August 2016 Summaries

Netlify has introduced Deploy Contexts, a feature that allows users to customize settings during the development process by creating a set of configuration options called Deploy Contexts. These contexts can be applied to any deploy on Netlify and go beyond changing environment variables, allowing for changes in build commands, base directories, and publish directories. Users can create predefined contexts such as Production, Deploy Preview, and Branch Deploy Contexts, which can be overridden by specific branch names. To use these settings, users will store them in a new file called netlify.toml, a plain text file that lives in the root of their Git repositories. This feature aims to provide flexibility and customization options for users, making it easier to manage different deployment scenarios.

Netlify experienced a global infrastructure issue with their central load balancer, which was overwhelmed by DDoS traffic on August 22nd. The load balancer stopped responding and all users with an A record pointed to the IP address were affected. This led to an investigation into better solutions for handling A records pointed at Netlify. A new Google-based network IP was spun up in Google Compute, which replaced the Rackspace Load Balancer. The new solution is more resilient to DDoS attacks and will be integrated with Netlify's CDN. Improvements are also being made to communication and processes to prevent similar issues in the future.

The use of JSX in React allows developers to write HTML-like code within their JavaScript files, making it easier to construct and manage UI components. By encapsulating everything about a component into one file, including styles, JSX provides an elegant solution for working with Components. The example of the OpenSource modal component demonstrates how JSX can be used to create a reusable and customizable UI component, with all the necessary code and styling contained within the component itself. In contrast, Angular requires more boilerplate code for directives, which can make it less ideal for constructing UI components. The use of JSX in React also enables designers to style components without needing to write additional JavaScript code, making it a popular choice among developers and designers alike.

We were founded with a strong belief that static sites, heavily based on Javascript, external APIs and markup (JAMstack) should power the majority of all sites and apps. Over the last five years, we've seen frontend developers work change dramatically due to modern build-tools, Git becoming the cornerstone of any modern developer's workflow, and modern browser API's allowing for faster, safer, cheaper and simpler websites and apps. We created an infrastructure to cater to the needs of these types of projects, integrating a range of services on top of it, and our users responded well by serving over a quarter billion page views per month. We've brought together an awesome team and likeminded investors, including Adam Wiggins, Tom Preston-Werner, Todd Morey, and several others, to take the next step in this adventure. Our funding will allow us to deliver continuous updates to Netlify, free use of our Pro Plan for open-source projects, and Deep Git Integration, Deploy Previews, with a strong focus on community and driving the modern web forward.

Releasing software is treacherous — let us help. Caching keeps the internet from being painfully slow, but fighting powerful caching layers can be difficult. Good release engineering practices enable rapid iteration while operating in a safe environment. Netlify's features include atomic deploys, asset fingerprinting, instant cache invalidation, Continuous Deployment, and instant rollback, which ease the whole release process without any headache. By versioning assets and markup, Netlify ensures globally consistent versions of sites, minimizing the risk involved in deploying and testing new site versions. Instant rollbacks allow developers to rapidly iterate on the site without fear of bringing down their corner of the web. With a network of nodes, Netlify's CDN invalidates caching layers, ensuring a consistent version of the site globally. By tying instant cache invalidation, atomic deploys, and immediate rollback into a continuous delivery platform, Netlify empowers developers to focus on building their site rather than worrying about breaking it.

Netlify now allows users to view form submissions directly on their site without needing a backend, making it easier to manage and process form data. With this new feature, users can access all received submissions in the new Forms tab, eliminating the need for complicated backends. To further utilize this feature, users can leverage webhooks and notifications to redirect submissions to desired destinations such as Slack or email addresses.

The Netlify team is launching a content creation contest, where users can submit written materials or video tutorials showcasing their experiences with the platform. The goal is to encourage community engagement and provide valuable insights into the JAMstack development process. Participants will receive an Amazon gift card based on the quality of their submission, ranging from $100 to $200 depending on the type of content submitted.

This tutorial explains how to easily migrate a GitHub Pages site to Netlify, a popular platform for hosting and deploying websites. The process involves installing the Netlify CLI tool, creating a new site with `netlify create`, deploying the site with `netlify deploy`, and viewing it in the browser. To set up continuous delivery, you can use the `netlify init` command to add webhooks for GitHub. Once migrated, your site will be live on Netlify's global CDN and tied to your Git repository. The process is straightforward, allowing users to easily switch from GitHub Pages to Netlify with just a few commands.