Frontend development is one of the fastest-evolving areas of the web, and even seasoned developers make some very common mistakes. Let's look at ten mistakes you might be making and, more importantly, how to fix them to improve your workflow and output.
1. Not Making It Accessible (A11y)
The Mistake:
You may turn away users with disabilities by not taking into consideration accessibility features such as semantic HTML, ARIA roles, and proper contrast ratios.
How to Fix It:
a. Use semantic HTML elements (e.g., button instead of div for clickable elements).
b. Add alt attributes to images.
c. Use tools like Lighthouse or WAVE to audit your site's accessibility.
2. Overusing Divs
The Mistake:
Relying on div tags for everything results in bloated and hard-to-maintain code.
How to Fix It:
a. Replace generic div tags with semantic tags like header, footer, main, and section.
b. Consider what the content is trying to convey before deciding which element to use.
3. Not Optimizing Images
The Mistake:
Using uncompressed or wrongly sized images slows down your website.
How to Rectify:
a. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim for image compression.
b. Serve responsive images by using the picture element with srcset.
c. Use modern formats like WebP.
4. Not Considering Browser Compatibility
The Error:
You think your code would magically work on every browser.
How to Fix It:
a. Testing of your website should be carried out on major browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
b. Conduct cross-browser testing on BrowserStack or LambdaTest.
c. Write CSS with fallback options and check browser support with Can I Use.
5. Hardcoding Breakpoints
The Mistake:
You define breakpoints manually, without keeping scalability in mind, which can lead to an inconsistent layout.
How to Fix It:
a. Use a mobile-first approach in your CSS.
b. Instead of fixed values, use relative units such as em, rem, %.
c. Use frameworks like Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap for consistent breakpoints.
6. Poor Folder and File Structure
The Mistake:
Dumping all the files into one folder makes your project hard to navigate and maintain.
How to Fix It:
a. Structure your project into logical folders, such as assets, components, and utils.
b. Use naming conventions, such as PascalCase for components and kebab-case for CSS.
c. Clean up unused files regularly.
7. Inline Styling Overuse
The Mistake:
Using inline styles for most of your CSS results in repetitive and unscalable code.
How to Fix It:
a. Write CSS in external files or with CSS-in-JS solutions such as styled-components.
b. Use CSS classes to allow for reuse.
c. Separation of Concerns: HTML for structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for behavior.
8. Not Utilizing Version Control
The Mistake:
Not using version control results in losing track of changes and creating the possibility for overwrites.
How to Fix It:
a. Utilize Git for version control.
b. Commit often, along with clear commit messages.
c. Collaborate using platforms such as GitHub or GitLab.
9. Skipping Code Reviews
The Mistake:
Not reviewing your code lets bugs and bad practices go unnoticed.
Solution:
a. Pair-programming, or using GitHub's pull request review system.
b. Ask for constructive feedback in your team.
c. Reviews are an opportunity to learn, not a source of criticism.
10. Not Watching Performance Metrics
The Mistake:
Just making the feature work without thinking about how well it works, will result in slow loading web pages.
Solution:
a. Use something like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to identify bottlenecks.
b. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
c. Lazy loading of images and scripts.
Conclusion
We all make mistakes, but fixing them makes all the difference. Remember these fixes while working on your next or current project for an accessible, high-performance, and maintainable web application.
Until next time, your friendly neighborhood writer, MJ.
Top comments (0)