But you're correct that the "faults" of the framework go beyond coding practices and dogma. Some of them are baked right into the fact that React - like every other web-development framework before it - is still jumping through all kinds of hoops to make it "feel" like you have a state-ful environment... but the underlying nature of the web (i.e., HTTP[S] requests) is that it's an inherently state-LESS protocol.
What really made Flex cool wasn't anything to do with ActionScript or FlexML. It was the Flash player. (Obviously, we all know the faults of that same player - but in this context, it was incredibly powerful, because it provided its own runtime environment.)
To make components that aren't forced to live in a box model driven by declarative layout, you'd have to make those components reasonably "self-aware". In other words, those components would have to be more like... objects.
Imagine if your UI components were, let's say, SVGs. And each SVG didn't really "know" about whatever other SVGs already existed on the canvas. But they'd have the logic to "see" if anything was in close proximity (let's say... 50 pixels in all directions). Then, when you drag one of those SVGs somewhere else, as it comes in proximity with other SVGs, each one would perform its own checks to try to scoot outta the way in as graceful a manner as possible. (With many extra style points if that motion was also calculated under a physics-based engine of Newtonian movement.)
But you're correct that the "faults" of the framework go beyond coding practices and dogma. Some of them are baked right into the fact that React - like every other web-development framework before it - is still jumping through all kinds of hoops to make it "feel" like you have a state-ful environment... but the underlying nature of the web (i.e., HTTP[S] requests) is that it's an inherently state-LESS protocol.
What really made Flex cool wasn't anything to do with ActionScript or FlexML. It was the Flash player. (Obviously, we all know the faults of that same player - but in this context, it was incredibly powerful, because it provided its own runtime environment.)
To make components that aren't forced to live in a box model driven by declarative layout, you'd have to make those components reasonably "self-aware". In other words, those components would have to be more like... objects.
Imagine if your UI components were, let's say, SVGs. And each SVG didn't really "know" about whatever other SVGs already existed on the canvas. But they'd have the logic to "see" if anything was in close proximity (let's say... 50 pixels in all directions). Then, when you drag one of those SVGs somewhere else, as it comes in proximity with other SVGs, each one would perform its own checks to try to scoot outta the way in as graceful a manner as possible. (With many extra style points if that motion was also calculated under a physics-based engine of Newtonian movement.)
Interesting idea about those environment aware objects...
I don't have anything smart to add to it atm but interesting