I'm building domharvest-playwright, an open-source DOM extraction tool focused on simplicity and reliability. This is the first post documenting the journey.
The Core Question
When starting a new project, we face countless decisions: TypeScript or JavaScript? Complex tooling or zero-config? Git Flow or GitHub Flow?
I chose simplicity at every turn. Here's why.
Key Decisions
JavaScript Over TypeScript
While TypeScript offers type safety, I opted for vanilla JavaScript to lower the barrier to entry. The goal is to make web scraping accessible without requiring TS knowledge.
Zero-Config with StandardJS
No .eslintrc, no Prettier config, no debates. StandardJS provides automatic formatting and linting with zero setup time.
GitHub Flow Over Git Flow
Simpler branching model: main + feature branches. No develop branch, no release branches. Perfect for solo/small team projects.
What's Next
The foundation is set. Next steps:
- Core scraping functionality with Playwright
- Resilient selector strategies
- Comprehensive error handling
- Real-world testing
Read More
Full post with detailed reasoning: https://domharvest.github.io/posts/building-domharvest-playwright/
Repository: https://github.com/domharvest/domharvest-playwright
What's your take on simplicity vs. features in developer tools? Drop a comment!
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