I think the web is broken, or i am

Huhhm... (a sigh of lost hope)

The world of a quiche eater isn't openly documented, well here is everything looming in my mind at-least just about how
i think ui dev should be.

Here is the backstory :

I started my development journey by building android apps using DroidScript (a javascript framework), the issue is it's not cross-platform.

NOTE : I refer to the native way of building ui.

The native way looks something like this:

function OnStart(){
  let main = app.CreateLayout('linear','fillxy')

  let btn = app.AddButton(main, 'A simple Button', 0.8, -1)

  app.AddLayout(main)
}

I've gotten so used to building ui this way it seems correct,
I feel at peace, I feel at home.

I have built direct copies of popular design schemes for DroidScript using the native android ui api's provided like Material Design 3.

I find my-self having to compromise I hate the thought of typing so much HTML and CSS to get something i feel proud of, the switching between these too is annoying.

Well, you could say why not learn a framework like React or Vue.

They all have that xml syntax and i don't like it, while i love web components they make me hate the xml syntax so much more...
now i have to add a f*** dash.

I have tried a multitude of frameworks,

• I did React and i love the way i can call functions and build ui, i just don't feel well with React Query and how much i have to learn and things don't come pre-built. I hate thinking about a which state management solution.

• I did bits of Vue to be honest i did like it, but i feel so much away from the development i like, keep in mind i hate xml syntax so as Vue is catching strays Svelte isn't safe too.

• I did Solid online though, yeah i think I'm fine.

• Before this, i did install Next.js i might give it a try looks fire, but i may have to swallow the hard pill this time.

Okay but what have i done since i dread xml syntax

I made my own framework i called it SquidBASE.js and i didn't go through with my promises, deleted it and gave up.

The hate boiled up again,
I tried a different approach, i built innerscope.js and it flopped i just
couldn't get it to align with what i want.

I previously even made an article about innerscope.js bashing how frameworks are getting it all wrong, i won't delete it though >3.
Now i am on my third attempt viewml.js
The motivation i will succeed is low, the development of it is a major
blow to my ego, i hate having to ask that dreaded LLM for help.
I'm just copying i want to be that 10X developer, but everything feels so hard.

Anyway my plan is I'm not going to copy exactly how DroidScript operates, but i have figured out why it felt so good its the separation of concerns, lets you write ui, and up-to good ui without involving css nor html.

Now look I'm not that bad of a quiche eater, CSS is great so i decided to call everything from the js side, embed element focused styles onto that element using a css-in-js way.

Here is the hierarchy of the project :

/* As a class glazer, Application class 
is the top level and we have an onStart function to be the start*/
class Application {
onStart(){
  let main = vml.addLayout("main", "linear", "vertical");

  let bannerdiv = vml.addHtmlEl(main, "div",'center,vertical');
  /* With Any Div, or Element, its children can be aligned
  *  a certain way thats why we got the center, certical options
  *  now you dont have to add the css for that, and call from
  *  a function
  */
  let banner = vml.addHtmlEl(bannerdiv, "h1");
  banner.textContent = "The framework for staying in the flow";
  banner.id = 'banner'
  banner.css`
  letter-spacing: 0.5px;
  margin-top: 15px;
  font-family: "Inter", sans-serif;
  font-wight: 700;
  font-size: 48px;
  color: #213547;
  text-align: center;
  overflow-wrap : break-word;
  `;
}
}

I can't demonstrate this well, in a blog post but i'd advise you check the App.js code in the github : viewml App.js File

Now all of this takes me in all different places.

I feel like i have got everything mixed up, sometimes i think maybe it's not for me, or its just that maybe I'm the issue, the world loves that
xml syntax and i haven't found someone who shares these thoughts.

Also with job concerns this even takes me on a scare loop, will i find a job or this will be a hobby that cannot elevate me because i don't want to fit in the world that exists and the way it works.

Or i am overthinking advise me.

Comments

[Muhammad Arslan Aslam]

Seems to me that you may be well of with a better set of developer tooling rather than building a new framework (not that there's anything wrong with it).

Overtime, in my experience, I have learned that any boilerplate that I pick off the internet, isn't going to align with how I want to do things or how I have been doing things recently. Instead of writing a framework that works just for me, I opted to do some R&D and built a couple of different boilerplates (didn't even had to build from scratch, just took some popular/good ones and modified them to my own needs). Having this, gives me the edge to start a new project rather quickly and I am always in the familiar territory.

However, if you still feel like you need to write your own framework, my best wishes with you!