The Future of Ember and Modern Build Tools with Chris Manson

The Future of Ember and Modern Build Tools with Chris Manson

Author: Skill Issue Studios July 25, 2024 Duration: 1:09:50

In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie talks with Chris Manson about the intricacies of JavaScript classes, the evolving landscape of React and Ember, and the benefits of using Vite in modern app development.

Over a Bulleit Rye, Robbie and Chris discuss the benefits of Ember for long-term stability and its backward compatibility, highlighting tooling like generators and integration tests that make Ember stand out. Transitioning toward modern web development, they examine the role of Vite and the ongoing efforts to integrate it with Ember, promising a future of faster rebuilds and cleaner dependencies.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (01:26) - Meet Chris Manson
  • (02:41) - Whiskey - Bulleit Rye
  • (07:44) - Hot takes
  • (15:50) - Do we need SSR?
  • (20:09) - Ember.js and modern build tools
  • (32:25) - React vs. Ember
  • (36:06) - Modernizing Ember with Embroider
  • (40:22) - The technical challenges of Embroider
  • (45:43) - Ember's inversion of control
  • (55:46) - Ember's backward compatibility
  • (59:31) - EmberFest

Quotes

“Because we're so opinionated in Ember, we're able to make decisions about your app that other frameworks aren't able to make, essentially. So we can say oh okay, we're cutting out all the stuff you're not using. That's the dead code elimination.” ~ Chris Manson

“We use generators in Ember. Very few other frameworks use generators. You generate a component in Ember and it instantly creates an integration test that renders that component and checks the contents of it and gives you ways to interact with it, to click it, to check the contents and encourages you to put more tests in that file.” ~ Chris Manson

Links

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There's a certain alchemy that happens when you combine deep technical expertise with the warmth of a good conversation, and that's exactly what you'll find in Whiskey Web and Whatnot. Hosts Robbie Wagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle bring decades of collective experience to the table, but they leave the lecture format at the door. Instead, each episode feels like pulling up a chair with colleagues who are just as passionate about the craft of building for the web as they are about the nuanced flavors in a glass of whiskey. The discussion naturally flows between the concrete details of modern development-like navigating JavaScript frameworks, CSS architecture, or the practical realities of agentic AI and new coding tools-and the broader, human aspects of a software engineering career. This podcast from Skill Issue Studios is built on the idea that the tools and the people who use them are equally important. You'll come for insightful, grounded advice on developer productivity and emerging technologies, but you'll stay for the genuine camaraderie and the occasional spirited debate about which whiskey bottle truly earns a spot on the shelf. It’s a refreshing blend of substance and personality, making complex topics accessible and reminding everyone that there's always a story behind the code.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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