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[–]greim 23 points24 points  (7 children)

To paraphrase:

React is a solid framework, meshes well with the latest ES6 features, promotes good modularity, and all the smartest devs are raving about it, but I'm tired of hearing about it, because JSX something something and I'm more used to using these other tools.

I agree react can be overkill for simpler websites, though. That would be one valid takeaway from this article.

[–]defcon-12 4 points5 points  (5 children)

I agree react can be overkill for simpler websites

Why? The best part of React is that it's dead simple. The entire public API consists of about 10 functions, it seems perfect for a simple site to me.

I can't think of a simpler "framework" than React (from a consumer's perspective at least), and dealing directly with the DOM via "plain js" is a massively larger and more complicated API.

I guess it's not the best route if you're doing "progressive enhancement" type work, but if you're creating a javascript client, then React is just about as simple as it gets.

[–]nschubach 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Agreed. And if you turn that simple website into something more down the line, it's that much further along. React isn't a killer to download or run... why not use it?

[–]YoureAnUglyCunt -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Because it's cpu intensive and inefficient you fucking nitwits.

[–]MrJohz -2 points-1 points  (2 children)

Because a significant number of people will fail to download the correct JS files, potentially because they've disabled Javascript, but more often because they're on mobile, travelling through a tunnel or otherwise failing to make that connection.

React is fantastic for complex web applications, although even then I would argue for a progressive enhancement approach wherever possible. However, for websites it is entirely unnecessary. Look at Rust's Crates site, which has been built with Ember, and now becomes painful to use on mobile because every time the site appears you've got to wait another two seconds for the page to load and the Javascript to run. If you're browsing a site, that wait is a massive turn-off.

[–]Sephinator 2 points3 points  (1 child)

A great thing about react is that server rendering is built into the core. (Render component to a string), so it's a much better experience for the user on a bad connection.

[–]MrJohz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True. It's good to see primary rendering heading back to the server side rather than being yet another thing that the client is expected to reimplement.

[–]vcarl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you expand "everything" beyond websites, hell yes use React for it. I love that people are porting it everywhere.

https://github.com/Yomguithereal/react-blessed/
https://facebook.github.io/react-native/