707: What happened in JS, CSS And Web Dev in 2023? 2023 Predictions Results!

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode reviews Syntax’s 2023 tech predictions, assessing which trends “popped” or flopped. The hosts conclude they were mostly right: SSR/server components, TypeScript inference, JS runtimes, WinterCG, view transitions, CSS container queries/subgrid, WebAssembly, React docs, and AI all advanced significantly, while JavaScript type annotations and a Rust TypeScript checker lagged. The show closes with personal “sick picks” and a strong pro-open-source, pro-modern-web-tooling sentiment.

Main Topics: 2023 Prediction Retrospective: The hosts revisit their annual tech predictions and compare them against what actually happened in web development, JavaScript, CSS, and tooling over the year. Server-Side Rendering and Modern Meta Frameworks: They argue SSR became the norm, with React Server Components, Next.js, Remix, SvelteKit, Astro, and HTMX pushing more logic to the server and reducing client-side complexity. TypeScript, JavaScript Proposals, and Language Evolution: They discuss inferred TypeScript types being highly useful, the slow progress of JavaScript type annotations, decorators maturing into a usable spec, and the stalled pipeline operator proposal. Runtimes, WinterCG, and Standardization: The episode highlights the maturation of JS runtimes—Deno, Bun, Cloudflare Workers, WinterJS, Fastly/ByteDance efforts—and the growing importance of WinterCG and web-standard APIs across runtimes. CSS and Web Platform Progress: Container queries, subgrid, view transitions, and Houdini-related APIs are described as major wins, making advanced layout and animation more practical in production. Tooling, Rust, and Ecosystem Shifts: The hosts discuss Rust-based tooling growth, the status of a Rust TypeScript checker, Biome emerging from Rome, Vite’s dominance, Lightning CSS, and open-source funding support from Sentry. AI and New Product Waves: They note the massive rise of AI products after ChatGPT’s launch, followed by a shift toward AI-specific apps and consolidation as plugins and platform changes altered the market.

Key Arguments: Server-side rendering is now the default direction for modern web apps, and meta frameworks have made it much easier to adopt. TypeScript’s inferred types are extremely valuable in real projects because they reduce boilerplate and improve safety across varied data shapes. The JavaScript type-annotations proposal advanced only modestly; it reached stage one but remains far from implementation. The Rust-based TypeScript checker did not make meaningful progress, suggesting either high complexity or a stalled effort. JavaScript runtimes have matured as a category, with Bun 1.0, WinterCG, Cloudflare Workers, and others pushing standardization. CSS container queries and subgrid have become production-ready enough to use broadly in new projects. Web platform features like view transitions and Houdini APIs are arriving, though browser support remains uneven. Rust continues growing in popularity, especially for infrastructure and developer tooling, but remains difficult for many developers. AI had the biggest ecosystem impact of the year, rapidly reshaping products, tooling, and startup behavior. Open-source sustainability matters, and companies like Sentry are directly funding critical packages such as Prettier.

Data Points: Prediction score: 87.9% correct - The hosts’ retrospective score for their 2023 predictions JavaScript type annotations status: Stage one - The TC39 proposal discussed during the episode React docs development cycle: 5 years - Time it took for React beta docs to launch ChatGPT launch date: November 30, 2022 - Referenced as the start of the AI explosion Prettier bounty: $20,000 - Bounty offered for a Rust-based compatible Prettier printer Sentry open-source donation to Prettier: $10,529 - Mentioned as part of Sentry’s package-based open-source contributions Container queries browser availability: All major browsers - Hosts describe container queries as production-ready across modern browsers Subgrid availability: 79% of available browsers - Reported during the discussion of CSS subgrid adoption Rust TypeScript checker activity: No major work in the past year - Hosts characterize the project as largely inactive Tineco vacuum battery feature: Hot-swappable batteries - Used as a selling point in the personal sick pick segment

Pivotal Quotes: "We were popping at like almost the entire episode." — Scott: Describing how many of the 2023 predictions turned out to be accurate "Worker-ready standards-based JavaScript is the future." — Scott: Summarizing the direction of modern runtimes and WinterCG-aligned APIs "If you have one of these, whatever, clean those air filters. They make a huge difference in the amount of suction." — Wes: Advice during the Tineco vacuum sick pick discussion

Implications: For listeners, the takeaway is that the modern web is consolidating around server-first frameworks, standardized browser APIs, and faster Rust-powered tooling, while AI and open-source sustainability remain major forces shaping the next year.