ES6 in Action: How to Use Proxies

In computing terms, proxies sit between you and the things you’re communicating with. The term is most often applied to a proxy server — a device between the web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge etc.) and the web server (Apache, Nginx, IIS etc.) where a page is located. The proxy server can modify requests and responses. For example, it can increase efficiency by caching regularly accessed assets and serving them to multiple users.

ES6 proxies sit between your code and an object. A proxy allows you to perform meta-programming operations such as intercepting a call to inspect or change an object's property.

The following terminology is used in relation to ES6 proxies:

target
The original object the proxy will virtualize. This could be a JavaScript object such as the jQuery library or native objects such as arrays or even another proxies.

handler
An object which implements the proxy's behavior using…

traps
Functions defined in the handler which provide access to the target when specific properties or methods are called.

It's best explained with a simple example. We'll create a target object named target which has three properties:

const target = {
  a: 1,
  b: 2,
  c: 3
};

We'll now create a handler object which intercepts all get operations. This returns the target's property when it's available or 42 otherwise:

const handler = {
  get: function(target, name) {
    return (
      name in target ? target[name] : 42
    );
  }
};

We now create a new Proxy by passing the target and handler objects. Our code can interact with the proxy rather than accessing the target object directly:

const proxy = new Proxy(target, handler);

console.log(proxy.a);  // 1
console.log(proxy.b);  // 2
console.log(proxy.c);  // 3
console.log(proxy.meaningOfLife);  // 42

Let's expand the proxy handler further so it only permits single-character properties from a to z to be set:

const handler = {
  get: function(target, name) {
    return (name in target ? target[name] : 42);
  },

  set: function(target, prop, value) {
    if (prop.length == 1 && prop >= 'a' && prop <= 'z') {
      target[prop] = value;
      return true;
    }
    else {
      throw new ReferenceError(prop + ' cannot be set');
      return false;
    }
  }
};

const proxy = new Proxy(target, handler);

proxy.a = 10;
proxy.b = 20;
proxy.ABC = 30;
// Exception: ReferenceError: ABC cannot be set

Proxy Trap Types

We've seen the get and set in action which are likely to be the most useful traps. However, there are several other trap types you can use to supplement proxy handler code:

• construct(target, argList)
  Traps the creation of a new object with the new operator.
• get(target, property)
  Traps Object.get() and must return the property's value.
• set(target, property, value)
  Traps Object.set() and must set the property value. Return true if successful. In strict mode, returning false will throw a TypeError exception.
• deleteProperty(target, property)
  Traps a delete operation on an object’s property. Must return either true or false.
• apply(target, thisArg, argList)
  Traps object function calls.
• has(target, property)
  Traps in operators and must return either true or false.
• ownKeys(target)
  Traps Object.getOwnPropertyNames() and must return an enumerable object.
• getPrototypeOf(target)
  Traps Object.getPrototypeOf() and must return the prototype's object or null.
• setPrototypeOf(target, prototype)
  Traps Object.setPrototypeOf() to set the prototype object. No value is returned.
• isExtensible(target)
  Traps Object.isExtensible() which determines whether an object can have new properties added. Must return either true or false.
• preventExtensions(target)
  Traps Object.preventExtensions(), which prevents new properties from being added to an object. Must return either true or false.
• getOwnPropertyDescriptor(target, property)
  Traps Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(), which returns undefined or a property descriptor object with attributes for value, writable, get, set, configurable and enumerable.
• defineProperty(target, property, descriptor)
  Traps Object.defineProperty() which defines or modifies an object property. Must return true if the target property was successfully defined or false if not.

Continue reading %ES6 in Action: How to Use Proxies%

by Craig Buckler via SitePoint

Top 12 Productivity Tips for WebStorm and Angular: Part 2

This article on WebStorm and Angular was sponsored by JetBrains. Thank you for supporting the partners who make SitePoint possible.

In this two-part series on WebStorm and Angular, Google Developer Experts Jurgen Van de Moere and Todd Motto share their 12 favorite productivity tips for developing Angular applications using WebStorm.

You can check out part one here. In this second part, Todd shares his personal top seven WebStorm features that allow him to increase his WebStorm and Angular productivity on a daily basis:

• Use Import Path Calculation
• Live Templates
• Run Tests within the IDE
• Travel through Time
• Use TypeScript Parameter Hints
• Navigate using Breadcrumbs
• And using WebStorm to look up Angular Documentation

Each WebStorm and Angular tip will power up your productivity while developing Angular applications in WebStorm. Let’s explore these tips.

