Frontend Practice
Why a Flex Item Sometimes Needs min-width: 0
A flex child can refuse to shrink because of its automatic minimum width. Use min-width: 0 where the layout needs genuine flexibility.
SOFTWARE · SECURITY · DESIGN
Journal
Web Development
The HTTP Vary Header Tells a Cache Which Request Differences Matter
Use an Accept-Language example to understand what Vary contributes to a cache key and why it does not replace an explicit cache-control policy.
Web Form Engineering
Autocomplete Tokens Help a Form Recognise What an Address Field Means
Use meaningful autocomplete tokens for address fields, separate billing and shipping groups, and test browser autofill without relying on it as validation.
Accessible Interfaces
Respect Reduced-Motion Preferences Without Removing Useful Feedback
Use prefers-reduced-motion to reduce non-essential animation while keeping progress, state changes and errors understandable to website visitors.
Frontend Practice
Give Related Form Choices a Shared Question With Fieldset and Legend
Use fieldset and legend to give related form choices a shared question without removing the individual labels.
Front-End Practice
Use Object-Fit Without Cropping the Important Part of an Image
Choose between object-fit cover and contain, then test object-position so a responsive image does not lose the detail readers need.
Web Development
A Sticky Sidebar Needs the Right Scrolling Ancestor
Diagnose a sidebar that will not stay in view by checking its inset, scrolling ancestor and available space before adding more CSS.
API Engineering
An If-Match Header Can Stop an Update From Overwriting Someone Else’s Change
Use an ETag with If-Match to detect stale writes, handle a 412 response and test that concurrent edits cannot silently overwrite one another.
Web Publishing
A Sitemap Date Should Reflect a Real Change to the Page
A sitemap lastmod value is most useful when it records a meaningful page update. Check what your publishing system changes before trusting its dates.