Why We Tried HTMX: A Journey into Minimalist Frontend Development
This is the second in a series of 6 articles about our foray into HTMX
Introduction
Our journey began with a bold question: Can we build a robust, efficient web app with significantly less JavaScript? HTMX caught our attention with its promise to streamline frontend interactions using plain HTML.
The Appeal of HTMX
HTMX allows you to perform AJAX requests, update the DOM, and handle complex interactions simply by using standard HTML attributes. This minimalistic approach was especially attractive because it aligned perfectly with our backend setup using FastAPI. We saw the potential to write less code, reduce complexity, and maintain a dynamic user interface without relying on heavy frameworks.
Setting Our Rules
To truly test HTMX’s capabilities, we imposed one strict rule on our experiment - no npm packages. By doing this, we aimed to force ourselves to rely solely on HTMX’s built-in features, ensuring that any benefits were due to the technology itself and not external libraries.
Conclusion
The promise of a cleaner, lighter frontend was too good to ignore. In this phase, our excitement was at its peak, and we eagerly began testing HTMX to see if it could be the perfect solution for our needs. The experiment was set in motion, and we were ready to face the challenges ahead.
Next steps
Join us next time as we continue to explore the highs, and lows of experimenting with this new technology. Next stop: The HTMX Hurdle.
