Sessions at Fronteers 2010 with video on Thursday 7th October

Everyone’s talking about the benefits of HTML5 for web apps but the specification also introduces an extra layer of semantic richness to our web documents. These additions aren’t wishful thinking for some far-flung future: you can start using them today. That’s because the design principles driving HTML5 are steeped in pragmatism. Find out how important good design principles are to any project, whether it’s a website, a content management system, or the very language that underpins the World Wide Web.

This presentation aims to give you information about the JavaScript language itself; pros, cons and pitfalls. It will cover the basics and then go into objects, scope, closure and some performance bits.

Come learn about Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), what it is, how to use it, and how it interacts with HTML5 and CSS3. In addition, learn about cross-browser solutions for bringing SVG to Internet Explorer including SVG Web, RaphaelJS, and jQuery SVG.

After harvesting the performance low-hanging fruits suggested by YSlow and PageSpeed, what do you do next to improve the performance of your web application? You work on improving the user’s perception of speed and time. We all know perceptions lie and perceptions of time and duration even more so. So how do you make users believe the application is fast and responsive? The word is “progressive”. When the page components download in parallel and don’t block each other, the page loads quicker. And when the page renders progressively, it not only gives the user confidence and assurance that the applications works fine and they’ll soon complete their task but it also appears that the app is snappier and more responsive.

In this deep-dive talk you’ll learn about topics such as:

• the role of progressive (downloads, rendering, enhancement) in the front-end performance
• avoiding downloads block from unexpected sources such as favicons and conditional comments
• preloading CSS and JavaScript without executing
• CSS and high-performance
• tricks used by the big guys (Yahoo, Amazon, Google) to cheat their way to better speed perception

Mastering CSS is more than just memorizing selectors — it’s also having a solid workflow so you can be efficient and productive at what you do. Whether you’re a freelancer working alone or on an enormous in-house team, having a good workflow is incredibly rewarding and beneficial for good design, development, and business. It can also help you spend more time being creative and doing the work you enjoy. Learn some tips for smart, forward-thinking front end web development.

What sets reusable JavaScript apart from other JavaScript? How can we make our code developer-friendly, fast, robust & compatible?

In this talk we’ll cover testing, code structure, working with compressors, documentation, measuring performance, but concentrating on API design.

The API is make-or-break when it comes to reusable code. It’s the API that lets other developers use your application, if it’s difficult to use then they won't get the most out of what you’ve written.

We’ll analyse existing APIs, looking at where they fail and where they succeed, looking at what patterns they use and how users react to them.

By looking at the wins and fails in the real world, we can discover what makes code a pleasure to use and reuse.