htmx gives you access to AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets and Server Sent Events directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build modern user interfaces with the simplicity and power of hypertext htmx is small (~14k min.gz’d), dependency-free, extendable, IE11 compatible & has reduced code base sizes by 67% when…
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htmx gives you access to AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets and Server Sent Events directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build modern user interfaces with the simplicity and power of hypertext htmx is small (~14k min.gz’d), dependency-free, extendable, IE11 compatible & has reduced code base sizes by 67% when…
In this essay, Carson Gross discusses his advice to young people interested in computer science worried about the future given the advancements in AI.
In this essay, Carson Gross and Alex Petros discuss htmx's future direction and philosophy. They explain how the project aims to emulate jQuery's success through API stability, minimal feature additions, and quarterly releases while continuing to promote hypermedia-driven development and support the broader web…
David Guillot at Contexte gave what we are calling 'The Mother of All htmx Demos' at DjangoCon 2022. This essay summarizes this real-world case study of replacing React with htmx in a SaaS product, demonstrating significant improvements in code size, performance, and development team efficiency through the adoption of…
htmx gives you access to AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets and Server Sent Events directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build modern user interfaces with the simplicity and power of hypertext htmx is small (~14k min.gz’d), dependency-free, extendable, IE11 compatible & has reduced code base sizes by 67% when…
In this essay, Sahil Lavingia, CEO of Gumroad, explains why the company decided against using htmx for its new project, Helper, in favor of React and Next.js. He shares the challenges faced with htmx, including issues with developer experience, user experience limitations, scalability, and AI tool support. While…
In this article, Carson Gross explores how the term REST (Representational State Transfer) evolved to mean nearly the opposite of its original definition in modern web development. It traces how REST, originally defined by Roy Fielding to describe the web's architecture of hypermedia-driven interactions, came to be…
You know, technically, I never said anything about a version *four*
htmx gives you access to AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets and Server Sent Events directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build modern user interfaces with the simplicity and power of hypertext htmx is small (~14k min.gz’d), dependency-free, extendable, IE11 compatible & has reduced code base sizes by 67% when…
Alexander Petros give a thoughtful exploration of htmx's relationship to traditional JavaScript frameworks, examining how its HTML-first approach and narrow focus on network requests sets it apart. He argues that while htmx exhibits framework-like qualities in how it shapes application architecture, its deep…
In this essay, Carson Gross explores alternatives to Single Page Applications (SPAs), advocating for an 'HTML-Centric' development approach. He highlights the drawbacks of SPA complexity and the benefits of embracing HTML as the core medium for web development, offering a simpler, more efficient way to build…
In this essay, Carson Gross explores his preference for separating JSON and hypermedia APIs instead of using content negotiation, a feature in HTTP that allows clients to request different formats (e.g., HTML, JSON). He discusses the limitations of content negotiation in APIs, especially when mixing stable, versioned…
Tony Alaribe challenges common myths about multi-page applications (MPAs) and explores how modern browser technologies can enable fast, interactive, and offline-capable web applications without relying on single-page application (SPA) frameworks. Alaribe discusses advancements in service workers, caching, and…
In this essay, Carson Gross gives an analysis of Rich Harris's talk 'Have Single-Page Apps Ruined the Web?', exploring the debate between Single-Page Applications (SPAs) and Multi-Page Applications (MPAs). Carson examines Harris's criticisms of both approaches and proposes hypermedia-oriented solutions using htmx…
In this essay, Carson Gross walks through a concrete bug fix in hyperscript to show where AI helped, where it fell short, and why keeping a knowledgeable human in the loop is what kept complexity in check.
In this essay, Alexander Petros explores the reasons why the htmx JavaScript library does not include a build step, detailing the benefits of its simple, dependency-free structure. He highlights the longevity of plain JavaScript, the improved debugging experience, enforced code clarity, and the tradeoffs of avoiding…
In this essay, Carson Gross argues that Markdown is now an important source artifact for software systems built with LLMs, and that, following the principle of locality, it should live in /src, alongside the code it produces.
In this essay, Carson Gross explores HATEOAS (Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State), explaining how it enables REST APIs through hypermedia responses and contrasting it with modern JSON-based APIs. Using clear HTML examples, Carson demonstrates how HATEOAS allows clients to discover available actions…
In this essay, Carson Gross explains the Hypermedia-Driven Application (HDA) architecture, which combines the simplicity of traditional Multi-Page Applications with the enhanced user experience of Single-Page Applications by extending HTML infrastructure through declarative syntax and hypermedia-based server…
Carson Gross explores the Locality of Behaviour (LoB) principle, which emphasizes making the behavior of code units obvious on inspection to enhance maintainability. He discusses the tradeoffs between LoB and other software design principles like DRY and SoC, offering insights on balancing clarity, abstraction, and…
This essay by Carson Gross explores when to use hypermedia in web development, highlighting its advantages and trade-offs. Carson discusses scenarios where hypermedia is a good fit, such as text and image-heavy UIs, CRUD applications, and nested UIs with well-defined areas. He also addresses when hypermedia may not be…