By Richard MacManus
In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern internet technology, JavaScript frameworks have long been the cornerstone of web development. However, a growing number of developers are now questioning their necessity, citing unnecessary complexity and performance issues. In a recent article on InfoQ, we delve into the counterintuitive impact of this complexity, exploring why the trend towards simplicity is gaining momentum once again.
The Rise of Simplicity
The movement against JavaScript frameworks is gaining steam. In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, AI developer Pieter Levels shared his unique development philosophy: he relies solely on basic HTML, PHP, a bit of jQuery-enhanced JavaScript, and SQLite databases, steadfastly avoiding complex JavaScript frameworks, modern programming languages, or Wasm technology.
Levels, who has founded seven startups,直言不讳地说: “I’ve noticed a resurgence in PHP. People seem fed up with the endless stream of frameworks. JavaScript frameworks, while powerful, are often bulky and expensive to maintain. Each new version can necessitate a massive code refactor. In contrast, PHP is known for its stability and reliability, and it still gets the job done across various scenarios.” On his website, Levels actively advocates for rapid iteration and frequent product releases, reflecting his pragmatic approach to development.
Echoes in the Developer Community
Many prominent developers have echoed Levels’ sentiments on social media. David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, wrote in a tweet: “These complexity peddlers will try to make you believe you can’t do anything on your own anymore. They’ll tell you that you can’t handle authentication, scaling, databases, or even connecting to the internet without buying their product. Don’t fall for it. Reject this bullshit.”
Some developers have even expressed deep regret over their decision to switch to JavaScript. Marc Grabanski, a leading figure in web development training and the founder and CEO of Frontend Masters, admitted in a tweet: “In 2010, moving my main site from PHP to another platform was one of the worst decisions of my career. My native PHP site was attracting over a million unique visitors per month, but the attempt to migrate to a newer language and framework killed its momentum and led to its decline.”
Grabanski clarified that his criticism was not aimed at PHP itself but rather at the tendency to overdesign for the sake of trends. “If your project is running smoothly with simple code, don’t chase trends and overengineer. Keep it simple and focus on maintaining the project’s momentum.”
The Philosophy of Simplicity
The philosophy of simplicity has deep roots in the halls of computer science. Back in 1998, Steve Jobs eloquently explained, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication: it takes a lot of hard work to make it simple, to achieve the level of refinement where you can remove the unnecessary. But it’s worth it, because once you do, you can move mountains.”
Complexity on the Other End
Interestingly, this wind of simplicity is not only gaining momentum in the entrepreneurial wave led by Pieter Levels but is also subtly seeping into the professional web development community, becoming a force to be reckoned with. In the developer community, it’s rare to find two individuals as different as Pieter Levels and Alex Russell. Levels is a vocal advocate for PHP and a successful entrepreneur, while Russell is a Microsoft browser engineer and a highly respected figure in the web development world.
Despite their differing technical philosophies, both are now critical of complex web frameworks. In a series of recent blog posts, Russell conducted a personal study on how the JavaScript-dominated frontend culture is negatively impacting the U.S. public service system. He cited BenefitsCal as an example, a recently launched online service platform in California designed to assist families seeking SNAP (food stamp) benefits.
Using authoritative web performance evaluation tools like WebPageTest.org and Google Core Web Vitals, Russell uncovered a significant issue with the website: the JavaScript files were so large that they were causing severe performance issues, making it difficult for users to access the services they needed.
The Future of Web Development
The debate over JavaScript frameworks is far from over, but the growing chorus of voices advocating for simplicity suggests that the pendulum may be swinging back. Developers are increasingly recognizing that simplicity can often be more effective than complexity, and that sometimes, less is indeed more. As the web continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how this shift towards simplicity shapes the future of web development.
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