This is a Promise That You'll Understand Asynchronous Programming with JavaScript

JavaScript is changing faster than ever with a yearly release cadence that brings useful syntax tweaks, new APIs, and updated language functionality. Of the dozens of new features added to JavaScript over the last ten years, Promises stand out as one of the most important yet most difficult to understand for both backend and frontend developers. If you're looking to finally understand the 'what', 'why', and 'how' of Promises, this is your ELI5 ("explain like I'm five") moment.

Let's learn about asynchronous programming in JavaScript by understanding the fundamentals of Promises: why they were added to the language, what you need to write your own, how async/await fix Promise chaining, recent API changes, and much more. This session will introduce the basics of Promises, then ramp up into practical examples and techniques that will help you fully utilize Promises in your code today.

JavaScript: The (Really) Good Parts

JavaScript is a little-known up-and-coming programming language with stunningly beautiful syntax, strong type-checking, and a simple, obvious API. No, wait, I have that backwards. In fact, JavaScript is the most widely deployed language in the world with a long and complicated history that frequently makes it the butt of developer jokes.

Let's dispel some myths and study the best features of JavaScript from classic ECMAScript 3 (1999) through the latest and greatest of ES2022. If you're still using jQuery or other libraries to fill functionality gaps, this session is all about modernizing your JavaScript while learning to appreciate how far it's come. Concepts include arrow function expressions, classes, template literals, generators, optional chaining, fetch, promises, and much more.

60-minute session broken into three parts: 1) JavaScript history, 2) dispelling JavaSCript myths, 3) slide-by-slide walkthrough of common/important JavaScript features developers should be aware of.

How to Start Speaking at Your Favorite Tech Conferences When You Hate Public Speaking

ou attend all the best tech conferences year after year. You love the varied topics, meeting up with friends, and indulging in great food and drinks. But something's still missing: your chance to shape your favorite conferences. Don't just be an attendee - be a participant by sharing your knowledge as a speaker.

Take it from someone who hates public speaking: it's actually pretty fun! In this session, I'll share how I overcame nerves and started public speaking at technology conferences all over the country. Let's discuss every part of the process: ideation, outlining, storytelling, writing compelling abstracts, creating slides, speaking tips, recommended tooling, simplifying technical topics, and much more. This session will help first-time speakers get started. Experienced speakers might learn a different way to tackle their favorite topics.

How Much Database Do You Really Need? Simplify Your Web Apps with SQLite

So many developers reach for the traditional relational database systems of MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server when building a web app, but there's another contender that might work for you: SQLite.

If there's beauty in simplicity, then SQLite wins the database pageant. Just getting started with databases? This session dives into the design philosophy of SQLite as a relational database system, describes the pros/cons of using it with various application architectures, highlights some quirks (especially for web apps!), then presents some real-world implementation examples and patterns that attendees can start using right away (including a GitHub repo). Please note that code samples are written in C#, but the core concepts discussed can be extended to any language.

From Average to Awesome: Simple Life Lessons For Staying at the Top of Your Game

Ambition means a lot, and as a C-average college student, I wasn't very ambitious. My first job interviews out of college were hard lessons in rejection. I've since been a software developer, solution architect, consultant, sales engineer, and more. I regularly work with Fortune 500 companies and live debt-free. I also speak at conferences, mentor fellow devs, and travel the country.

So what happened?

If you're just getting started in your career, this session is for you: I'll highlight real tips and advice from my 20-years of experience that has helped me build a successful and fulfilling career. Lessons include: how to lose gracefully, overcoming laziness, communicating efficiently, selling yourself, and much more. Let my stories and lessons inspire you to be your very best, even if "imposter syndrome" is your middle name.

A React Crash Course for Backend Dinosaurs

I've been developing backend .NET and MVC web solutions for 20 years, but thanks to the demands of highly-dynamic, component-driven front-end solutions, I've become a bit of a developer dinosaur. Join me, fellow dinosaurs, as we modernize our skills to ensure we're ready for the future of the web.

This session acts as a (very) quick introduction to modern JavaScript concepts and the React library from the viewpoint of a horribly-outdated backend developer. You will come away with a basic understanding of introductory React concepts such as props vs. state, function/class components, JSX syntax, events, and much more. If you've been ignoring libraries like React, now is a great time to dip your toes into modern component-based development.