Before we get started: when making changes to settings, remember that WebStorm allows you to change Settings/Preferences at an IDE scope and at a project scope separately.

WebStorm and Angular Tip 6: Import Path Calculation

By default, WebStorm will resolve your import paths relative to the file. This setting will satisfy most projects and avoid unnecessary path editing. It’s also the method used for projects generated with the Angular CLI.

What’s fantastic about WebStorm is that you don’t have to type these import statements yourself! When you need to use a construct that would usually be imported, just type it where you need it. WebStorm will either suggest the construct to import through the AutoComplete context menu, or highlight the construct and give you the option to import it by pressing option + enter.

WebStorm will create a new import statement at the top of the document for you, or add the construct to an existing import group that’s using the same source library.

WebStorm gives you other specialized options to handle your imports. For projects that require it, you can instruct WebStorm to calculate import paths relative to the tsconfig.json file location. If you decide to roll up your exports using a barrel index.ts file to import your components (read more about the Barrel technique) then you can use use directory import (Node-style module resolution). This will use the Node.js module resolution strategy, instead of TypeScript’s classic module resolution strategy.

When importing submodules that don’t require the entire module to be imported, add that module to the Do not import exactly from list. WebStorm will skip the specified path during the automatic import. For example, instead of having:

import {Observable} from 'rxjs'

… adding rxjs to the list yields:

import {Observable} from 'rxjs/Observable'

WebStorm skips the RxJS module and imports the Observable submodule automatically for you!

Extra tip: format input to use space inside curly brackets in Preferences > Editor > Code style > TypeScript – Spaces – Within - ES6 import/export braces.

Continue reading %Top 12 Productivity Tips for WebStorm and Angular: Part 2%

by Todd Motto via SitePoint

How to Develop Project Ideas for Your UX Portfolio

If you’re trying to launch your UX career, you probably already know that having an amazing portfolio is key to landing your dream job in the field.

As an aspiring UX designer, you probably also have tons of great ideas that you want to turn into fully-designed portfolio projects. But how do you learn the right process to follow to turn those high-level ideas into comprehensive and well-researched projects that will impress employers?

Don’t worry – you’re not alone. We’ve spoken with dozens of experienced designers and hiring managers over the past year as we’ve built up our Design Portfolio Starter Kit to try to understand just what makes an impressive junior UX portfolio and how new designers can maximize their chances of creating a portfolio that will help them get a job.

Even when you’re just starting out, you need the right mix of projects in your portfolio.

In this article, I’m sharing a few of those tips to help you build your own amazing UX portfolio.

Figure out what types of UX work interest you and become an expert

First things first: what types of projects should you include in your portfolio?

The simple answer is that you should focus on what interests you most, and develop a deep expertise in that specific area of UX design. Employers want to hire candidates that have a demonstrated interest and expertise in the specific type of work they’ll be spending most of their time doing. So take time to figure out what interests you the most and then dive deep.

If you don’t know what kind of UX work interest you most, do a simple test. Spend a few hours browsing and using a variety of different websites and apps (use a site like Awwwards or CSS Winner for ideas). Take careful notes of what you enjoy most about them, writing down details about the sites and apps you like using most.

After a few hours, take a look at your notes and try to identify any patterns in the things you liked most. Were you most impressed by how easy it was to use certain apps and websites and logically find the information you were seeking? You might be interested in information architecture.

Did you get the most pleasure out of the visual aesthetic of some of the apps you were using? Then a role as a user interface designer might be best for you. Also pay attention to the types of products you enjoy working on, whether that’s mobile apps, ecommerce stores, or startup websites.

Whichever type of UX/UI design you find yourself gravitating towards, start to develop a deep expertise in that field. Simultaneously, employers love well-rounded designers so be sure to supplement your studies with learning about broader design principles as well.

For instance, if you decide to focus on UI design, make sure you fully understand research, user flows, and user testing so that your designs are informed by well-tested UX processes. And if you’re more interested in pure UX or information architecture work, learn about design principles like grids, color theory, and typography, as well as fundamentals like hierarchy and repetition so that you can turn your research and user flows into beautiful final products (or at least work well with designers who can).

Once you’ve decided which subset of the UX field to focus on, it’s time to come up with project ideas.

Come up with projects that solve real problems

Early in your UX career, your portfolio will probably feature a lot of projects that you’ve come up with on your own. While having “real work” in your portfolio is always great, employers understand that you won’t necessarily have real projects to show when you’re just getting started. If your portfolio is going to be comprised of mostly theoretical work, it’s absolutely crucial for those projects to focus on solving real problems.

There are a few different ways to solve real problems with your first few UX projects. The most straightforward way is to think about problems that exist in your daily life or in industries you’re interested in and brainstorm how you could create a UX project to solve those problems.

For instance, if you’re interested in sports but live in a city, you could create a website or mobile app that makes it easy for anyone to find local intramural sports teams they can join. Or if you are passionate about nonprofits but have trouble finding places to buy nonprofit apparel, you could design an ecommerce site where nonprofits can sell their products. It’s really as simple as that. Spend 30 minutes writing down industries you care about, and problems in those industries, and use that as a basis for your project ideas.

Another easy way to solve real problems with your projects is to launch your own side project. There are thousands of great side project ideas you can design and launch in just a few weeks, so do the same exercise of writing down a list of possible side projects you could work on and choose the one that excites you most and can leverage the type of UX work you want to do. This could be creating an ecommerce site where you sell prints of your own artwork, an online course where you teach a specific skill, or anything else you care about!

From here, it’s time to move on to the actual project creation process, the most crucial step.

Follow the correct process – don’t skip steps

One of the biggest pieces of feedback from hiring managers is that many junior design portfolios showcase beautiful single screen designs without any context behind the project.

You’ll really impress employers by highlighting your process in your portfolio.

You can design the most beautiful landing page imaginable but if you don’t have a process behind it and a story explaining how you got to the final design, employers will move on to another candidate. After all, they want to hire someone who can solve problems, iterate on their designs based on research and testing, and ultimately reach the final design only after completing those steps.

If you have a great idea for a project, it can be tempting to jump right into Sketch or InVision to wireframe and prototype the idea right off the bat. We recommend taking a breath and following a few steps before that phase, steps that you’ll need to follow in any client or job setting.

First, do research. Look at similar products to see how they tackled the same problem. What decisions did they make that you like and what about their designs don’t you agree with? After this, create user personas, outlining who is actually going to be using this product and why they’re going to use it. What are their primary goals when interacting with this product?

Next, get your ideas out on paper. Sketch out thumbnails of what the design could potentially look like. These don’t need to be too detailed – get every idea, good or bad, down on paper in 20 minutes. Next, depending on the complexity of the project, you might need to create a user flow to show how the user will move through the full web or app experience. From there, create wireframes and ultimately prototypes.

At this phase, it’s time to test. Get a “sample user” (a friend or peer) to test out the wireframe or prototype. Watch how they use it and ask them to explain what they like and dislike about it. Based on their feedback and how they naturally use the prototype, make adjustments as needed. From there, it’s finally time to create it into a high fidelity design, incorporating colour and typography and ensuring that the designs are consistent across screens.

It’s a pretty straightforward process that so many people choose to ignore, but we’ve been told by many hiring managers that following this process will help you stand apart from so many other UX designers.

Showcase your projects as detailed case studies

Most recruiters only spend around 60 seconds reviewing a portfolio before they decide whether to give the candidate an interview. So it’s absolutely crucial to cleanly and logically showcase your projects on your portfolio site. You should show every project as a case study so employers can understand your thought process and get a feeling for how you’d solve similar problems if you worked for them.

Start by outlining the initial problem, how you approached solving it, and then showing your process as you went. This can include early wireframes and sketches and then slowly show the iteration of the project, including details of when you received feedback (and from whom) as you went. Also be clear about your role on the project if you had any help. Finally, show the beautiful final designs mocked up.

Conclusion

So get out there and come up with ideas for your first UX portfolio projects!

Creating your first UX portfolio is an exciting process. Even though it can feel overwhelming, try to take it one project at a time. Think about problems you really care about solving and don’t be afraid to be ambitious. Employers will respect you more for the complex problems you’re trying to solve than the beautiful visuals you end up creating.

If you ever need help coming up with project ideas for your portfolio or need guidance to actually turn your ideas into full-formed final designs, check out the UX Design Portfolio starter kit we created at RookieUp, which includes tons of projects, resources, and guides to help you craft an amazing portfolio on your own.

How did you create your first UX portfolio? What types of projects did you use for examples? Leave a comment here or share your tips in the forums!

The post How to Develop Project Ideas for Your UX Portfolio appeared first on UX Mastery.

by Alec McGuffey via UX Mastery

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by Zubair Ahmed via Digital Information World

U.S. Teens’ Favorite Social Network Is NOT Facebook Or Twitter Anymore

Gone are the days when the younger lot were dependent on Facebook and Twitter for their social needs. Ever since Instagram and, more importantly, Snapchat has burst onto the scene, people all around the world, U.S. in particular, have preferred using the newer social networks. As many as 6,000...

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by Zubair Ahmed via Digital Information World

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