Learn Elixir, Microsoft and Script-kit

How often do you avoid scripting something because it takes too much effort?\n\nScript Kit makes it easy to create and run scripts that solve your daily problems. Create a new script from the prompt then your script opens in the editor of your choice. Write a few lines of JavaScript. Then run the script from the prompt.\n\nSimply put, Script Kit helps you script away the friction of your day.

script-kit

Create, read, update, delete. Four actions that every developer becomes intimately familiar with over their career. Script Kit aims to make this process as pleasant as possible using a `db` helper and what better way to show it off than a Todos app?

You will also learn how to create and switch between tabs through Script Kit's `onTab` and `setTab` methods. 

[Install todos](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=todos&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/3bdc967ffbd2f6d72491d07bf720f7e2/raw/a37b0058b502d6ba4bebd7a31a30be8789f5a146/todos.js")

```js
// Name: Todos

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let { todos, write } = await db({ todos: [] })

onTab("Todos", async () => {
  while (true) {
    let todo = await arg("Toggle todo:", todos)
    let t = _.find(todos, todo)
    t.tag = t.tag === "open" ? "done" : "open"
    await write()
  }
})

onTab("New", async () => {
  let name = await arg("New todo:")
  todos.push({ name, id: uuid(), tag: "open" })
  await write()
  setTab("Todos")
})

onTab("Remove", async () => {
  let todo = await arg("Remove todo:", todos)
  _.remove(todos, todo)
  await write()
  setTab("Todos")
})
```


Build a Multi-Tab Todos App in Script Kit

When you want to collect news sources, airline ticket prices, or any events from sites that don't offer APIs, you can use scrapers to grab elements from off the page. 

Script Kit includes a `scrapeSelector()` helper that takes the URL you want to scrape and the selector you want from the page. Using the `// Schedule` metadata, you can also have this script run in the background on a Chron schedule and collect the data for you.


[Install scrape-tech-news](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=scrape-tech-news&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/acd397a2ed487ef2a06c00d2951bed63/raw/3942107d2c92abc2c0317d15b0b3d025c5643ef0/scrape-tech-news.js")

```js
// Name: Scrape Tech News
// Schedule: 0 11 * * *

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let h3s = await scrapeSelector(
  "https://news.google.com/topics/CAAqJggKIiBDQkFTRWdvSUwyMHZNRGRqTVhZU0FtVnVHZ0pWVXlnQVAB?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen",
  "h3"
)

let filePath = home("tech.md")
await ensureFile(filePath)
let contents =
  `

## ${new Date()}

` + h3s.map(h3 => `### ${h3}`).join("\n")
await appendFile(filePath, contents)
```

Scrape a Website on a Schedule with Script Kit

We put a lot of work into browsing the internet every day, it would be a pity to lose it all by closing all of our tabs. 

Script Kit can collect all of the tabs you currently have open in Chrome using its `getTabs` method and store them anywhere you want. 

This particular script converts the tabs to markdown links and stores them in a text file on your file system, but you could convert and store them using any approach you can think of.


[Install save-tabs](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=save-tabs&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/4713a161a9ec48932b05436ba6a1a123/raw/33f753586d1a158dfb69d07f29850b6013d59f8b/save-tabs.js")

```js
// Name: Save Tabs

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let tabs = await getTabs()

let tabsMd = tabs
  .map(tab => `* [${tab.title || tab.url}](${tab.url})`)
  .join("\n")

let notes = await editor(tabsMd)

let filePath = home("tab-notes.md")
await ensureFile(filePath)
await appendFile(filePath, notes)

edit(filePath)
```


Save Chrome Tabs in a Markdown File and Take Notes with Script Kit

Sometimes you just want to select and modify some text you have written somewhere on your system. To help you with this, Script Kit provides a `getSelectedText` and `setSelectedText`. Between these two helpers, your script and use and/or modify the text however you want. 

Applying an npm tool like `title-case` can help when you're not entirely sure when certain words need to be capitalized. In fact, I used the title case script on the title of this lesson!

