If HTML, CSS, JS and the underlying web runtimes are getting more powerful, do we still need to depend on frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, and more?
For any reasonably sized/complex data-driven application (which most UIs are) you're definitely better off using a front-end framework. Sure you can use web components (if you're okay sacrificing FP style code over OOP and classes - I'm not!), or even go vanilla - however, unless it's for a simple TODO app (or hardcore learning purposes), what usually happens is that you start pulling in more and more dependencies, to the point where you kind of end up reinventing the wheel and building your own framework which basically does most of what React etc is doing anyways (but probably not as good). React now, is not the same as back when it launched - if anyone, the React team been at the forefront when it comes to setting new standards for modern webdev and their roadmap continues to impress. Please also take into account that over time, internet coverage has improved a lot, connections has gotten significantly faster, computers are faster too. Long story short, yes there are indeed many many very good reasons to pick a modern frontend-framework today - especially for UI development. They're not making them for fun ;-)
Over the last 20 years, I've worked w. a variety of tech stacks, including RoR, PHP, Flash & Flex, Python and Django, Angular JS, React, etc.
Now that techs like AlpineJS and HTMX are available, it makes less and less sense to use things like React or Vue. We can leverage fewer techs, reduce stack/build complexity and still target about 85% of the UI use-cases out there. Obviously for something like Google Maps, or a much more rich, media-driven experience, it makes sense to use a robust UI framework, but for the standard text & image driven website w. basic forms, why incur the overhead of a SPA framework?
For any reasonably sized/complex data-driven application (which most UIs are) you're definitely better off using a front-end framework. Sure you can use web components (if you're okay sacrificing FP style code over OOP and classes - I'm not!), or even go vanilla - however, unless it's for a simple TODO app (or hardcore learning purposes), what usually happens is that you start pulling in more and more dependencies, to the point where you kind of end up reinventing the wheel and building your own framework which basically does most of what React etc is doing anyways (but probably not as good). React now, is not the same as back when it launched - if anyone, the React team been at the forefront when it comes to setting new standards for modern webdev and their roadmap continues to impress. Please also take into account that over time, internet coverage has improved a lot, connections has gotten significantly faster, computers are faster too. Long story short, yes there are indeed many many very good reasons to pick a modern frontend-framework today - especially for UI development. They're not making them for fun ;-)
Over the last 20 years, I've worked w. a variety of tech stacks, including RoR, PHP, Flash & Flex, Python and Django, Angular JS, React, etc.
Now that techs like AlpineJS and HTMX are available, it makes less and less sense to use things like React or Vue. We can leverage fewer techs, reduce stack/build complexity and still target about 85% of the UI use-cases out there. Obviously for something like Google Maps, or a much more rich, media-driven experience, it makes sense to use a robust UI framework, but for the standard text & image driven website w. basic forms, why incur the overhead of a SPA framework?