JavaScript Jam Live on Wednesday
This week we'll be having another open mic to discuss the JavaScript news of the week including whether frontend development is over, the release of the new React documentation, and Eleventy 2.0. Whether you're an expert or total beginner, join us to talk about all the developments in JavaScript.
Last week we were joined by Dylan Piercey and the Marko team (along with former Marko team member Ryan Carniato) to discuss the little known framework and its innovations. I highly recommend checking out the recording, you might be surprised by all the innovations that started with this humble project.
Articles of the Week
Is Frontend Development Over?
In The End of Front-End Development, Josh Comeau explores how AI, particularly ChatGPT, is shaping the future of web development. Josh has spoken with many early-career developers who are getting more and more anxious about AI after seeing the increasingly impressive demos from tools like GPT-4.
They worry that by the time they're fluent in HTML/CSS/JavaScript, there won’t be jobs left for them. However, he is optimistic that these tools will be accelerators for developers instead of replacements. I strongly agree with this sentiment and in fact, I even use ChatGPT to help out with writing this newsletter 😉.
New React Docs Go Live
A common complaint among new React developers has been the outdated documentation. Despite hooks being introduced nearly 5 years ago (!), the official documentation has continued to show class components and recommend tools like create-react-app. But now if you visit react.dev you will find the new, official React documentation in all its glory!
How to Start a React Project in 2023
Since Tech Twitter always needs something to argue about, the release of the new React documentation sparked a heated discussion around the section recommending how to start a new React project. Should you use a framework? Should you use Vite? Should you use the old and slow create-react-app?
The React docs suggest Next as the first option and then gives a couple of other suggestions depending on your use case, but popular React blogger Robin Wieruch wrote up an even more thorough article answering this question called How to start a React Project in 2023.
Eleventy 2.0
Eleventy is a longtime fan favorite tool among the set of Jamstack ready frameworks. It took many years for the first version to be officially released, but since then the pace of development has significantly sped up thanks to Netlify officially sponsoring the creator's work. Now the second major version has been released and Craig Buckler has written a summary of all the new features.
Composability Summit
Christoph Gerber shows how to optimize scalability without the technical concerns and avoid rolling maintenance, development, and QA costs in To SaaS or not to SaaS.
Podcasts of the Week
- Compressed - A New Era of Framework Agnostic Components
- JavaScript Jabber - Functional Programming with Ian Schwartz
- Web Rush - All Things TypeScript with Maina Wycliffe
- JS Party - Recreating Node.js from scratch
- ShopTalk - Esoteric Weird Content Editable Problems with Kristin Valentine
One More Thing
During the production of Svelte Origins, OfferZen asked Rich Harris to explain what Svelte is and the problems it solves.
JavaScript Jam on the Web
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