Front-end framework attack

Watch me as I try to do something that is probably futile. Join me on my journey to my JavaScript powered death.

I’m going to try and keep this short and sweet. Every week, for every JS front-end library/framework there is, I’m going to try* and build a small web app using that. 🙈 — *edit there will be updates over the coming weeks, please see bottom of article.

But why ? 😩

I believe framework fatigue is a thing, so I wonder what it’s like to the max, will they all be similar? I’ve found it tough not to get caught up with the hype surrounding new frameworks, it’s time to get it out of my system.

Getting to the nitty gritty, here is a small part of a non-exhaustive list. These are some of the following libraries/frameworks I have in mind to start building with:

• Hyperapp
• Choo
• Svelte
• Stimulus
• Cycle.js
• Vue
• Inferno
• Riot
• Mithril
• Glimmer
• BYOJSF (Bring your own JavaScript Framework)

You’ll hopefully see that I’m not trying to go for the big boy obvious ones. However, I thought it’d still be good to see a few more known ones in there. I’ve used Vue the most out of all of these, and I really do it enjoy using it.

Intended outcome 🧐

I’m mainly interested in picking one as a candidate for refactoring work and continuing to use it going forward.

One niggle I have with nearly all tutorials and how to use all the coolest JavaScript goodness, is that it’s all focused on how to make a SPA, why doesn’t anyone show you how to use the latest stuff to make general front-end js easier?

Consider this an investigation.

If you mainly make, Wordpress themes or brochure ware sites all day. How can we make advanced pieces of JS functionality that we can drop into a html page or template and feed it some data? Lets find out.

Finally, some of these frameworks follow the same founding ideas and I’m interested to see how similar it is as I jump from library to library.

Approach 🤔

I originally though that I should make the same thing, in every single library and see how it goes, but then is that any different than making another todo app?

In a real life situation (an ideal one at least) you’re not going to be making the same thing again and again. You’ve already made it once, as you do it more, you’ll become quicker and better with every iteration, I feel this will force you towards a bias as one gets better at make the same app again. So, I’m not going to do that.

I’m going to think of 10 ideas put them on some paper and pick out a project and a library at the start of each week by chance. I’ll be making sure that each is roughly the same complexity in concept, be it a single page app idea, or a drop in widget.

I’ll be putting each up as a repository on my Github. You can expect profanity in commit messages as standard. When I’m done, you’ll have a full record of my failures.

I won’t be doing any testing as I make these, it will be purely on trying to make an MVP of the idea in the chosen JS library/framework.

I’ll be writing an accompanying post for each one I make and I’ll post it up on here.

BYOJSF? 🎉

You remember bullet point 11 above, that’s right, bring your own JavaScript framework.

If all is going well, I may try and smash something horrible together and produce another front-end library for all of us to use. Maybe, jQuery with a virtual dom?

I’ll see what I learn from the others, dig around a bit and see what happens 🙃

Let me know your thoughts? 📣

All you cool people I imagine in my head that are reading this, I want to know what you’re thinking!? Have a JS library you think I should try ? please let me know and I’ll see if I can add it in. After all, how long is a piece of string?

Stay up to date as I post a new article up in a couple of weeks.

I can’t promise I make something that isn’t super similar to a todo app, but is just called something else. Remember, I never claimed to be a genius ideas man, or a super good JavaScript developer.

Updates

• Week 1: Riot.js product customiser (Click for demo, code), write up is now here. I hope you enjoy