What happened to the front end while you weren't watching
17 hours ago
- Simple beginning: saving index.html and uploading via FTP, no build tools.
- AJAX and jQuery solved dynamic updates but required manual DOM synchronization.
- Declarative UI and components (React, Vue, etc.) automated synchronization through reactivity.
- Build tools (Babel, webpack) emerged for module systems and transpilation, causing heavy node_modules.
- Tools rewritten in fast languages (esbuild, Vite) improved developer experience.
- SSR, SSG, hydration issues led to islands, resumability, and React Server Components.
- TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and shadcn/ui became standard for safety and productivity.
- Deployment simplified with Git-based platforms and serverless/edge computing.
- AI code generation (vibe coding) allows creating frontend from natural language.
- Trend swinging back to server-rendered HTML with minimal JavaScript, resembling original FTP approach.