Moving from React to htmx (htmx.org)

Article summary

A company replaced their React UI with htmx and Django templates, resulting in a 67% reduction in codebase size and improved performance. The change took two months to implement and did not reduce the application's user experience. The company saw significant reductions in JavaScript dependencies, web build time, and memory usage. The switch also allowed the development team to become full-stack developers, improving development velocity.

Main themes

• htmx vs React
• performance improvements
• full-stack development
• client-side state management
• server-rendered pages
• JavaScript frameworks
• technology comparisons
• development trade-offs

What commenters say

• Some commenters argue that the performance improvements are not impressive and that faster load times are not always necessary.
• Others believe that the switch to htmx is a good choice for certain types of applications, but not for others that require complex client-side state management.
• There is disagreement about the comparison between htmx and React, with some arguing that htmx is better suited for certain use cases and others arguing that React is more suitable for complex applications.
• Some commenters express concerns about the limitations of htmx, such as its ability to handle optimistic rendering and async state.
• The use of JavaScript frameworks like React is seen as unnecessary by some, who argue that server-rendered pages and fragments can solve many issues around security and development time.
• Others argue that JavaScript frameworks are still necessary for complex applications that require client-side state management and dynamic updates.
• The comparison between htmx and other technologies like JSF is also discussed, with some arguing that htmx is a better choice due to its simplicity and performance.
• There is also discussion about the trade-offs between different technologies and the importance of choosing the right tool for the job.