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> I don't want to use NPM for my project. I used to feel that way coming from the Ruby / Rails ecosystem, but ultimately I settled leaned heavily into the "con
by gavmor 2y ago
> I don't want to use NPM for my project.
I used to feel that way coming from the Ruby / Rails ecosystem, but ultimately I settled leaned heavily into the "convention over configuration" maxim and try my best to adhere to front-end conventions, thereby following the principal of "least surprise" when it comes to wiring up any oddball bits, bobs, or libraries.
Lots of Javascript libraries come as Rubygems, and they are definitely production ready, but while they're arguably "on the rails" in terms of Ruby devex, they're quite a ways off from—and alienating to those versed in—serious frontend development.
So, even if it's written in Rust, if it's bundling a complex front-end—and if not, do you need a bundler?—doesn't that front-end deserve its own toolchain, in which its source code is respected as first-class? Otherwise, I would stay away from JS entirely, frankly. A brackish estuary is an unfortunate model for software architecture.
- cmrdporcupine 2y agoWe have come to the juncture where hosting a small bit of JS functionality requires a giant swamp^Wecosystem of bundlers, transpilers, packaging systems, and specialized servers. All in the end to serve pieces of static content. It's mind boggling. Yes, you could just go it alone and do your own NPM-less JS, but you really will be mostly on your own. Once you wander into front-end development, the assumption is you live in their nodejs city, and their city is a dirty dirty ass place.
- gavmor 2y agoThe nodejs ecosystem can be quite elegant, convenient, and fun! It's not at all where it was ten years ago. > All in the end to serve pieces of static content. It's mind boggling. This is doesn't sound like an adequate justification for the investment of complexity tokens. I'm guessing it wasn't your idea!