Google Keep-like Layout with Polymer - layout

I want to make a web app that uses a UI similar to Google Keep. I want to be able to have chips of the same size that can be dynamically added/removed that expand into larger cards with more options. What kind of layout should I use in Polymer?
Here are some quick sketches of what I want to accomplish.

There's likely a number of ways you can go, probably best you just try some things & find the approach you like. To help get started I think some of the core-animated-pages demos would help. Here are a couple that you may be able to leverage to get sort of close to your design:
https://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~gongliang13/polymer/polymer-tutorial-master/components/core-animated-pages/demos/grid.html
https://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~gongliang13/polymer/polymer-tutorial-master/components/core-animated-pages/demos/music.html

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Producing PDF files in NodeJS - simpler than puppeteer/chromium but a bit less basic than low level libraries

I'd like to be able to produce PDF files in NodeJS.
Currently, we use puppeteer. We need to produce highly designed documents and so puppeteer/chromium gives me the ability to create a complex layout in HTML with the added benefit of also having the HTML version of the file.
It's great for relatively small documents where design is key.
The problem is when I try to produce long report documents. These documents do not require elaborate design. These are pretty much just a header with some information, and then a simple table with lots of records that stretch far as the eye can see, so they tend to be large. Like, really really large.
When I try using puppeteer for that, well pretty much just crashes and burns because loading such huge layouts into the underlying browser is just too much.
Currently I do "stitching". I create the document by having puppeteer create the doc in parts, and then I connect all those "doclets" into one using PDFKit.
But then I have problems like when one "doclet" ends and a new one begins, there are blank lines. (partially empty pages for no good reason from the perspective of a customer viewing it)
What I'm looking for is a library that has basic layout functionality but that doesn't use a browser (or perhaps uses something lightweight).
Problem is that libraries like PDFkit and pdf-lib seem to be too low level.
I'm going to literally have to "draw" the documents by telling it where exactly the text should be.
If I want tables, I'm going to straight up have to draw rectangles and stuff.
Having to create all of this manually would be a nightmare.
All I want is the ability to create simple layouts (tables, titles, text wrapping, background color) without having to use a library that just launches chromium.
Please, let me know if you know of any such option.
Thanks in advance!
What I tried:
PDFkit/pdf-lib - too low level. Unless I'm getting something wrong, there doesn't seem to be a way to create word wrapped layouts with basic tables.
jsPDF doesn't seem to be able to use the HTML functionality on the server(I think to get it to work I'd have to let it use a browser...? if so, doesn't really help).
Puppeteer/other libraries that pilot a browser - well, it uses a browser so a no-go for large docs.
Praying to Odin - No luck so far.

Can I use Sketchapp to design entire website

I am a freelancer who wants to start using Sketchapp to make more trendy websites (slanted and curved line backgrounds, UI assets that have shadows, assets that go over 2 divs (see examples). Can and do freelancers (do both their own design and code) use Sketchapp to create the entire site for everything (including text) as their normal best practice and to speed up workflow and then just export everything to text editor and then tweak? Below are 2 examples that I aspire to be able to create.
Example 1 from Pinterest
Example 2 from Pinterest
The answer is Yes and No. The first example is highly using textures and graphics which is hard to do in Sketch. But for that you need to use Photoshop. For the second example is more flat and not using much graphical effect. its minimal and flat. Sketch is really fasten up your working flow to create something like that.
Hope this helps.
You definitely could create both designs in sketch but it won't be the only program you have to use to finish this job. At least if you produce each used graphic yourself.
In the first design for example you have quite a lot gradients an brush technics between the sections. Here you would need to use brushes in Photoshop to achive this look. After this you could export the layers as PNGs with transparent background and import those into sketch...
Sketch is perfect to use with SVG. I would say wen you work with SVGs you can almost only use sketch.
Hope this answer helps!
to speed up workflow and then just export everything to text editor and then tweak
First you create the website design in Sketch and then you start writing the HTML/CSS code by hand. This is how the web development process goes.
You could also use helper tools like Desech Studio to import the Sketch file and then adjust the html/css faster.
Unfortunately it's not possible to create a website in the design stack like Sketch, and also work in the web stack. These 2 stacks are different in how they work.
Alternatively you could start designing the website directly in HTML/CSS and skip the design stack completely, but you will be slower and it will be harder to make changes, compared to the design stack.

Creating custom amazon webstore design

I am trying to create an amazon webstore and the interface is just appalling.
I have seen a few companies that have made really decent stores but have no idea how they have accomplished this using the interface amazon give you as they make it near on impossible to customise a single thing.
Could someone please shed a light on what it is I need to do to create a fully customised design for my store?
Thanks in advance.
I have had luck in creating a custom layout... functionality is where I'm stuck. It seems we are FORCED to use their widgets, etc... though you can change the look of them quite easily.
I made my way by using Google Chrome's inspect element tool (F12). I was able to find the CSS that drives the different widgets for width, height, etc. Also, I was able to write my own CSS for, say, the search widget.
Your question is about 1.5 months old... so I assume you may have learned your way by now.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to assist with what I know.

GWT-GXT Containers and Layouts Overview

Anybody know of a good description of containers/layouts/panels/etc for GXT? All the tutorials I've seen usually pick one or two and just use them. Nobody seems to explain the who/what/when/where/how of using various combinations.
Thanx,
~r
PS
Actually I have a slightly complex app (~150 java classes; 8 separate tabs with lots of grids, and lists and tons of RPC calls). Seems my grids are not displaying a horizontal scroll-bar and I suspect it's because I'm using some container/layout combination that prevents it (not FitLayout ;-)
Best source to know about the container, layouts is GXT samples. They are available if you download GXT. You can also checkout the examples in the GXT site. Here is the link

Anyone seen good embedded help in a web application?

I have a pretty simple app on the web (written in Flex) which is very straightforward to use once it has data inside it. The steps to get data inside it are themselves also pretty simple, but not at all obvious to my audience when they first log into my app.
I have been wrestling with how to communicate the data setup process to my users without referring them to a separate help. I also don't want to clog my lovely, elegant UI (which has uniformly been praised for its clarity from my current users and matches their processes very well) with wizards, or worse still an annoying animated paperclip.
I have a very rich set of tools available for the web UI but I am looking for inspiration and wondered if anyone had experienced good web-based, intuitive, unobtrusive, genuinely helpful process/usage instructions embedded in an application and could point me to a link so I can take a look for myself.
Failing that anyone got any bright ideas? There are about 5 steps involved each one visiting a different page of the existing app to enter/upload data.
Have you taken a look at:
http://www.askthecssguy.com/2007/03/form_field_hints_with_css_and.html
I believe there is a jquery or prototype or mootools or whatever framework that goes a couple steps beyond the above and walks a user through what to do. My google-fu isn't coming through right now so I can't seem to find it.
You could display the links to the data setup pages in a small strip on your main page like this (pardon the ugliness - this is just a usability idea):
alt text http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/052b13acb7.jpg
The steps they've already completed are greyed out (I assume they don't have to complete these steps in sequence). When they mouse over a step they get a brief description, and then full details when they click through to the actual step page. You could have descriptive icons for each step instead of hyperlinks, of course.

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