JavaScript Views, the Hard Way – A Pattern for Writing UI
a year ago
- #JavaScript
- #Performance Optimization
- #Frontend Development
- Writing JavaScript Views the Hard Way is a pattern for creating maintainable, performant views without frameworks like React or Vue.
- Key benefits include performance (direct imperative code), zero dependencies, portability across frameworks, maintainability through strict conventions, broad browser support, easier debugging, and functional programming style.
- The approach involves structuring views with templates, DOM variables, state variables, DOM update functions, state update functions, and initialization logic.
- Templates use plain HTML with placeholders for dynamic content, avoiding interpolation for browser compatibility.
- The `init` function acts as a closure for view instances, managing DOM and state updates through clearly defined sections.
- Conventions like naming DOM nodes with 'Node' suffix and state update functions with 'set' prefix help maintain clarity and debuggability.
- State and DOM updates are separated to ensure efficient rendering and clear mutation tracking.
- The pattern supports creating reusable, framework-agnostic components with minimal overhead.