TLDR #2 - August 2021
Discover top GitHub projects from August including a dynamic PHP class generator, JavaScript animation library, jQuery-style web scraping tool, Web Stories tools, and Cascadia Code—an open-source font for developers.
Dynamic PHP Class Generation with php-generator
nette
If you’ve ever needed to programmatically generate PHP files or classes—especially in CLI tools or automated scaffolding—php-generator is a powerful solution worth exploring.
Created by the Nette team, this library allows you to define PHP classes, properties, methods, and namespaces with just a few lines of code. It automatically handles indentation, formatting, and syntax. The generated code is clean, standards-compliant, and compatible with PHP versions 5.6 through 8.0.
What makes it even more accessible is its well-documented guide, complete with usage examples. Whether you’re generating DTOs, service classes, or code templates, php-generator streamlines the process with ease.
Add Interactive 3D Hover Effects with tilt.js
gijsroge
When your website feels static, subtle animations can greatly enhance the user experience. tilt.js offers an easy way to implement 3D hover effects that bring your UI to life.
Built by gijsroge, tilt.js lets you apply customizable parallax-like tilting to any DOM element. You can fine-tune parameters such as perspective, speed, max tilt angle, and easing.
This lightweight library works with Vanilla JS, React, Polymer, and Preact. Check out the demo to see it in action and consider integrating it into hero sections, cards, or interactive components.
Web Scraping Simplified with cheerio
cheeriojs
If you’re building a scraper or a tool that needs to extract data from HTML, cheerio is a must-have Node.js library.
Cheerio implements a fast, flexible, and lean implementation of core jQuery designed specifically for the server. It makes traversing, manipulating, and querying HTML easy with a familiar jQuery-like syntax—ideal for developers already comfortable with the frontend framework.
With over 650,000 weekly downloads and robust documentation, it's widely trusted for building scrapers, content parsers, and automated web tools. Its performance and ease of use make it one of the most reliable libraries for server-side HTML processing.
Create Engaging User Experiences with Web Stories
GoogleForCreators
Web stories are gaining popularity as a new format to share immersive, tappable content on the web. Whether you’re promoting content, telling a visual story, or enhancing user engagement, there are two solid tools to help you build Web Stories:
- web-stories-wp: A WordPress plugin by Google that offers a visual editor for easily creating Web Stories within the WordPress environment.
- Web Stories by AMP: A developer-focused framework that allows you to build Web Stories directly with HTML. Though it requires more technical effort, it offers full control and flexibility.
Both solutions offer responsive, fast-loading experiences and are optimized for mobile engagement—especially important for SEO and user retention.
Enhance Your Terminal with Cascadia Code
microsoft
Cascadia Code is a modern monospaced font designed specifically for developers. Created by Microsoft, it supports font ligatures and cursive italics, making it both functional and visually appealing.
This font is a great alternative to premium options like Operator Mono, but it's completely free and open source. It's optimized for terminal environments, IDEs, and text editors, and works especially well when paired with code themes that support ligatures.
If you’re looking to upgrade your development setup visually, give Cascadia Code a try. It may not improve your code—but it will definitely improve how it looks.
