Tips for creating enterprise-level HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Do you feel that your front-end code isn’t quite up to enterprise standards? Want some good tips on how to take your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to the next level? Go to Enterprise CSS, Enterprise HTML, and Enterprise JavaScript for loads of useful tips and best practices.

Note: To eliminate any risk of misunderstanding I think it’s best to add that this is a joke – most of the tips are actually anti-best practice. The sad thing is that the front-end code of many “enterprise-level” sites and content management systems really do look like many of these “tips” have been taken seriously.

Some of my favourite tips are these:

• Store your application’s state as a hash in a single hidden input on the page, because page-weight is not my problem
• Creating forms without the need for cumbersome label elements
• Bullet-proof rounded corners that work all the way down to Netscape 4.79
• Liberally using documentation to describe sections of content
• Every single tag gets an id or class, because how else would you style it?

I couldn’t find the following equally good tips:

• Make sure to use span elements as block-level containers.
• Use randomly created URLs that look like PGP public keys to make as few people as possible link to or bookmark other pages than your home page.
• Never, ever use progressive enhancement when adding JavaScript.
• The safest way of adding JavaScript events is to use HTML attributes like onclick.

Again, keep in mind that these tips are just making fun of bad practices.

Posted on November 11, 2010 in (X)HTML, CSS, JavaScript

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