[Install title-case](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=title-case&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/0f8323d6aa599cfd62034351f9d38e8c/raw/625d0afd57ccbf8bf64c62bd135474cecf98c58b/title-case.js")

```js
// Name: Title Case

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let { titleCase } = await npm("title-case")

let selectedText = await getSelectedText()
let titleText = titleCase(selectedText)

await setSelectedText(titleText)

// This Is the Title of My Next Blog Post
```


Apply Title Case to Text Anywhere Using Script Kit

Developers often keep their dev projects in a specific directory like "dev", "projects", or something similar. Script Kit allows you quickly read all the files of any directory then display them in a list so you can open them in your editor.


[Install open-project](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=open-project&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/91cf994e450ecd5d45bce9aef9b345a1/raw/880be2d827b9602afe59d4e230e6753288f5bbb8/open-project.js")

```js
// Name: Open Project

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let dirs = await readdir(home("dev"))

let selectedDir = await arg(
  "Open Project:",
  dirs.map(dir => ({
    name: dir,
    description: home("dev", dir),
    value: home("dev", dir),
  }))
)

edit(selectedDir)
```

List and Launch Dev Projects with Script Kit

We all have various tasks we need to accomplish with images. Whether it's resizing, optimizing, organizing, uploading, or anything else. Script Kit provides a `drop` component so you can simply drag and drop images into a script and process them in whatever way matches your workflow.


[Open drop-image in Script Kit](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=drop-image&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/fe5b06f81cfea0d2dd94f743bc40ed15/raw/40a1b6ab271f7f664d7e54c4b779b056c6195b1c/drop-image.js")

```js
// Name: Drop Image

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let files = await drop()
let imagePath = files[0].path

let Jimp = await npm("jimp")

let image = await Jimp.read(imagePath)
let newImagePath = path.resolve(
  path.dirname(imagePath),
  `new-${path.basename(imagePath)}`
)
await image
  .resize(parseInt(await arg("Width:"), 10), 100)
  .write(newImagePath)

```


Manipulate Images With Drag and Drop in Script Kit

Chrome allows developers to execute JavaScript using Apple Events. When you enable this feature, you can write scripts that can access and modify the page you're currently browsing. 

You can get the site's contents, update storage, or do any action you would typically do through an extension of the Chrome Dev Tools.

```jsx
let value = await applescript(`
tell application "Google Chrome" to tell window 1
	get execute active tab javascript "

${js}

"
end tell
`)
```

Control Chrome From Script Kit using Apple Events

Many developers use Chrome's Dev Tools as a playground for testing out data and JavaScript features. Script Kit enables you to launch Chrome Dev Tools instantly by simply using the `dev` method. Any data you pass into `dev` will show up in the console so you can inspect and play with the data in any way that you want.

[Install dev-tools-demo](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=dev-tools-demo&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/6dcaf61e92819114c7478fefd24a71f8/raw/c2e69bfcff581f7929b881638627201b549d23f1/dev-tools-demo.js")

```js
// Name: Dev Tools Demo

import "@johnlindquist/kit"

let response = await get(
  `https://api.github.com/users/johnlindquist/repos`
)
dev(response.data)
```


Instantly Launch Chrome Dev Tools with Script Kit

This lesson walks through a script that can query a Hacker News API and display the information in Script Kit. 

Learn to do several things using Script Kit's global API methods, such as how to make and inspect data requests using `get` and `inspect`, how to display lists of data using `arg`, and how to display previews of the current selection.

[Install Hacker News Script](https://scriptkit.com/api/new?name=hackernews&url=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/johnlindquist/8728c8f56dd88951127810f0dea818d2/raw/8be4d28aa695f7842b610be258db7cd2e823a239/hackernews.js)

Write a Script with Script Kit to Browse Hacker News

Elixir is a dynamic, functional language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications.

Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known for running low-latency, distributed and fault-tolerant systems, while also being successfully used in web development and the embedded software domain.

elixir

Some common uses for pattern matching in Elixir include checking conditions and passing parameters into functions. It's useful for pulling out only specific variables from collections of data.

Additional resources:
- [Elixir docs on pattern matching](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/pattern-matching.html)

Pattern match in conditions and function parameters in Elixir

Elixir uses `=` as an operator, but rather than assigning values to variables with it, it *matches* values on the right hand side of the `=` with the left side. This can be used in simple values, more complex data structures, and powerful condition checking.

