eureka VS prehistoric-simulation

Here's an example of building a well-structured, maintainable web-site using JavaScript, HTML and CSS: https://github.com/wisercoder/eureka/tree/master/webapp/Clie...

It doesn't use React (imagine the horror!), instead it uses two tine 500-line libs.

> a literal 5-20x productivity boost

Not really. See a better way here: https://github.com/wisercoder/eureka

I'm not quite seeing React being used, just JSX though? All the view and state updating is being done manually, but it looks fairly well-organised. There are small optimisations like debouncing onInput with a timeout (avoiding rapid re-rendering for every character typed): https://github.com/wisercoder/eureka/blob/master/webapp/Clie...

React works well for simple, non-interactive components. Complex, interactive components are going to have state. Stateful components don't work so well in React. If you want to update props in a stateful component, the recommendation is to replace the component entirely by changing its key. At the point all of the benefits of React (preservation of selection, caret position, scroll position etc.) vanish. You might as well use vanilla js instead of React.

What does using Vanilla JS look like? Here's an example: https://github.com/wisercoder/eureka It uses two tiny 500-line libs. It uses TSX files, just like React. It has components, just like React. It doesn't have incremental screen update, but neither does React, if your components are interactive and stateful.

Wouldn't say I got a lot better by writing small and medium sized personal hobby project, but it most definitely did get me confidence and satisfaction.

A cellular automata runner where you can define the rules and watch what happens: https://aperocky.com/cellular-automata/

Browse THIS website in terminal: https://github.com/Aperocky/hnterminal

A random simulation of prehistoric civilization and market: https://prehistoric.tech/

Every few months I get a bubbly idea and start some fun project, and they are usually small enough I get to finish them in a week or so, package them either on the web or pip/npm. It feels like a boost to occasionally boring work otherwise.

This is where tests come in, it helps tremendously at the end of the day to have a little check mark, proof that work is done, even if it is purely mental.

Anecdotally it also helps me pick projects up after years.

shameless plugs:

https://prehistoric.tech/

https://aperocky.com/cellular-automata/

Self promoting plug:

It still works fairly well on the relatively small scale if you just want to write a frontend app (i.e. simulations):

https://aperocky.com/cellular-automata

https://prehistoric.tech

Now that I think of it, I've created something that has a minimum level of correlation...

http://prehistoric.tech/

Though this one is more about society simulation then evolution, it does come with a command line for control.