Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development

In this conversation, Ben, a Director of Product at Shopify, shares his journey to the company, discusses the latest updates in Shopify Editions Winter '25, and highlights improvements in the CLI and GraphQL API. Ben emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the potential for future developments in the Shopify ecosystem. Ongoing improvements and future vision for Liquid and its integration with developer tools like VS Code are highlighted. Ben also emphasizes the importance of enhancing the developer experience, streamlining workflows, and leveraging community feedback. The discussion also touches on the role of AI in development, the significance of open-source collaboration, and the need for a cohesive and intuitive coding environment. *Episode Takeaways* - The Winter Edition focuses on refining existing features rather than introducing new ones, "The Boring Edition" - CLI improvements aim to enhance the developer experience significantly. - GraphQL API enhancements allow for better theme management and integration. - Community feedback is crucial for product development at Shopify. - Ben's journey to Shopify involved building his own company first. - The CLI has been rebuilt to improve functionality and ease of use. - GraphQL is now fully integrated for managing themes and other resources. - Ben encourages developers to build apps using Shopify's public APIs. - The future of Shopify includes more extensibility and community-driven tools. The goal is to enhance the developer experience with tools like VS Code. - Streamlining Liquid development is crucial for efficiency. - Future improvements will focus on making Liquid more expressive and simpler. - Community engagement is vital for the evolution of Liquid. - AI tools like Copilot can significantly impact development workflows. - The integration of various tools can create a seamless experience for developers. - Liquid's evolution aims to maintain simplicity while adding functionality. - Building in public fosters transparency and collaboration. - The developer experience (DX) is directly tied to user experience (UX). - Hot reloading and better asset management are key future features. *Timestamps* 00:00 Ben's Journey to Shopify and Product Role 08:21 Winter Editions Overview and New Features 25:40 Embracing GraphQL for Enhanced API Management 45:12 Building a Strong Foundation for Future Development 50:47 Aligning Developer and Business Goals 56:34 Community Engagement and Open Source Development 01:09:17 Philosophical Insights on Development and Collaboration *Find Ben Online* Twitter(X): https://x.com/benjaminsehl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsehl/ *Resources* Shopify Editions Winter '25: https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2025 KOTN: https://kotn.com/ Sanity.io Groq: https://www.sanity.io/docs/groq Liquid RFCs: https://github.com/Shopify/liquid/discussions/categories/requests-for-suggestions Jeffrey Guenther Shopkeeper: https://github.com/TheBeyondGroup/shopkeeper Vite Plugin for Shopify Dev: https://github.com/barrel/shopify-vite *Picks of the Week* Ben: - Dami Dina AI Generator for Liquid sections https://x.com/DamiDina/status/1861755659353542741 - Teenage Engineering CM-15 https://teenage.engineering/store/cm-15 Karl: Fresca https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/fresca-sparkling-soda Taylor: Dev Duck https://shopify.supply/products/rubber-duck Signup for Liquid Weekly Don't miss out on expert insights and tips—subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this. https://liquidweekly.com/

In this episode, Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page engage with Scott Vinkle, an accessibility specialist at Shopify, to explore the importance of accessibility in web development. They discuss Scott's journey into the field, the challenges developers face when implementing accessibility, and the continuous nature of accessibility efforts. The conversation also covers legal aspects, practical tips for developers, and strategies for educating clients about the benefits of accessibility. Scott emphasizes that accessibility is not just a checkbox but an integral part of creating quality products that cater to all users. Takeaways Accessibility is an ongoing journey for developers. Understanding user experience is crucial for implementing accessibility. Accessibility should be embedded in the workflow, not treated as an afterthought. Legal compliance is important, but the focus should be on user needs. Small changes can have a significant impact on accessibility. Testing with real users is essential for effective accessibility. Accessibility tools are often built into modern operating systems. Educating clients about the business benefits of accessibility is key. An accessibility statement can help manage user expectations. Continuous learning and adaptation are necessary in the field of accessibility. Timestamps 00:00 Understanding Accessibility in Development 01:38 Scott's Background and Role at Shopify 04:35 The Importance of Accessibility 07:32 Accessibility as a Continuous Process 10:24 Overcoming Barriers to Accessibility 13:39 Personal Experiences with Accessibility 16:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 17:25 Legal Ramifications of Accessibility 17:53 Understanding Accessibility Standards 21:40 The Challenge of 100% Compliance 24:41 Prioritizing Accessibility Improvements 27:40 Tools for Accessibility Testing 29:57 Practical Steps for Accessibility Implementation 32:34 ARIA: When and How to Use It 39:30 Low Effort, High Impact Accessibility Changes 42:39 The Business Case for Accessibility 48:08 Risk Management in Accessibility 51:51 Tools and Strategies for Accessibility Compliance 56:22 Creating an Accessibility Statement 58:18 Final Thoughts and Reflections Find Scott Online https://scottvinkle.me/ Resources Scott's Article on Accessibility Changes: https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/3-product-detail-page-accessibility-issues-to-fix-right-now Fable Accessible services: https://makeitfable.com/ ARIA authoring practices guide: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/ General help docs on customizing your theme and accessibility: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/customizing-themes/accessibility Dev Changelog Increased limits for automatic function-based discounts: https://shopify.dev/changelog/increased-limits-for-automatic-function-based-discountsNew dynamic source attributes available in the online store editor: https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-dynamic-source-attributes-available-in-the-online-store-editorBuilt for Shopify category-specific criteria are now available: https://shopify.dev/changelog/built-for-shopify-category-specific-criteria-are-now-availableConditionally disable gift cards in checkout using custom logic with the Payment Customization API: https://shopify.dev/changelog/conditionally-disable-gift-cards-in-checkout-using-custom-logic-with-the-payment-customization-api Signup for Liquid Weekly Don't miss out on expert insights and tips—subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this. https://liquidweekly.com/