Put into simpler terms, pattern matching is Elixir's way of assigning variables.

Additional resources:
- [Elixir docs on pattern matching](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/pattern-matching.html)

Pattern match values in Elixir

These videos include the introductory steps to writing your first Elixir function and beginning to understand some key concepts in Elixir that make it unique. 

Some of those concepts include:
- the Mix build tool
- project structure
- collections of functions written in modules
- function *arity*
- pattern matching and common uses for it
- the pipe operator

Getting Started with Elixir

The syntax to pass arguments into functions is akin to many other languages. Elixir functions are uniquely recognized when running based off of the number of arguments passed in (a term called *arity*). This means you can define functions with the same name, so long as a different number of arguments is passed in.

Arity is a key concept to be aware of when reading documentation and writing your own code.

Additional resources:
- [Information about arity](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html#function-capturing)
- [Default arguments in functions](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html#default-arguments)

Pass arguments into Elixir functions and understand arity

Elixir code is organized into groups of functions called modules. You can create your own modules and built on top of predefined modules that are a part of Elixir by default.

Additional resources: 
- [Getting started with Modules and function from Elixir docs](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html)

Write a New Function Inside of an Elixir Module

Bootstrap a new Elixir project using Mix (a build tool included when you install Elixir), with its built in project generation.

Additional resources:
- [Official introduction to Mix](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/mix-otp/introduction-to-mix.html#our-first-project)

Generate a new Elixir project using Mix

Just about every tool in our accessibility auditing toolkit can help us identify any issues with sufficient color contrast ratio on a web page.  The react-axe library and axe browser extension both report findings on all elements with insufficient contrast ratios.  The tota11y browser extension will annotate any elements with their contrast ratios and color those that are insufficient in red.  

Additionally, we need to use our experience tools to see what some of our users out there may we seeing.  We need to test with high contrast browser extensions as well as the display settings in Windows and Mac.  If our users with visual impairments are using these tools we need to see what our application looks like using them because we may find that under a certain mode some things may suddenly be harder to read or virtually invisible.

## Resources
* https://www.scottohara.me/blog/2019/02/12/high-contrast-aria-and-images.html

Test for Insufficient Color Contrast Accessibility Issues

We should not use color alone as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.  Users may not be able to see/understand the differences in color and require additional indicators.

Along with color, use additional indicators such as:
* typography
* shapes
* grids
* spaces
* and/or allocate more weight to important elements

## References:
* http://www.particletree.com/features/interfaces-and-color-blindness/
* https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/10/color-contrast-tips-and-tools-for-accessibility/

Use More than Color Alone to Convey Information in a Web Page

The pipe operator is an easy to use and powerful feature of Elixir. It takes the output from the expression on the left, and automatically passes it as the first argument to the function on the right. This is especially useful when chaining together multiple function calls or data transformations. Using the pipe operator results in code that's easier to read, write and refactor.

Chain Function Calls with the Pipe Operator in Elixir

Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications.

express

To replicate your production application its helpful when developing a local NodeJS Express application is running under SSL. 

There are some web technologies which do not play nicely with standard http and its likely to become more common e.g. Web Push Notifications.

This lesson will show you how to create a local SSL certificate for localhost and then convert it into a format that will work with Express.  It will also show you how to make sure that Chrome will trust it.

This lesson is for Windows as it uses a powershell command, as well as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
 

Create Local SSL Certificates for an Express App on Windows

Microsoft Windows is a group of several graphical operating system families, all of which are developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry.

microsoft

For a production Windows server it makes sense to run NodeJS applications as a Windows service.  This way they can be automatically restarted if the server is rebooted.

It also makes it easier to use monitoring tools like datadog to detect if there are issues with the service which is critical for production systems.

Install a Node.js Application as a Windows Service

Scripting can save you a _ton_ of time by automating your daily workflows.

But it's hard to justify the time investment of learning Bash to write your scripts.

Bash is the great barrier we all face when trying to script away our daily tasks. There are some common problems that we run into when dealing with it. Like what if we want to display images? Or share our script with other devs _cross platform_? 

You know what you want your script to do. You know you could figure it out if you had the time. But it's all just too darn much.

