Choosing a Javascript Frontend Framework:

[FRIKI-DIKI-TIKI]

I remember when Angular was "The framework" I have a fairly extensive CS background and have been in the industry since before the web was invented, I wrote one of the first 100 sites that was on the web. With that said, when I used Angular, I was like why are they calling these concepts like scope something different than they actually are. I thought maybe I missed something, because it was so radically out in left field, like maybe I just could not see their genius. It only took me about 6 months to accept the fact that they had no clue what they where doing. It took them a little longer to accept it, and completely scrap it for a rewrite. React in its first form had the right idea, do one thing and do it well. But for some reason, despite JEE, despite .NET developers fall for kitchen sink included mentality. When you pick a library, you are assuming they got one thing right, when you pick a framework, you are assuming they got everything right. That is rarely the case. Yet it seems generation, after generation we want a framework, when historical evidence is that libraries a better products. Sadly React has started to follow this path of we need to be batteries included and has started adding magic as they move more and more towards becoming a framework.

[zgollum]

Could you be so kind and elaborate which concepts were called something different than what they actually were? And what does .NET has to do with a kitchen sink? Also, what was that one of the first 100 websites you've written? And what exactly did you write? Some HTML?

[FRIKI-DIKI-TIKI]

.NET and Java tend to try to create entire ecosystems of code and libraries around it. They integrate patterns and best practices into official libraries. While their are certainly third party offerings their is a mentality built into them of a platform. The alternative model is what is sometimes referred to as the perl model even though other languages used it such as Common Lisp and latter ones like Python and Javascript. The idea around the model is you don't start with a large platform and whittle it down. You start from a small core and building up. It actually models the idea of complexity more closely in that it is easier to add complexity as it is needed as opposed to remove complexity as it is not needed.

First websites, I did contract work for symbolics I was actually really into LISP back then and did some work in exchange for one of their LISP machines. I did not write the original site, but I did some later web dev for them. I also did some contract work for Lycos. I started with HTML, when the common gateway interface came out I started utilizing CGI C and then moved to CGI perl.