John Polacek

Chicago Web Developer

Engineering manager and frontend lead at Howl

My product recommendations at shop.howl.me

Shipping open source on Github

Follow me at @johnpolacek

Use Prettier and Stop Worrying About Code Formatting

I used to be a 4-space tabber. I remember caring enough to use my text editor to convert 2-space to code to 4-space whenever I ran across it. Then I started using Prettier.

How to Use Your README.md on Your Project’s Docs Page

You have a project. You want to make a Docs Page. You already wrote documentation in README.md. Do you need to have two copies of your ReadMe? Heck no! Here is a quick tip on how to use the content from your README on your project’s docs page.

Adding Dark Mode to a Next.js Site

A quick look at how I add dark mode to a Next.js site with code examples.

Building a Blog with Next.js and MDX

Next.js MDX Blog Starter Demo Page

I’ve re-done my website with content authoring in MDX, powered by Next.js. I’ve open sourced a Next.js MDX Blog Starter so you can too.

I reach for Next.js because it scales to what I need it to do. It can build a simple static blog like this one, or a SaaS app with parameterized routing, serverless backet, user auth and an integrated API (see my Hello Next App project for example). I pretty much use it for everything new I’m building on the web these days.

MDX is a powerful tool for authoring content. It gives you everything that authoring your content in markdown does, but with the added superpower of being able to drop in React components at will. For a web developer blog, that’s obviously pretty appealing.

Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter

I have been on hiatus from social media and posting online for the last few months. As I am starting to post again, it must be said, Black Lives Matter. I’ve made a $200 donation to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. an official partner of the Black Lives Matter movement. I urge you to donate as well!

The Cost of Covid-19

Tracking the cost of Covid-19 across Europe, China and the United States.

I built https://covidcost.now.sh/, a website for tracking the cost of Covid-19 across Europe, China and the United States, in human lives and to their economies.