I wonder if we need any JavaScript framework at all, given how far JS has come in recent years, yes, I use an MVC framework currently for the apps I'm building but I'm writing more and more of my apps these days using nothing but vanilla JavaScript(ES-6 to be exact) and the dom apis, and I'm not depending upon any framework. (well, I use traceur but only because ES-6 support is not fully baked in to all browsers). IMO the frameworks that are all out there today are simply too big and try to do too much for you. The only libraries I use from time to time are underscore, d3 and moment.js.
I'm finding that in many cases the old adage holds true: "You're always using a framework. Either you're using an existing framework, or you're building your own." (paraphrased)
Sure, if legacy browser support is not a concern and you don't need to support bleeding-edge features (i.e. unstable APIs), you can go a long way with vanilla JS. But at some point any large system needs abstractions in order to stay maintainable. And if you don't use existing abstractions, you'll have to come up with your own abstractions.
Of course the other option is to simply not build large enough systems to require abstractions.
That said, I do prefer smaller libraries, too. This is why I see React not being a full replacement for all of Angular as a feature rather than a limitation.
I only ever began considering Express as a framework when it dropped the vast majority of its features (mostly middleware) in 4.x, too.
Well, a custom framework might evolve when you write everything using just JavaScript, but I've found that when such a thing does happen, it suits your needs perfectly. Even if I screw up, I'll at least know where to look when I'm debugging :)
"Any sufficiently complicated collection of libraries contains an ad hoc, informally-specified, bug-ridden, slow implementation of half of a full framework"?
That sounds about right :) . However, you need a great degree of discipline (greater compared to other languages IMO), to write good JS. JS enforces almost nothing, so it's up to the programmer to design an application architecture that suits her, so it might not be as ad-hoc in real life applications after all.
This works ok if you're a single developer working alone on a project. This becomes very difficult in a larger group where you have some turnover and everyone has different backgrounds. Having a framework that makes a lot of the decisions for you greases the wheels to productivity. Give engineers an inch to bike-shed, they'll take a mile when choosing the paint color.
This. A lot of the frameworks are doing things that can sort of be done with vanilla JS now — personally I’m waiting on Object.observe to become more widespread.
"So we are optimistic that our centralized web search engine architecture will improve in its ability to cover the pertinent text information over time and that there is a bright future for search"
Wow!
I've never met anyone who likes CSS. Sure, I write it, the people I meet write it and it's unavoidable but it's little more than a necessary evil, as nothing else works on the web.
It reminded me of this
https://xkcd.com/664/
when I read it. The difference between what is intellectually stimulating and gives you a sense of aesthetic pleasure and joy, and writing something that will work correctly in IE6 is too damn huge.
I just came out of doing that. The first question I got is "That's nice. But can it also do X?". On days like these I consider myself lucky that my boyfriend is also a programmer and we can pat each other on the back.
Having said that, I (in management mode) make an effort to applaud individual success in front of whole team. It's great to get cheers all round from everyone and I feel that it really strengthens us as a group.
Programming is one of the most exciting, flow-inducing, mentally stimulating, mathematically and logically enlightening, rewarding activities I do. Programming is one of the most mind-numbing, soul-sucking, procrastination-inducing, lonely, repetitive, mentally exhausting activities I do.
Amen to that. I also feel like there is an 'OCD' part of me that allows me to do the soul sucking stuff, this drains me. I prefer it when the 'creative' part of me is expressing itself, this recharges my batteries.
Pretty sure anyone who has struggled with OCD cringes at hyperbole like this. After you've washed your hands till they bleed, "lol I'm so OCD" gets tiresome. Everyone has quirks, drop the special snowflake shit
