It’s not the primary topic of my blog; however, at the end of the day, it’s my blog, and I have the right to express my opinions. This article may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I have found that some JavaScript frameworks are really annoying, which has made me embrace Vanilla JS even more.
Let me be clear: I hate JavaScript frameworks—quite a simple introduction, right? The truth is, I’m tired of seeing new JavaScript frameworks pop up every single month, and it’s frustrating.
Now, I’m not against frameworks entirely; I just oppose the ridiculous and underwhelming ones. For instance, I really enjoy using the Tauri framework in my current work. I’m not always against frameworks, but many JavaScript frameworks (most of them) are no longer effective.
Take Tauri, for example. It’s a fantastic framework because it allows me to easily integrate any frontend framework (I actually use pure JavaScript, not any JavaScript or TypeScript frameworks) with a Rust backend. This integration is incredibly valuable, as connecting these technologies without a framework can be a real headache. I also appreciate Tauri for its security features.
However, I have a strong aversion to slow and non-functional JavaScript frameworks. Sure, sometimes a framework can simplify development, but we don’t need to load a bunch of unnecessary code to accomplish something simple that we can already do with plain JavaScript.
Finding the Right Balance
Do you disagree with me? Do you really need 100 lines of code for your new “Hello, World!” application? I suppose everyone has their own preferences.
Performance isn’t the only issue with frameworks; there are also many vulnerabilities associated with them. Yes, there are vulnerabilities in pure JavaScript as well, but the attack surface is generally smaller.
So, when are frameworks a solid choice? Simply put, when you can use them effectively. If you can accomplish a task in 10 lines of code instead of 100, then a framework might be the way to go.
When there isn’t a significant performance gap and using a framework saves time, it makes sense to utilize one. Balance is key; it’s all about finding the right equilibrium. But if you can, please consider using Vanilla JS over a framework.
