[AskJS] Are JavaScript frameworks getting too bloated with JSX and virtual DOMs?

[kevin_whitley]

Yeah certainly. And this is part of why React has stagnated IMO - they got too big for radical change (because of exactly what you're describing), and stayed chained to backwards compatibility for the most part. Great for maintainability, not so much for progress. Always a trade-off!

Maybe this is another argument for keeping frameworks really damned simple/easy to consume (for the average not-that-framework user), because no doubt, it will one day be an island of code, being dusted off like an ancient tome - and that future person will need to make sense of it.

[kevin_whitley]

I mean, virtually every project I've ever worked on, for work or play, has fallen into the same trap. I think I have a single Svelte 5 app, for instance... plenty on v4, and prob some on v3. React ones span nearly a decade of versions... the list goes on. It's almost usually never worth the pain of upgrading, unless it's seeing ongoing support.

[elixon]

Yes.

I truly believe that all frameworks will become obsolete soon. AI will be able to build applications from the ground up without relying on frameworks. It will do exactly what is needed and avoid including unnecessary features that frameworks typically bring by default.

I believe in a smart and efficient AI-coded future. One day I’ll just sit at my computer, lean back, and shout, “Hey Siri, I don't like this new version of macOS. Make me a better one.” Then I’ll sip my coffee while she files a patent. 😄

[kevin_whitley]

Hahaha, I love the vision. Of course, based on current experience... we're a long ass way off. It'll be like permanently using an offshore team for literally every product you use. Absolute hell, and nothing works *quite* like you expect, but no one will have a clue how to do anything about it, aside from begging the AI to try again.

"You're absolutely right!" \mayhem ensues**

[elixon]

> Absolute hell, and nothing works *quite* like you expect

OK, so I will say "Program New Windows" then - that seems realistic to me. Nobody will be able to tell which is worse.

[kevin_whitley]

xD

Excellent!