You Might Not Need that Framework
You Might Not Need that Framework êŽë š
I started web development in the late â90s and published dozens of client-side web apps during the 2000s. Every web developerâs learning path back then began with HTML and CSS, followed by JavaScript, specifically for DOM management.
Differences in browser implementations, combined with the slow evolution of the language and browser APIs, led to the emergence of the first libraries to help developers. These included now-forgotten libraries like Prototype and Underscore.js, as well as the still-popular jQuery.
In the past decade, the landscape has shifted completely. Today, itâs common to begin your journey as a web developer with a library or framework like React or Angular, while learning some HTML and CSS along the way. As a result, we hear more about React, Next, Vue, Astro, or Angular developers than about front-end or web developers.
The Problem
You might be wondering what the issue is. Well, there are several challenges:
- Developers are less comfortable moving between frameworks and libraries.
- Developers donât have a full understanding of how the browser works, what it offers, and what âmagicâ their framework provides.
- Developers often rely on a limited toolbox, using the same solution for every problem, even when itâs not the most efficient option.
- Sometimes we end up using the wrong solution for a problem, leading to slow user experiences and too much complexity.
Vanilla JavaScript to the Rescue
This brings us to the concept of âVanilla JavaScript,â which refers to developing web apps with just plain JavaScript and browser APIs, without large libraries or frameworks.
In case youâre curious about the name, it comes from the ice cream industry: vanilla is the base flavor for many other varieties, making it the âbaseâ option without additional layers on top.
I know what you might be thinking: learning vanilla JS seems like a lot of work, and it might feel like going back to the stone age. But letâs demystify some of these ideas.
Using vanilla JS today is not comparable to writing assembler code or a very low-level solution, as some developers fear.
Common Fears About Vanilla JS
- Routing for SPAs is Impossible
- Itâs too Verbose and Time Consuming
- State Management is Difficult
- Templating and Reusable Components are Lacking
- Maintenance is Hard
- High Learning Curve
- Browser Compatibility Issues
- Reinventing the Wheel for Every Project
Some of these fears are real, others are exaggerated, and most are outdated myths.
On the other hand, vanilla projects can avoid unnecessary complexity, are simple to understand, and are suitable for many web apps, including the rising trend of lightweight âthrowawayâ web apps. Theyâre also incredibly fast. Did you know the Frontend Masters web app is built entirely with vanilla JavaScript? Now you do!
Comprehensive Guide to Vanilla JavaScript
Gain speed and simplicity in writing web apps by taking a âvanillaâ approach!
Why You Should Care
Using libraries and frameworks isnât inherently bad, and Iâm not advocating for reinventing the wheel on every project. But by learning vanilla JS, you can:
- Add another tool to your toolbox.
- Understand what your library is doing behind the scenes.
- Extend your library with plugins.
- Become a better web developer.
- Use vanilla JS when itâs the best option.
And remember, even in vanilla JS projects, itâs okay to use microlibraries for specific tasks.
The Main Advantages:
- Lightweight
- Full control and power
- Simplicity
- Flexibility
- High performance
- NoÂ
node_modules needed (just kidding?)
The goal isnât to suggest using vanilla JS for every project. Instead, itâs about learning the tool and using it when itâs the best choice.
Demystifying Technical Challenges
When moving from a library to Vanilla JavaScript, certain technical challenges arise. Letâs tackle some of them.
Working with Components
One key part of any UI library is the ability to create and use components. This pattern is also possible with vanilla JS using three different specs collectively known as âWeb Componentsâ: Custom Elements, HTML Templates, and Shadow DOM. These let you create custom HTML elements with their own behavior.
For example, you can create a Web Component like this:
<app-cart></app-cart>
To do this, you create a class and register it as a Custom Element. Optionally, you can attach a Shadow DOM, so CSS within the component remains isolated from the rest of the document.
You can see a quick example on CodePen:
Reactivity
Reactivity is a core feature of modern UI libraries. It allows the UI to update automatically when data changes. There are several ways to implement this in Vanilla JS, such as using proxies (a standard feature since ES6), Observables, or Signals (via microlibraries).
Hereâs a basic example using a Proxy, which lets you intercept and modify operations on an object:
CodePen Embed Fallback
Read more: Patterns for Reactivity with Modern Vanilla JavaScript
Client-Side Routing
Frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue provide routing features for SPAs. But browsers now support simple, powerful APIs for client-side routing without needing a library.
For example, using the History API it may look like this:
history.pushState(optional_state, null, "/new-route");
window.addEventListener("popstate", event =>
console.log(`
Location: ${document.location}
State: ${JSON.stringify(event.state)}
`);
);`
You can then use DOM APIs to dynamically update your UI based on route changes.
A new API, the Navigation API, is also coming to make client-side routing even easier. Itâs currently available in Chromium. When you have bigger needs, you can mix it with regular expressions, or use a micro-library that will help you only with this specific challenge.
Browser APIs
How often have you searched for a plugin to handle a specific feature, like geolocation or authentication? Browser APIs can replace many of these needs. For a comprehensive list of available APIs, check out the Baseline Project, the Learn PWA Capabilities list, or my Frontend Masters courses on these topics.
Architect scalable web apps by applying design patterns in JavaScript! Implement classic patterns like Singleton, Factory, and Observer alongside modern patterns for single-page and multi-page architectures.
Explore APIs you may not realize exist on the web! Get an overview of new Web APIs and their maturities, such as speech recognition, Permissions Policy and security, sensors, geolocation, OS integration (managing windows, file, and URL protocol handlers), and hardware-related capabilities.
Create installable, offline-capable web apps with the power of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Build a native app experience with icons and splash screens tailored for each platform, and implement offline support using service workers.
Time to Learn Vanilla JS
Learning vanilla JS should be fun! While it may not be suitable for every project, it offers a fresh perspective on how your favorite framework works. It makes switching between paradigms and libraries easier, and it adds a new tool to your toolbox for creating fast, reliable web apps.
Weâve seen that you can implement reusable, sandboxed components, reactive programming, templating, and client-side routing using modern web platform featuresâwithout libraries. The learning curve is small, so even if you donât plan to use vanilla JS right away, learning these techniques and APIs will improve your knowledge of how everything works.
Vanilla JS requires more decision-making and design pattern implementation from you, but itâs perfectly valid to use microlibraries like htmx, Redux, or a Signals library (maverick-js/signals) in your projects.
Yes, vanilla JS can be more verbose and time-consuming compared to frameworks (if we donât count the set up, the learning curve and the build system), but the benefits â like high performance â make it a suitable tool for many web apps.
I hope youâll embrace the simplicity and speed that vanilla JavaScript offers. The next time you start a new project, youâll find yourself asking:Â do I really need this framework?