In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Kirill Platonov, a Shopify developer specializing in Ruby on Rails. The conversation explores Kirill's journey into development, his experiences building Shopify apps, and the evolution of the Rails ecosystem. They discuss the challenges and advantages of using Rails with Shopify, the impact of open-source contributions, and the transition to GraphQL. Kirill shares insights on the future of Rails development and the importance of community support in the tech space. Timestamps 00:00 Guest Introduction and Background 02:17 Transitioning to Ruby and Rails 05:12 Building Shopify Apps and Early Experiences 08:03 Challenges with Shopify's Ecosystem 11:00 Developing with Hotwire and AppBridge 14:15 Open Source Contributions and Community Impact 17:10 Working with Shopify's Development Team 20:19 Current Projects and Future Plans 23:21 Reflections on the App Store Landscape 26:11 The Future of Rails in Shopify Development 32:11 Exploring the Full Stack with Rails 37:35 Simplifying App Development with Rails 40:29 Getting Started with Ruby on Rails 43:38 Transitioning to GraphQL 50:30 Updates in the Developer Community 56:22 Personal Updates and Picks of the Week Find Kirill Online Website: https://kirillplatonov.com/ Github: https://github.com/sponsors/kirillplatonov Twitter(X): https://x.com/kirplatonov LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirplatonov/ Wife's shop: https://bleakandsleek.shop/ Kirill's Apps and Repos Platmart: Bulk Price Editor: https://apps.shopify.com/fast-bulk-price-editor Platmart: Color Swatches: https://apps.shopify.com/fast-product-colors Platmart Size Charts: https://apps.shopify.com/platmart-size-charts Shopify Hotwire Sample: https://github.com/kirillplatonov/shopify-hotwire-sample Polaris View Components: https://github.com/baoagency/polaris_view_components Shopify GraphQL Gem: https://github.com/kirillplatonov/shopify_graphql Resources Shopify App Bridge: https://shopify.dev/docs/api/app-bridge Dev Changelog New .dev community forum: https://community.shopify.dev/ Built for Shopify update to grace period for programmatically assessed criteria: https://shopify.dev/changelog/built-for-shopify-update-to-grace-period-for-programmatically-assessed-criteria Storefront API Cart now supports removing Gift Cards: https://shopify.dev/changelog/storefront-api-cart-now-supports-removing-gift-cards Breaking Changes to CAPTCHA protection on Storefront forms: https://shopify.dev/changelog/breaking-changes-to-captcha-protection-on-storefront-forms New validation against duplicate handles in productCreate, productUpdate, and productSet mutation inputs: https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-validation-against-duplicate-handles-in-productcreate-productupdate-and-productset-mutation-inputs Picks of the Week Kirill: Cursor AI https://www.cursor.com/ Karl: The Mysterious Cities of Gold https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Cities_of_Gold Taylor: Duolingo https://www.duolingo.com/ Signup for Liquid Weekly Don't miss out on expert insights and tips—subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this. https://liquidweekly.com/

In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, host Karl Meisterheim and co-host Taylor Page welcome Patrick Millegan from Shopify to discuss the new customer accounts feature. They explore Patrick's journey to Shopify, the evolution of customer accounts, and the importance of user experience and branding. The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by the new system, including the balance between functionality and design, and the launch partner program aimed at enhancing the Shopify ecosystem. In this conversation, Patrick Millegan discusses the evolving landscape of e-commerce, particularly focusing on Shopify's new customer accounts and the technical challenges involved in their development. He emphasizes the importance of early adopters in the e-commerce space and the need for extensibility and customization in Shopify's offerings. The discussion also touches on the future of classic customer accounts, the vision for Shopify in 2025, and the role of community feedback in shaping product development. *Timestamps* 00:00 The Evolution of Customer Accounts 10:01 Insights Behind New Customer Accounts 17:58 Gains and Losses with New Customer Accounts 20:50 Navigating Customer Account Experiences 27:40 Branding and Customization Challenges 33:47 Launch Partner Program Insights 39:52 Technical Considerations in New Customer Accounts 51:17 Future of Classic Accounts 51:40 The Future of Customer Accounts 53:18 Checkout Extensibility and Theme Evolution 58:24 Building for Scale and Performance 01:00:32 Personal Insights and Picks of the Week 01:08:49 Changelog Updates and Community Engagement 01:11:56 LW Podcast Outro.mp4 *Resources* Developer documentation https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/customer-accounts Deciding where to place extensions https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/customer-accounts/extension-placement UX best practices https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/customer-accounts/ux Customer Accounts Extensibility Overview Video from Shopify's Winter 2024 Edition https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2024/video/customer-accounts-ui-extensions Past Product Launch Posts New Customer Accounts V1 Launch Post (Feb 23') https://x.com/pmillegan/status/1624440087982510081 Customer account api for headless/hydrogen stores launch blog post (June 23') https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/introducing-customer-account-api-for-headless-stores Customer Account Extensiblity Dev Preview Launch Post (Dec 23') https://x.com/pmillegan/status/1732062590824820951 Dev Features and Extensibility GA announcement Launch Post (june 24') https://x.com/pmillegan/status/1805281782972985502 Patrick on X https://x.com/pmillegan/status/1624440087982510081 Discount Codes! Click this one if you like Taylor https://keapathletics.com/discount/editions2024 Click this one if you prefer Karl https://keapathletics.com/discount/unite2019