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It was React. React made it so that you could outsource your markup to libraries, and the community adopted the mindset enthusiastically. Along with that was a

by Touche 8y ago

It was React. React made it so that you could outsource your markup to libraries, and the community adopted the mindset enthusiastically. Along with that was a focus on composability over what actually gets produced. React has always been about making an abstraction layer of its own; to remove focus away from the underlying platform. A metaplatform, if you will. That explains the problems described in this article, it explains the desire for CSS-in-JS (which despite arguments for, is only popular in React and no where else). So what we've wound up with is a generation of developers who are really good at the lego-block building aspects that React provide (which are valuable) but know next to nothing about HTML or CSS.

s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
I don't really think React is old enough to say developers know next to nothing about HTML/CSS. CSS-in-JS still requires knowledge of CSS, albeit a subset usually. The same could be said for JSX and HTML. If you can work with React you can work with raw HTML/CSS. It's just you have all the problems that come with those that maybe some developers haven't had the misfortune to deal with. The React workflow gives you a right sense of direction, where usually you'd be left on your own.
- Touche 8y ago
  It sounds like you agree with me. Yes, you have to know some things. Developers who came in in this culture know that inputs are for typing things and that divs are for block level elements and span for inline ones. That's a far cry from knowing HTML. There are many developers who don't really know anything about the head element because its something their tools generate and they don't touch.
  - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
    Yeah I didn't really know where I ended up once I finished the response. I suppose I partly agree with you. If the developer was able to learn the React ecosystem, they'll be able to learn the more advanced parts of dealing with a pure HTML/CSS project if they need to. I think the form of a middle-out approach to learning is better than working from "fundamentals" you may not even need. There's so much to learn in the web ecosystem, a lot of it being optional. I think starting with React and working backwards and forwards is a just-fine strategy.

by Touche 8y ago

s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago

I don't really think React is old enough to say developers know next to nothing about HTML/CSS. CSS-in-JS still requires knowledge of CSS, albeit a subset usually. The same could be said for JSX and HTML. If you can work with React you can work with raw HTML/CSS. It's just you have all the problems that come with those that maybe some developers haven't had the misfortune to deal with. The React workflow gives you a right sense of direction, where usually you'd be left on your own.

Touche 8y ago
It sounds like you agree with me. Yes, you have to know some things. Developers who came in in this culture know that inputs are for typing things and that divs are for block level elements and span for inline ones. That's a far cry from knowing HTML. There are many developers who don't really know anything about the head element because its something their tools generate and they don't touch.
- s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
  Yeah I didn't really know where I ended up once I finished the response. I suppose I partly agree with you. If the developer was able to learn the React ecosystem, they'll be able to learn the more advanced parts of dealing with a pure HTML/CSS project if they need to. I think the form of a middle-out approach to learning is better than working from "fundamentals" you may not even need. There's so much to learn in the web ecosystem, a lot of it being optional. I think starting with React and working backwards and forwards is a just-fine strategy.