What if you could write your scripts in JavaScript, launch a GUI, and were actually *easy* to share with your team? **audible gasp**

Script Kit is the tool that’s been missing from your developer toolbox for so, so long. 🛠

![word-api.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/dg3gyk0gu/image/upload/v1639684537/course-resources/script-kit-cook-book/word-api.gif)

**Download the new hotness here: [https://scriptkit.com](https://scriptkit.com/) 🔥**

We even use Script Kit internally at [egghead.io](http://egghead.io) to manage our lesson transcripts! With a single script, we query an API to list the transcripts, modify them as necessary, then post the changes.  

**This course was made to show you what Script Kit can do for you.** 

John Lindquist, the creator of Script Kit and co-founder of egghead.io, has put together this series of lessons to give a quick overview of the features of Script Kit to help you get oriented. 

We know you’ll be off and having a blast with your own scripting ideas in no time!

Script Kit Showcase for Optimizing Your Everyday Workflows

Creating powerful and context-aware tools for Cursor IDE becomes straightforward when leveraging information directly from your current project. In this lesson, you'll learn how to build a custom MCP (model context protocol) tool that intelligently requests essential details—such as the current project path and conversation summaries—from your Cursor project.

Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:

- Define MCP tool parameters to request specific project details.
- Pass project path and conversation summaries into your MCP tool.
- Automatically write or update files within your current project using these parameters.

Key benefits:

- Automate tasks with precision based on your active project's context.
- Simplify interactions by creating AI-driven CLI commands tailored to your needs.
- Open endless possibilities for integrating external APIs and advanced automation.

Through this practical demonstration, you'll gain a versatile technique for enhancing your development workflow in Cursor IDE.

[https://github.com/johnlindquist/mcp-cursor-tool-starter](https://github.com/johnlindquist/mcp-cursor-tool-starter)

John Lindquist

Build MCP Tools Using Project Context for Custom Cursor IDE Automation

Setting up custom MCP (Machine Command Protocol) servers in Cursor can involve tedious steps, such as configuring node paths or referencing additional commands. This lesson shows how to streamline this process by bundling your MCP server directly into a standalone executable.

Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:

- Use a simple MCP server project starter.
- Run a single bundling command to create an executable.
- Right-click the generated executable, copy its full path, and add that directly to your Cursor settings.

Key benefits:

- Eliminates the need for complex node path configurations.
- Simplifies the setup and integration of custom MCP servers into Cursor.
- Makes the server executable instantly accessible within your Cursor environment.

By following this streamlined approach, you can quickly and easily integrate custom MCP servers into Cursor, making your development workflow cleaner and more efficient.

[https://github.com/johnlindquist/mcp-cursor-tool-starter]()

Easy MCP Server Setup in Cursor IDE with Bundled Executables

TanStack Router is the foundation for TanStack Start, which is gaining significant attention due to its innovative approach to application development.

This course focuses on getting effective TanStack Router, a modern and scalable routing solution for React applications. You will learn how to:
- set up and scaffold new applications,
- use file-based routing
- create nested routes
- manage dynamic route parameters and more.

The course covers advanced features like route loaders, caching strategies, and lifecycle hooks, which are crucial for enhancing application performance and user experience.

By understanding TanStack Router, you can build more efficient, type-safe, and maintainable applications, leveraging its integration with data fetching libraries like TanStack Query.

This knowledge is essential for developers looking to improve their routing skills and stay ahead in the field.

Tomasz Ducin

Up and Running with Tanstack Router and React

Learn TanStack Router for React: set up apps, use file-based routing, manage routes, and boost app performance.


In this lesson, we explore how TanStack Router integrates with the [native browser history API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/History) to manage navigation.

As we navigate through different routes, the URL changes are stored in the browser's history, allowing users to use the forward and backward buttons to traverse their navigation history.

This functionality also **enables permalinks**, meaning users can copy and paste URLs to access specific routes directly.

Additionally, we learn how to programmatically interact with the history object to move forward or backward through the navigation stack, enhancing the user experience by providing full control over navigation actions.

This compatibility with the native history API ensures that TanStack Router applications behave similarly to traditional websites, offering a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Browse History in Tanstack Router

Browse history in TanStack React Router using the native history API for seamless navigation

In this lesson, we explore how to hook into TanStack Router's lifecycle hooks to execute custom logic during route changes.

