4 ms·

Lots of pushback here in the comments. But I can't think of the last time I enjoyed using a SPA website over a multi-page one. The initial loading feels delayed

Lots of pushback here in the comments. But I can't think of the last time I enjoyed using a SPA website over a multi-page one. The initial loading feels delayed, the page scrolling feels unnatural and jarring (completely opposite of how a native app feels). Also, one of my banks recently changed their old website to a new SPA one. And it is now completely useless. It can't load information in time, so most of the forms are empty. You can't even go back because it is a SPA. So I can only log out, log in and try again. Kind of scary when you are handling a lot of money. And it is not just one website. As I said I can't recall ever using a good SPA website. So yeah, I can't wait until they are all gone.

kertoip_1 1y ago
Yeah, the worst thing is when parts of the same application are under the hood different SPAs. First example that comes to my mind: web version of ProtonMail. Going to settings feels like loading a completely separate website. Or OVH dashboard.
tossandthrow 1y ago
> But I can't think of the last time I enjoyed using a SPA website over a multi-page one. You likely don't even notice that most of what you browse are SPAs. The reason why there is pushback is because the article is straight up misinformation.
- nromiun 1y ago
  Actually the static address bar and the refresh button behavior makes it obvious.
  - tossandthrow 1y ago
    What? Most SPAs use full on routing. You can not distinguish refresh and address bar behavior between a SPA and static pages. Furthermore, SPAs integrates perfectly with the browsers navigation stack. Where does this bs come from?
    - nromiun 1y ago
      Because less than 1% of actual SPAs use those things. Hell, look at HN's search page in the bottom if you want an example. You can load entire HN by the time it loads up and searches something. Prefect example of the sufficiently advanced compiler argument.
      - tossandthrow 1y ago
        HN's search is hosted on Algolia, and is not a part of the HN "App". Hacker news is not a SPA. Algolia's search is a SPA, but is perfectly utilizes the search so you can refresh a page (besides the error that they don't use page-based search), and is largely indistinguishable from a non-SPA site. > You can load entire HN You obviously have not context what so ever on how much content is hosted on HN.
        nromiun 1y ago
        Yes, I am well aware it is separate from HN. That is why I called it HN's search page. You underestimate how fast modern internet is. With MPA website like HN there is no need to wait for any script to render first.
croes 1y ago
You think bad programming is restricted to SPAs? If they botch the back button in an SPA they will botch other things in an MPA
- nromiun 1y ago
  But this bank's old MPA worked pretty well. By trying to modernize it they completely broke it instead.
  - maccard 1y ago
    I’d put big money on it not being the same team that made the new app.
    - nromiun 1y ago
      Probably. The old website was several decades old.
maccard 1y ago
The toupee fallacy strikes again here. Gmail, slack[0], Netflix and Spotify are top tier examples - they actually work. Most are true garbage though. [0] I am firmly on the slack-performance-is-a-disgrace train, but their web client is a great example of a well done SPA - it’s miles better than the app other than notifications.
- nromiun 1y ago
  Gmail really? The same one that takes 10-20 seconds on 5G to even show the loading page? What is it doing in that time? Loading emails or downloading an AAA game? It is not just a one time penalty either, you reload and get the same loading page again. Just a few days ago I had to get an OTP via email and it was completely frustrating. No indication nothing, just a loading circle. The old MPA version was much better.
  - kristopolous 1y ago
    If it was built like we were in 1995, with tables and html 3.2 without JavaScript and just the old school inline attribute styles, it would be way more usable
    - nromiun 1y ago
      It is also possible to create fast and functional websites on modern tech. But for some reason some people go completely crazy with Javascript.
austin-cheney 1y ago
SPAs do not exist to benefit the user. They exist to benefit the developer who writes them.
elendee 1y ago
I like the pushback because it means less competition in the native framework space
jeremy8883 1y ago
if you're receiving jarring page scrolling, it is not the fault of the spa, it's something else at play. it is not they typical spa experience. if the back button doesn't work, the site was poorly programmed, since any routing library will handle that for you.

kertoip_1 1y ago

Yeah, the worst thing is when parts of the same application are under the hood different SPAs. First example that comes to my mind: web version of ProtonMail. Going to settings feels like loading a completely separate website. Or OVH dashboard.

tossandthrow 1y ago

> But I can't think of the last time I enjoyed using a SPA website over a multi-page one. You likely don't even notice that most of what you browse are SPAs. The reason why there is pushback is because the article is straight up misinformation.

nromiun 1y ago
Actually the static address bar and the refresh button behavior makes it obvious.
- tossandthrow 1y ago
  What? Most SPAs use full on routing. You can not distinguish refresh and address bar behavior between a SPA and static pages. Furthermore, SPAs integrates perfectly with the browsers navigation stack. Where does this bs come from?
  - nromiun 1y ago
    Because less than 1% of actual SPAs use those things. Hell, look at HN's search page in the bottom if you want an example. You can load entire HN by the time it loads up and searches something. Prefect example of the sufficiently advanced compiler argument.
    - tossandthrow 1y ago
      HN's search is hosted on Algolia, and is not a part of the HN "App". Hacker news is not a SPA. Algolia's search is a SPA, but is perfectly utilizes the search so you can refresh a page (besides the error that they don't use page-based search), and is largely indistinguishable from a non-SPA site. > You can load entire HN You obviously have not context what so ever on how much content is hosted on HN.
      - nromiun 1y ago
        Yes, I am well aware it is separate from HN. That is why I called it HN's search page. You underestimate how fast modern internet is. With MPA website like HN there is no need to wait for any script to render first.

croes 1y ago

You think bad programming is restricted to SPAs? If they botch the back button in an SPA they will botch other things in an MPA

nromiun 1y ago
But this bank's old MPA worked pretty well. By trying to modernize it they completely broke it instead.
- maccard 1y ago
  I’d put big money on it not being the same team that made the new app.
  - nromiun 1y ago
    Probably. The old website was several decades old.

maccard 1y ago

The toupee fallacy strikes again here. Gmail, slack[0], Netflix and Spotify are top tier examples - they actually work. Most are true garbage though. [0] I am firmly on the slack-performance-is-a-disgrace train, but their web client is a great example of a well done SPA - it’s miles better than the app other than notifications.

nromiun 1y ago
Gmail really? The same one that takes 10-20 seconds on 5G to even show the loading page? What is it doing in that time? Loading emails or downloading an AAA game? It is not just a one time penalty either, you reload and get the same loading page again. Just a few days ago I had to get an OTP via email and it was completely frustrating. No indication nothing, just a loading circle. The old MPA version was much better.
- kristopolous 1y ago
  If it was built like we were in 1995, with tables and html 3.2 without JavaScript and just the old school inline attribute styles, it would be way more usable
  - nromiun 1y ago
    It is also possible to create fast and functional websites on modern tech. But for some reason some people go completely crazy with Javascript.

austin-cheney 1y ago

SPAs do not exist to benefit the user. They exist to benefit the developer who writes them.

elendee 1y ago

I like the pushback because it means less competition in the native framework space

jeremy8883 1y ago

if you're receiving jarring page scrolling, it is not the fault of the spa, it's something else at play. it is not they typical spa experience. if the back button doesn't work, the site was poorly programmed, since any routing library will handle that for you.