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Huỳnh Nhân Quốc
Huỳnh Nhân Quốc

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Why Does Kit JS Exist?

#hydration #opensource #kitjs #dreamerdeveloper

Comparison

If we compare Kit JS with Alpine, Angular, React, Vue, or even HTMX, the truth is — Kit JS wasn’t born to compete.

Honestly? It’s not as powerful as those tools.

That’s because Kit JS isn’t trying to be a full-stack framework.

Its purpose is to hydrate HTML on the client-side, following a philosophy of fast, light, and simple — a mindset I “borrowed” from Golang, the language I’ve been exploring.

In a way, it’s similar to Web Components.

I even developed a similar system years ago using the same philosophy — entirely written in JavaScript.

But here’s what sets Kit JS apart:

  • It has a compile system reminiscent of AngularJS (Angular 1).
  • It’s written purely in JavaScript.
  • It doesn’t use eval or new Function. Many modern frameworks avoid these functions during build time. Kit JS? It runs directly — no build, no custom config.

Performance-wise, the evaluation might be slightly slower without eval or new Function.

But in return, you get safety, clarity, and independence from build tools.

What Is Kit JS?

Kit JS is a small, lightweight JavaScript framework/library built to enhance (hydrate) HTML elements already rendered from the server.

It doesn’t replace frameworks.

It doesn’t recreate the DOM.

It doesn’t require a build.

It simply breathes life into static HTML, making it interactive and responsive to client-side data.

In my ecosystem, the server (written in Go) handles rendering and routing like a full-stack framework.

Kit JS focuses solely on client enhancement, keeping HTML dynamic without complexity.

Why Notevalornew Function?

The answer is simple:

It’s my personal philosophy and vision for the next step in creating (or finding) a tool that fits me.

Journey and Philosophy

I’m a web developer — or someone who touches all things website-related.

And I always ask slightly odd questions:

“Why can’t a website run anywhere?”
I’ve tried a lot:

  • Wails, WebView for running web like an app
  • PWA / TWA to turn web into mobile apps
  • Learning how React Native or Flutter build interfaces But in the end, what I truly needed was much simpler — like writing a vanilla JS Chrome Extension.

If you’ve ever done that, you’ll know the feeling: pure simplicity and elegance.

It’s like putting a static website online: one index.html file, upload, and it works.

For me, it’s even simpler.

Just copy a single JS file to the server —

like Steve Jobs’ iconic “drag to trash” action.
For a demo, I just copy the file via SSH in VS Code — bam, the website comes alive.

Why Do This?

If you’ve ever searched for a tool to build a personal blog, you’ll understand:

websites need SEO.

Nowadays, most JS frameworks handle SEO well.

But back when JAMstack was still unknown, I was transitioning from Angular to Go.

I had one goal:

“Publish a website as simply and quickly as possible.”
Later, I wanted better management for all my websites.

That’s when I realized:

“Different goals require different tools.”
I’m not saying React or Vue are outdated.

They just solve different problems.

Just like over 50% of websites still use jQuery, and many PHP developers still find work easily.

No language is perfect.

Only the language — or tool — fit for your purpose.

The Real Purpose

If you know HTMX, you might wonder:

“Why create this when Vue or React exists?”
The truth:

Every tool, library, or framework is created to serve its creator first.

Kit JS is no different — it serves me first.

Target Audience

Let me reiterate the concept of hydration.

Kit JS is perfect for SSR websites like PHP (WordPress, Laravel), Liquid, Django, Flask, Golang Templates…

All of these already render the DOM.

Kit JS just makes it smoother, more fluid, and easier to interact with.

Need to build a Chrome Extension as quickly as a static website? Kit JS works.

No bundling.

No package.

No NodeJS.

If you, like me, manage multiple small websites/products, you understand:

you don’t want to build and deploy each one separately.

You just want to copy one file to the server and go.

Kit JS is a package I extracted to share the #buildinpublic story.

Everything else in my system is managed via Go.

Finally, Kit JS is for anyone who wants to research, share, and learn.

I open-sourced it so others can read, understand, customize, or clone.

“You don’t need to explain. Just let me read your code.”
Whatever language you write in, if I can read your code, I can rewrite it in Golang — my favorite language.

Just like I once read an open-source PHP project and rewrote it in Go — not to learn PHP, but to study the algorithm inside.

That’s what I pursue.

And Finally — I Am a Dreamer Developer

Why “dreamer”?

Because experiences and circumstances differ.

I’ve coded and deleted.

I’ve chased deadlines without pay.

I’ve done things just to learn.

I’m not better than anyone.

I’m just walking a slightly different path.

I share this story for other builders out there —

those quietly creating something:

“Keep your passion. Keep being a little foolish.”
https://github.com/kitmodule/kitjs

NOTES

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