Weeknotes 23:38

November 13, 2023

Week of November 5–11

  • I refactored a block layout for a site we launched in October. The site promotes a financial institution’s small business training program. The layout was modified late in the project while I was out of the office. I realized the layout did not quite match the mocked-up solution as I was preparing for WordPress training with the client. I used a combination of CSS grid layout and container queries to implement the correct layout.
Screenshot of the layout I refactored with grid lines displayed from Firefox dev tools.
.wp-block-lgnd-three-cards {
  container-type: inline-size;
}

.wp-block-lgnd-three-cards .layout-container {
  column-gap: 3.669cqw;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
  grid-template-rows: 3.669cqw auto 3.669cqw 7.338cqw 3.669cqw auto 3.669cqw;
}
  • I trained our client to manage the content of the site. There were about a dozen people on the call who will be tasked with updating content. We also have a maintenance and hosting agreement with the client so we will be able to make big changes to the site. I gave them a tour of the WordPress blocks that we had created for the site and showed them how easy it was to update the content.
  • I gave input on the design for a new project for the Toyota Policy Driver’s site as part of our team’s review process. I have already been working with the designer to discuss ideas and I prototyped an element last week. The project should hit my desk for development work later this coming week.
  • I finished a post that I had started back in September. I have wanted to put together a list of my all-time Tampa Bay Rays team since about mid-summer. The Rays celebrated their 25th anniversary this summer and I have been following the team since 2009. I enjoyed remembering different moments that I have enjoyed over the past 14 years of being a Rays fan.
  • I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy on Friday as a follow-up to a meeting with my doctor after I visited the ER in August. It was the first time I have had either of these procedures. I will meet with my doctor after Thanksgiving to discuss the results and determine the next steps.

Articles I read

What I watched

True parallax with CSS-only is now possible (Kevin Powell) – I started watching this video last week and didn’t finish it. Intriguing idea and I may try to get back and finish watching the video.

The problem with mobile-first CSS (Kevin Powell) – I made it about 1/3 of the way through this one. I agree with Kevin that mobile-first is not always the best strategy. I have employed techniques like Kevin shows in the video to add code in a media query. I like the idea of finding strategies to write the least amount of code. It does not make sense to mobile-first if you are having to write a lot of code to overwrite things for a mobile nav once you go to the desktop. Better to put mobile nav code in the media query because desktop code is probably simpler.

Books I am reading

  • Think Again – I finished this book on Saturday. I enjoyed the read and am still thinking about the things I read in this book.
  • The Loveliest Place: The Beauty and Glory of the Church
  • Making Sense of God
  • Trusting God – I am revisiting a book that shaped a lot of my thinking about God’s sovereignty and trusting Him through difficult times that I encounter. I have read this book at several stages of my Christian journey. I am re-reading it as part of the Biblical counseling that I am currently engaged in. I last read it in 2016.
  • You Are Not Your Own – I started this book on Sunday.

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