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Cheat Sheet covering best practices for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

The document outlines best practices for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, emphasizing semantic markup, responsive design, and code organization. It includes guidelines for accessibility, validation, and debugging, as well as common errors encountered in each language. The document serves as a comprehensive resource for improving web development practices and ensuring compatibility across devices and browsers.

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kephagathata
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views

Cheat Sheet covering best practices for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

The document outlines best practices for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, emphasizing semantic markup, responsive design, and code organization. It includes guidelines for accessibility, validation, and debugging, as well as common errors encountered in each language. The document serves as a comprehensive resource for improving web development practices and ensuring compatibility across devices and browsers.

Uploaded by

kephagathata
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HTML Best Practices

• Semantic Markup:
Use elements like <header>, <footer>, <main>, <section>, and <article> to clearly
define the document structure.
• Document Structure:
• Begin with a valid <!DOCTYPE html>.
• Include <html lang="en"> and appropriate <head> metadata.
• Accessibility:
• Use alt attributes for images.
• Apply ARIA roles when needed.
• Responsive Setup:
Include the viewport meta tag:

html
CopyEdit
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

• Validation & Maintainability:


• Validate your markup using tools like the W3C Markup Validator.
• Keep code indented and well-commented.

CSS Best Practices


• Organization & Structure:
• Use external stylesheets to separate content from presentation.
• Consider methodologies like BEM (Block Element Modifier) for class naming.
• Modern Layouts:
Use Flexbox or Grid for dynamic, responsive layouts.
• CSS Resets/Normalization:
Include a reset (or Normalize.css) to reduce browser inconsistencies.
• Responsive Media Queries:
Write media queries to adapt designs across devices. For example:

css
CopyEdit
/* Mobile styles */
@media only screen and (max-width: 480px) {
/* Mobile-specific CSS */
}

/* Tablet styles */
@media only screen and (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 768px) {
/* Tablet-specific CSS */
}
/* Desktop styles */
@media only screen and (min-width: 769px) {
/* Desktop-specific CSS */
}

• Use relative units (%, em, rem, vw/vh) to ensure scalability.

• Coding Conventions:
• Prefer shorthand properties where possible.
• Keep specificity low to avoid conflicts.
• Avoid overusing !important.

JavaScript Best Practices


• Code Organization:
• Modularize your code using functions, ES6 modules, or classes.
• Use descriptive variable and function names.
• Modern Syntax & Strict Mode:
• Use let and const instead of var.
• Enable strict mode by starting scripts with 'use strict';.
• Error Handling & Debugging:
• Use try/catch blocks for error-prone sections, especially in asynchronous code.
• Utilize browser developer tools to set breakpoints and inspect variables.
• Performance:
• Minimize direct DOM manipulations; use event delegation when possible.
• Remove unused event listeners to avoid memory leaks.
• Tooling:
• Employ linters (like ESLint) and formatters to maintain code quality.

Responsive Media Queries


• Purpose:
Media queries adapt your layout for different device sizes and orientations.
• Basic Syntax Example:

css
CopyEdit
@media only screen and (max-width: 480px) {
/* Mobile-specific styles */
}

• Breakpoints Strategy:
Define breakpoints based on target devices:
o Mobile: 320px–480px
o Tablet: 481px–768px
o Desktop: 769px and above
• Viewport Meta Tag:
Ensure your HTML includes:

html
CopyEdit
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

Debugging Tips
• Browser Developer Tools:
• Use the Elements panel to inspect and modify HTML/CSS live.
• Utilize the Console for logging errors (console.log(), console.error()) and
debugging.
• Breakpoints & Debugger Statements:
• Set breakpoints in your JavaScript code via DevTools to step through code execution.
• Insert debugger; in your code to pause execution.
• Linting & Validation:
• Run tools like ESLint for JavaScript and Stylelint for CSS to catch syntax and style
issues.
• Validate your HTML/CSS using online validators.
• Cross-Browser Testing:
Test your website on multiple browsers and devices to catch compatibility issues.

Common Errors Encountered


HTML Errors

• Missing DOCTYPE:
Can trigger quirks mode and lead to inconsistent rendering.
• Improper Nesting/Unclosed Tags:
Causes unpredictable layout and rendering issues.
• Deprecated Elements:
Using old or unsupported tags can affect accessibility and SEO.

CSS Errors

• Specificity Wars:
Overly specific selectors (or excessive use of !important) make overrides difficult.
• Syntax Issues:
Missing semicolons or braces can break style rules.
• Cascade Problems:
Unintended cascading of styles due to poorly ordered rules.
• Browser Compatibility:
Newer CSS features may not be supported uniformly; consider fallbacks or vendor
prefixes.

JavaScript Errors

• Syntax & Reference Errors:


Typos, missing brackets, or accessing undefined variables can halt script execution.
• Hoisting & Scope Issues:
Misunderstanding variable scope can lead to bugs.
• Asynchronous Pitfalls:
Improper handling of promises or callbacks (e.g., forgetting to handle errors) may lead to
“callback hell” or unhandled rejections.
• Memory Leaks:
Neglected event listeners or global variables can degrade performance over time.

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