Loren StewartA blog exploring web development and AIhttps://www.lorenstew.art/en-usChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini Render Markdown in the Browser. I Don'thttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/i-do-the-opposite/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/i-do-the-opposite/The big AI chat apps ship heavy rendering libraries to every device. Cheddy Chat renders markdown server-side and streams finished HTML, eliminating 160-440KB of client JavaScript while keeping the main thread free.Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTFastAPI for TypeScript Developershttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/fastapi-for-typescript-developers/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/fastapi-for-typescript-developers/Python DX now rivals TypeScript. Here's how FastAPI, uv, and Pydantic make Python feel modern, with type safety and performance that matches what you're used to.Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTI Built the Same App 10 Times: Evaluating Frameworks for Mobile Performancehttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/10-kanban-boards/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/10-kanban-boards/Started evaluating 3 frameworks for work, ended up building 10. Next-gen frameworks (Marko, SolidStart, SvelteKit, Qwik) all deliver instant 35-39ms performance. The real differentiator? Bundle sizes range from 28.8 kB to 176.1 kB compressed. Choose based on your priorities, not microscopic FCP differences.Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTReact Won by Default – And It's Killing Frontend Innovationhttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/react-won-by-default/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/react-won-by-default/React-by-default has hidden costs. Here's a case for making deliberate choices to select the right framework for the job.Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTProgressive Complexity: When Islands Should be a Continenthttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/when-islands-should-be-a-continent/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/when-islands-should-be-a-continent/Level 4 excels for isolated rich components, but heavy coordination signals when to intentionally escalate to a unified framework.Sun, 14 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTProduction-Ready Astro Middleware: Dependency Injection, Testing, and Performancehttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/production-ready-astro-middleware/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/production-ready-astro-middleware/Master production-ready Astro middleware with dependency injection, testing strategies, and caching for enterprise applications.Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTIntroducing hx-optimistic: Make Your HTMX Apps Feel Instanthttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/hx-optimistic/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/hx-optimistic/Make HTMX apps feel instant with optimistic UI: instant feedback, automatic rollbacks, and no frameworks required, just simple declarative HTML.Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTA Progressive Complexity Manifestohttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/progressive-complexity-manifesto/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/progressive-complexity-manifesto/A manifesto for progressive web complexity. Reject the false binary between static sites and SPAs. Embrace the powerful middle ground with server-rendered HTML, HTMX, and intentional complexity escalation.Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTBookmarkable by Design: URL-Driven State in HTMXhttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/bookmarkable-by-design-url-state-htmx/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/bookmarkable-by-design-url-state-htmx/Forget complex state libraries. Use the URL as your single source of truth for filters, sorting, and pagination in HTMX applicationsTue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTArchitecting with Constraints: A Pragmatic Guidehttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/always-architect-with-contraints/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/always-architect-with-contraints/Don't just reach for your favorite framework. Let's explore how a constraint-based mindset can help you choose the right tool for the job and avoid over-engineering.Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTBuilding a Lightweight Reactive State Manager with JavaScript Proxieshttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/reactive-state-manager-with-proxies/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/reactive-state-manager-with-proxies/Tired of frontend frameworks and complex state management libraries? Learn how a few lines of JavaScript and the power of Proxies can automatically sync your UI with your application state.Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTBuilding a Modern Frontend Event System from Scratchhttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/frontend-event-system/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/frontend-event-system/From spaghetti code to clean, decoupled code: building a powerful event system that scales with your applicationWed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTBeyond REST: Adding Real-Time Interactivity with NestJS WebSocketshttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-websockets-real-time/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-websockets-real-time/For decades, the request-response model of REST has been the backbone of the web. But what happens when the server needs to initiate a conversation? Discover how NestJS WebSockets enable real-time interactivity.Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTHow to Generate Dynamic PDFs in NestJS with a Headless Browserhttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-pdf-generation-playwright/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-pdf-generation-playwright/Generating a simple, unstyled PDF is one thing. But what if you need to create complex, beautifully styled documents? Learn how to leverage the power of HTML/CSS with headless browsers.Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 GMTOur Fullstack Architecture: Eta, HTMX, and Lithttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/eta-htmx-lit-stack/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/eta-htmx-lit-stack/Why choose between a fast MPA and a rich SPA? Our fullstack approach with Eta, HTMX, and Lit delivers the best of both worlds.Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMTBulletproof Your API: A Deep Dive into Custom Guards and Decorators in NestJShttps://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-guards-decorators/https://www.lorenstew.art/blog/nestjs-guards-decorators/In any robust backend application, security and clean code are paramount. Learn how NestJS's powerful combination of Guards and Custom Decorators can help you build secure, maintainable APIs.Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT