How to build a web application?

Question

Web development

How to build frontend web applications and with what tools?

The application is similar to medium, yandex.zen or something similar. At the moment the whole front is written in xml/xslt + handlebars + jquery, some code is 8 years old.

I propose to rewrite everything on Nuxt + Vue on my own, I think it will turn out quickly + I like that even webpack does not need to be assembled.

The customer proposes to rewrite the front together, like this:

- it is possible to abandon jquery, looking for an alternative for selectors.
- it is possible to refuse xslt.
- write a wrapper over handlebars (I don’t know why yet, probably my own html generation on the server).
- explains all this by saying that he does not want to depend on frameworks, which is fast and convenient - does not mean "good". Although the result is a large hodgepodge of libraries + a lot of time + would save nerve cells.

Maybe he is right, I don’t know who believes that this is so - please explain or tell me how to convince him?

Answer 1

- possibly drop jquery, looking for an alternative for selectors

is actually a very bad approach in general. Because a change in layout will always entail a change in these selectors. In SPA, this is solved very simply and no selectors in the usual form will be needed, only at certain points. Vue will provide excellent abstractions for working with the DOM for this, much more convenient than the old fashioned way.

maybe drop xslt

- this needs to be done in the direction of at least the familiar and simple, as well as by me and probably by the majority of my favorite REST API.

write a wrapper over handlebars

- Vue is the same handlebars, but on steroids. In fact, your own wrapper. Vue templates are inspired by the work of handlebars.

explains it all by not wanting to depend on frameworks

- this is a very stupid thesis. Everything that is not written is written using ready-made solutions. PHP, like js, is written in Xia, so what?
From 0 write only those who have a lot of money, large resources, who write their own software, where it makes sense not to depend on third-party solutions. But even such companies use SPA frameworks. It's like digging with a stick that you broke off from a tree, sharpened on a stone and dig a garden with it, when they tell you, here's a shovel or a tractor for free, and here's a community with a bunch of ready-made solutions. Frameworks, in many respects, have functionality that is somehow constantly used by everyone in everyday life. Even business doesn't work that way. There are always contractors who fill your orders to get the parts you need, etc.

everything on Nuxt + Vue, I think it will turn out quickly

- don't jump too far. And who will deploy all this? And who will set up vps? He??? And if you have SSR, who will write the nginx settings for the node to work? What about request proxying? Don't be fooled by beautiful words about SPA if you don't know how to cook them. It will be very difficult for a beginner here. If you don’t know how to do all this, don’t know, can’t, I can understand your backender. Why does he need this hemorrhagic!

Or tell me how to convince him

- it is difficult to convince a stubborn one, especially if I don’t know him personally. It is not always easy to find an approach in this state of affairs. There are developers who are stuck in the 90s and they are fine there.
Convincing how cool that bastard or fake is stupid, convince him that he will lose if he does not use your approach. Money, time, support (there are many specialists, finding someone in the future will not be a problem), etc.
Do you have enough eggs for this, it's hard to say, since you came here with this question!

Maybe he's right

in general, in my opinion, he is wrong. SPA is not a panacea, it is not always necessary to use it. But judging by his ancient stack, then SPA suggests itself. But, again, whoever pays, he dances the girl. If you can't convince him, it's better to leave this customer and not brainwash yourself.

Answer 2

if you are 17, you do not have a share in this startup and the head of the startup says the phrases "without frameworks is good" "we don't need fast and convenient" and "I don't like js, we will write a self-written front on selectors and handlebars", then your actions unequivocal:
- agree to what he wants there
- plan how you can get the maximum experience from this work in the shortest possible time
- implement the previous point thinking only about yourself
- in parallel, start looking for other options
- as soon as there is another option where people think about how make the best product and not about what they like / don't like - politely say goodbye.

Answer 3

possible to opt out of jquery

+1

maybe drop xslt

+1

write a wrapper over handlebars

-one

explains all this by the fact that he does not want to depend on frameworks, which is fast and convenient - does not mean "good". Although the result is a large hodgepodge of libraries + a lot of time + save nerve cells

You can depend on your own crutch decisions. But will it be better than a framework?
The customer most likely does not know how or does not want to write an API for the application.

I suggest rewriting everything on Nuxt + Vue myself

There are no problems with this choice.