of a share, we'll be more than happy. A Subscription to the newsletter wouldn't hurt as well!

To .NET & Beyond

Exploring 4 Behaviors from the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit ??

Are you building an iOS, Android, macOS, or WinUI app with .NET MAUI? We bet you are!

Well, we hear that using the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit is a good idea!

If you're not super familiar with it, the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit is a curated collection of reusable components thoughtfully developed by the community. It has animations, converters, and behaviors, all designed to speed up your app development. And you guessed it - it helps make that seamless compatibility across iOS, Android, macOS and WinUI!

So it's no wonder Leomaris Reyes has written a full article covering the four behaviors, which are, drum roll please, ready to use! Right now. No joke.

Take a look at EmailValidator, Masked, IconTintColor and Animation and find out how to implement them to get that supercharged app.

Using GitHub Copilot and Telerik UI for ASP.NET Core for Enhanced Development ????

This is an extensive opinion piece and it comes directly from Jefferson S. Motta's own experience using GitHub Copilot for generating code with AI.

Is the combo between GitHub, OpenAI and Microsoft the solution for you? Jefferson's four-month test on producing code using GitHub Copilot and getting his desired result might give you an idea. His article also covers the benefits and the downsides so it's a balanced overview of what GitHub Copilot can and can't do for you.

Here's a bonus while we're on the GitHub Copilot topic. Sam Basu and Ed Charbeneau did a little video talking about how to filter lists of data using the Copilot. Check it out here.

Tips for Learning When You’re Busy Software Testing ??

This one is for the folks out there who woke up this morning and realized that even in the busy day-to-day workload there should, surely, be time for learning. Basically all of us.

Well, the good news is that there is a way to be flexible with this and implement micro-learning in your daily workflow. Take for instance this scenario - you are a software tester looking to find time for...lifelong learning, How do you do that?

Amy Reichert has come up with a guide packed with flexy educational options, micro-learning cheat sheet, what volunteering for new opportunities gets you, how to leverage your work environment and more. Give it a read here.

Where the JavaScript Trends at?

Create ChatBot with Gemini, Kendo UI, and Angular 17 ??

In the case of this scenario, three is not a crowd. Dany Paredes demonstrated how easy it is to build your own chat connected with AI and a nice interface using just a few lines of code.

The catch? Have an Angular application, use the Gemini library and integrate it with Kendo Conversational UI. The results? Pretty nice! And best of all, it doesn't take as long as you'd think. Just follow Dany's steps.

The Current State of React Server Components: A Guide for the Perplexed ??

React Server Components - yes or no? And as usual, the answer is “It depends”! This article by Kathryn Grayson Nanz looks at the bigger picture of not only what React Server Components are, but also why they didn’t take off as smoothly as expected and the pros and cons of incorporating them now. Feels like jumping into the rabbit hole.

It also makes things clear between what is a client component vs what is a server component, so any confusion there should be dispelled right away. And on top of that, you can find out how Next.js is mixed into all of this. To round up the discussion, Kathryn also looks at the future of RSC and shares her opinion on using them now.

The Best of Both Angular Worlds: Standalone & Modules Combined ??

In Angular, are you team Modules or team Standalone? It doesn't really matter because as the saying goes you can actually have your cake & eat it too!

Grab Dany Paredes' blog & find out how you can use the best from both in your apps.

A Decoupled Valentine's Day Special: Sitefinity + Next.js/React ??

What are the benefits of decoupling and what can React do when combined with Progress Sitefinity, a content management solution?

Well, Jonathan Read along with the Sitefinity team took that question and brought back the answer in the form of a neat demo session, looking at the React renderer for Sitefinity and all the excitement it brings to the table.

Just as an FYI, the React renderer for Sitefinity can help you code locally on any OS that supports Next.js which means you get access to ready-to-use React widgets, widget and page-level personalization, Sitefinity page and template editor integration and last but not least, a smooth integration with KendoReact.

If this combination is something right up your alley, check out the video to see it in action.

Designing for Productivity

10 Cool Design System and Style Guide Examples ??

Stability, consistency & scalability - key components for your visual strategy that you can have with the right design system & style guide!

That's a tough one though. If you're about to create a style guide or design system and you're looking for inspiration, the most obvious choices are not always the best. You might be surprised what you can find if you just look at some lesser-known examples.

Like for instance b restaurants or GitLab's Pajamas design system, or Duolingo's style guide. Who would have thought. The surprises never end!

Dig in and get inspired with Suzanne Scacca 's guide.

Humble Brags ??

Remember when we mentioned that ThemeBuilder Pro won a 2024 DEVIES Award in the UI/UX Design category during DevNetwork 's DeveloperWeek conference?

Well, the ceremony was last week, and look at that beautiful award our Senior Events Manager, Merrill Turner is holding!

Now that's a fantastic way to recognize the team's commitment to exceptional design, engineering and innovation in developer technology!

Cool Things We Found Along the Way

Hello .NET 9 ??

Following the successful launch of .NET 8 a few months back, .NET is back on track with its annual release cycle which means it's time to say hello to .NET 9 with Preview 1. Are you excited about the future of .NET?

Best Practices for a Successful Code Migration ??

Here's a strong opinion piece/ journal entry / tips and best practices article from Dee Dee Walsh taking you back through 12 years of code migrations.

It can be a challenging journey and countless migrations teach you a lot. Trust us. And Dee Dee.

So let her be your guide into what it takes to make a migration happen hassle free and why the lesson she's "learned most repeatedly is - a successful migration is a carefully and thoughtfully planned project."

Read her article here.

Orientation state changes on iPad in .NET MAUI ????

We're told Matt Goldman is no stranger to building first-class mobile/desktop experiences with .NET MAUI. So it's no surprise he has written a very handy article on responsive design with orientation changes in .NET MAUI.

To standalone or not to standalone ??

That's the question the Angular Air team had for Sander Elias in their latest episode. It's a conversation worth listening to and watching as it's brimming with Angular geekiness and pure knowledge.

One last thing before we wrap up that we're really curious about and would love if you share in the comments:

Which web development era are you?

1. Blazor

2. ASP .NET Core

3. ASP .NET MVC

4. ASP .NET AJAX

It's time to wrap up! Thank you for reading this week's TebRel Hub newsletter! Next week happens to include International Women's Day so we'll have something special to celebrate that. Come back next time to find out what it is.

Until then make sure you go for a walk, feed yourself and your pet, and get started on that project. It won't go away so best brave it up and start it today!

- The TechRel Team ??