The hooks we'll look into are: `onEnter`, `onStay`, and `onLeave`, which are triggered when entering, staying within, or leaving a route, respectively.

All hooks receive a detailed match parameter, providing information about the route's path, ID, and tons of other details.

This allows for the implementation of features like animations or logging when navigating between routes.

We also learn how to use these hooks to track and manage state changes as users interact with the application, making it easier to implement complex behaviors based on route transitions.

Hook into Route Lifecycle Hooks in Tanstack Router

Hook into TanStack React Router's lifecycle hooks for custom route logic and animations.

In this lesson, we learn how to handle not found errors in TanStack Router by using the `notFoundComponent` at both nested and global levels.

To trigger the display of a `notFoundComponent`, we must throw a specific error using the `notFound` function within a loader or other lifecycle method of a route. This approach allows us to provide custom error messages for specific routes or globally across the application.

We explore how to define a notFoundComponent within a specific route's configuration and how to set a `defaultNotFoundComponent` at the router global level, which applies to all routes unless overridden locally. This flexibility ensures that users receive meaningful feedback when encountering non-existent routes.

Provide NotFoundComponent at Nested Route or Global Level in Tanstack Router

Handle notFound errors in TanStack Router with notFoundComponent at nested or global levels.



In this lesson, we learn how to access dynamic route parameters using the `useParams` hook in TanStack Router.

When used with a specific `Route` object, `useParams` provides type-safe access to route parameters, ensuring that TypeScript knows the exact types of these parameters.

This approach eliminates the possibility of undefined/optional values, making it safer for accessing parameters like `employeeId`.

However, when using `useParams` globally without specifying a route, it requires an options object with `{ strict: false }`, which reduces type safety.

In this case, the hook can access parameters from any route in the application, but it does not guarantee their existence or type. This flexibility allows components to be reused across different routes, but it requires careful handling of potential errors.



Access Dynamic Route Parameters with useParams in Tanstack Router

Access dynamic route parameters with useParams in TanStack React Router for type-safe routing.

In this lesson, we learn how to reorganize file-based routes in TanStack Router to accommodate nested routing structures.

We explore how to create additional nested routes by converting files into directories, allowing for further nesting.

For example, to create a nested route like `/employees/$employeeId/edit`, we can create a **directory** (!) named `$employeeId` and place an `index.tsx` file inside it to define the route component for this nested route.

This approach provides flexibility in organizing files while maintaining the convention that file names and locations align with route paths. We also see how to adapt existing components and loaders to work with these reorganized routes, enabling features like edit forms or delete actions (or whatever) within nested routes.


Reorganize File-Based Routes in Tanstack Router

Reorganize file-based routes in TanStack Router for flexible nested routing.



In this lesson, we learn how to parametrize the loader for a nested route in TanStack Router.

We focus on a nested route like `/employees/$employeeId`, where the `$employeeId` is a **dynamic parameter**.

To fetch data for this route, we use a `loader` function that accesses the `$employeeId` parameter. This is achieved by using the params object available in the `loader` function, which contains the dynamic segments of the URL. We then use this parameter to call a function like `getEmployeeById`, which fetches specific employee details from an API.

We highlights that TanStack Router **automatically infers types** for these parameters, ensuring type safety for nested routes.

Parametrize Route Loader for Nested Route in Tanstack Router

Parametrize nested route loaders in TanStack Router using path parameters

In this lesson, we learn how to create nested routes and outlets in TanStack Router using file-based routing.

We start by creating a new `employees` directory and files to represent nested routes, such as `/employees/$employeeId`. The `$` symbol is used to denote dynamic parameters.

We then use the `<Link>` component from TanStack Router to create links to these nested routes, passing necessary parameters.

To render the nested content, we use the `<Outlet>` component (nested), which automatically renders child routes. This approach allows us to dynamically display stuff under a nested route.

All the time, the TanStack Router generator automatically updates the route tree based on file changes - our routing configuration remains consistent 🔥



Create Nested Route and Nested Outlets in Tanstack Router

Create nested routes and outlets in TanStack Router using file-based routing

Search

Search Results