create-react-app-zero VS Odin

https://github.com/jsebrech/create-react-app-zero

No build frontend dev is a thing, although obscure.

Preact has a no build path in their documentation: https://preactjs.com/guide/v10/getting-started/#no-build-too...

And here’s my no build react setup: https://github.com/jsebrech/create-react-app-zero

Not really the thing you’re looking for, but for those looking for a toolless approach static web apps are a possibility. Host a folder on github pages, put an index.html file in there, start coding.

Plugging my own repo: https://github.com/jsebrech/create-react-app-zero

It is a version of create react app that works in that way, no build tools needed, only a static web server for local development.

For example, I made a version of create react app that requires zero build tools and IMHO doesn't concede too much in developer experience. To be fair, I am not using this myself professionally, but as a proof of concept I think it's pretty interesting to see what's possible. https://github.com/jsebrech/create-react-app-zero

I have been in professional web development since 2004 and I mostly agree with the author that there are massive amounts of groupthink going on. "Modern" web development has standardized in tool stacks which are insanely complicated, far beyond anything that is warranted in most cases. We have forgotten how to make simple things in simple ways.

At a minimum you need node, npm, webpack, babel, an spa framework, a frontend router, a css transpiler, a css framework, a test runner, a testing functions library, and a bunch of smaller things, and that's just what is "needed" to build a static website with a bit of interaction. We're not even talking about the dockerized insanity that happens as soon as you want to slide an API under that beast.

I understand why every piece is there, I was there when they arrived on the scene, I understand what problem they solve. What I don't understand is why as a group web developers have decided this is the only way to solve the problem of web development. What we don't have are simpler web stacks. Why do we need npm or babel at all to make a simple web frontend? Modern browsers are good enough that with the right tooling we don't need build pipelines or package managers. Similar arguments can be made for the server-side parts.

Anyway, here's my own two cents to a simpler web dev stack: a version of create react app that is entirely self-contained and has no build steps. https://github.com/jsebrech/create-react-app-zero

There's also Odin[0] too. I tried using them all and Odin was pretty nice. Nim is also good too but a lot more features.

But - I concluded that language matters a lot less compared to APIs. Yes, the language should have enough good features to let the programmers express themselves, but overall well designed APIs matter a lot more than language. For example -tossing most of the C stdlib and following a consistent coding style (similar to one described here -[1]), with using Arenas for memory allocation, I can be just as productive in C.

[0] - https://odin-lang.org

I highly recommend looking at:

* The Overview: <https://odin-lang.org/docs/overview/>

* examples/demo: <https://github.com/odin-lang/Odin/blob/master/examples/demo/...>

As for the first example: a basic lexing example is probably boring, but it does show some basic ideas of what the language is about. If people want to write better examples or just reorder the current ones, please feel free to make an issue or PR on the website's GitHub page: <https://github.com/odin-lang/odin-lang.org>.

I use Odin primarily, it’s C-level but pascal/Go syntax and inspiration https://odin-lang.org/

Website: https://odin-lang.org/

Get it from the website: https://odin-lang.org/ -- Odin includes bindings to popular gamedev libraries & APIs such as Raylib, SDL, DirectX, OpenGL and Vulkan.