Coding Tips & Tricks

Did you know there are faster and easier ways to code? If you’re not using Emmet (coding shortcuts), Sass (a CSS preprocessor), or Visual Studio Code (a code editor), you should be! These tools can greatly speed up your coding with less typing. Every web developer needs to know these. Let us show you how to dramatically speed up your development.

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll learn:

• What are Emmet, Sass, and Visual Studio Code? How do they work? Why should I use them? (It will become very obvious.)
• Sass variables let you re-use CSS. Example: After using a color throughout your CSS, you only need to update one place to change the color throughout your CSS!
• With Visual Studio Code and Emmet you can navigate files faster. From finding a specific CSS rule amoung dozens, to moving the cursor to the right place in your code, keystrokes let you navigate quicker!
• Type a keystroke and 6 characters to turn a plain list like this:

  Chocolate
  Fruits
  Candy
  

  into this:

  <ul>
    <li>Chocolate</li>
    <li>Fruits</li>
    <li>Candy</li>
  </ul>
  

• Make the following 290 characters by only typing 24 characters!

  <ul>
    <li class="item1"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item2"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item3"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item4"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item5"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item6"><a href=""></a></li>
    <li class="item7"><a href=""></a></li>
  </ul>
  

• Quickly change a tag by editing start and end tags simultaneously.
• Place multiple cursors to edit multiple lines or attributes at the same time. This is phenomenal!
• Wrap tags efficiently and beautifully (nicely indented).
• Paste new code perfectly indented.
• Even more awesomeness!

This class will focus on coding efficiency, assuming you understand HTML/CSS code. NOTE: We’ll teach the SCSS syntax of Sass.