Thinking Back and Coding Forward

#webdev #javascript #css #beginners

I have been making web pages in some fashion since 1994. Yes, thats Internet Explorer 3. There is one thing I find crazy about that. I am just as enthusiastic about making great web pages now as I was then.

Going through all the changes and styles, that is the tough part. I feel like now that we have developed so much in terms of browsers and how they work. We now have a chance to start making a really great web that works well without the long term hassle.

I don't have a lot to go into here. However, the last couple weeks I have been diving back into the modern CSS tactics and dumping frameworks one by one. The frameworks were suspension to deal with browser differences. Now that the browsers have standardized, I find the frameworks adding more complexity than they solve. That goes for JavaScript and CSS. There is no real benefit to bringing tools you don't need to solve problems you don't have.

I am finding it easier and easier to work with mobile first design and still have a great display on desktop. Without draging in some 12 column grid or making a bunch of vanilla classes. It's not that bad to write the CSS and the JS from scratch and still end up with a stunning website. What I find really great, is that without a framework there is no need for framework knowledge or documentation.

I do want to offer up one thought. If using a framework because you can search solutions seems like a good idea, it might be a better idea to search for solutions in the native language. Typically, learning something in the native language is a one time task without the need for the manual in the future. Frameworks always feel like an anchor to me, meaning I have to read and memorize their documentation, in order to do what I already know how to do.

I didn't want this blog to turn into an anti-framework post because its not and I like frameworks. My point is that the internet is demanding faster loading, lighter sites. With the modern browser being on billions of devices, it's simply time to start trusting the browser as the framework. That way, you will be shipping a very light code set (No CDN, etc). Your site will be crazy fast.

Signing Off...