Ask HN: How does one build large front end apps without a framework like React?

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 6:40 AM UTC

runjake wrote: post #143

rudi-c wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone else in this thread is talking about (React/Angular/Vue/JQuery/etc) v.s. (Plain JS/Direct DOM manipulation/etc). Running that code on top of Electron or not is entirely orthogonal. So I admit I'm confused why you're fixated on bringing Electron into the conversation. Op's question appears to me like it references the last part of the linked thread: "I’d like to know what JavaScript framework (e.g. Vue, React…

I thought we were talking about this (pasted from your comment above): > "I’d like to know what JavaScript framework (e.g. Vue, React) Obsidian desktop application is using for creating the user interface? And the answer to that question is: Electron. Is that not the question?

Post by Kiro » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 6:48 AM UTC

runjake wrote: post #104

rudi-c wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Framework is unfortunately a term that's both ill-defined and quite overloaded. Electron is a framework in a very different sense than the "JS frameworks" op is asking about. The latter is about libraries with APIs and mental models for producing the UI & UX of web applications. Electron is just a way of running Chrome without the Chrome UI around it, + a few APIs for accessing native OS APIs. You wouldn't say that C…

> Electron is a framework in a very different sense than the "JS frameworks" op is asking about. The OP doesn't have a good understanding of what they're asking about, and that's okay. That's why they asked the question. The linked thread is titled "What framework did the developer use to create Obsidian desktop application?". It's not asking about a web application and specifically referencing a desktop framework wi…

Post by austin-cheney » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 10:05 AM UTC

Our_Benefactors wrote: post #155

austin-cheney wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you talking about with this talk of implosion? It sounds like boogieman nonsense from small children scared of the dark. I prefer to use vanilla JS when writing large SPAs and it works just fine. There is a stereotype from the outside world that a great many programmers are autistic. The irrational fear of not using a framework for code in the browser is one of those cases that really screams the stereotype…

> What are you talking about with this talk of implosion? It sounds like boogieman nonsense from small children scared of the dark. I prefer to use vanilla JS when writing large SPAs and it works just fine. It’s absolutely not and it absolutely doesn’t. Inheriting a VanillaJS project is often a nightmare because it screams “inexperienced developer” not to use a framework, so the code quality and build processes are o…

Post by thiht » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 12:42 PM UTC

Magmalgebra wrote: post #118

actinium226 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> React is a lot more stable than I think you're giving it credit for. Hooks are only 5 years old. The docs were revamped 2 years ago and there's lots of dead links to the old docs page which has a scary warning "These docs are old and won’t be updated." Create-react-app was deprecated in February of this year and in their blog post they tell you to use frameworks like Next.js. And then there's the ecosystem. Next.js…

Most of your complaints are about things that are not React. Those are optional. I can still standup a vanilla React stack in an afternoon just as easily as I did 5 years ago and immediately start writing the exact same code and have it "just work".

Post by BrouteMinou » Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 2:49 PM UTC

rlkf wrote: post #169

Draw.io is quite good, and it is made without using any frameworks. Alas, the source code is not open to learn from. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-tools-and-languages-used-i... >