794: Prettier JavaScript with Vjeux

Scott and Wes sit down with Vjeux from Meta to dive deep into the origins and evolution of Prettier, the widely-used code formatter. They discuss the challenges faced, the decision-making process behind its features, and what the future holds for this indispensable tool in the developer’s toolkit. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:45 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:19 New swag! 03:25 Who is Vjeux? 06:56 Is management the key to successful projects? 08:50 The genesis of Prettier. 12:08 Why other JS formatters didn’t work. 16:56 Focusing on edge-cases. 17:41 The goal for Prettier. Prettier Philosophy. 18:31 Next step, integrations. 19:37 Should you run Prettier on save or commit? 21:34 Does Prettier’s limitations lead to higher adoption? Prettier Config. 25:01 What was the most controversial default setting? 28:14 Does Facebook use semicolons? 29:18 Getting approval to devote 6 months to Prettier. 31:42 Working with Mark Zuckerberg. 32:43 Was there ever consideration to augment ESLint instead? Prettier vs. Linters. 35:34 What are your thoughts on the Rust-based alternatives? 36:44 Prettier’s $10,000 bounty. 39:32 What is the future of Prettier? 44:54 Prettier is available in almost every language. 47:59 Advice for other open-source maintainers. 53:26 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Vjeux: TransformersJS. Shameless Plugs Vjeux: Prettier x Syntax Swag. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads