6 ms·

This may be the first time I try a web app that is as snappy as a desktop one. Congratulations! What front-end frameworks/technologies did you use?

eskimobloood 12y ago
According to the bower file [1] they only use jquery [1] https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/bower.json https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/bower.json
- hliyan 12y ago
  A cursory glace at the editor code does not reveal any extensive jQuery use (in fact, I didn't notice any). I've never seen a jQuery-heavy app go quite this fast.
  - Void_ 12y ago
    I found the opposite opening a random file: https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/src/gravit/component/colorpanel.js#L230 https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/src/gravit/com...
aragot 12y ago
+1 on making it iPad-compatible and making the demo without subscription. And snappy webapps in the iPad are rare.
pierrec 12y ago
Also from the bower file, the magic that turns it from a web app into a standalone app is node-webkit [1]. This kind of tool is really becoming one of the best options for creating desktop applications, especially considering how powerful the browsers' devtools have become. It's having like a GUI designer and a debugger rolled up into one. [1]: https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit
- hoprocker 12y ago
  Iirc, lighttable is written using node-webkit as well (in addition to clojurescript).
moron4hire 12y ago
>> "What front-end frameworks/technologies did you use?" Why is that everyone's first question? I get this constantly when I demo my stuff at meetups and hackathons. None. The answer is none. And they look at me like I just admitted to being a person who prefers to breath water. Vanilla JS is not that hard. It's a sight easier to know one language than to have to relearn the darling framework of the year all the time.
- pestaa 12y ago
  It's only been a year or two since major software is written in JavaScript. Why did you relearn the darling language of the year?
  - coldtea 12y ago
    Perhaps you have been sleeping under a rock for the last 10+ years. Unless most multi-billion web services, from Gmail to Facebook are not "major software". Plus, from his cv: "I've been doing JavaScript since it was invented.".
- Igglyboo 12y ago
  Vanilla js is not that hard when you have thing like document.queryselect or you're building trivial web apps. Sadly when you're building enterprise grade software and you have to support things like Internet Explorer 7 it makes a lot more sense to use a framework like angular than vanilla js.
  - moron4hire 12y ago
    Having been involved in lots of different types of projects over the years, "enterprise" software is not different from other types of software in any way.
    - Igglyboo 12y ago
      Sorry but when I'm writing my hobby projects I don't have to worry about supporting a 13 year old browser.
sspiff 12y ago
I just tried it for a few simple operations on a 1.3GHz laptop from 2006 (which is running and IDE that's indexing in the background), and this app was still instantly responsive. Very nice work indeed.
- tidderton 12y ago
  OT: Are you from Africa? If not, I am ready to help you get a new laptop if you can start a fundraiser.
Geee 12y ago
It's usually AJAX + lots of DOM manipulation that makes web apps crawl. Everything here is static.

eskimobloood 12y ago

According to the bower file [1] they only use jquery [1] https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/bower.json https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/bower.json

hliyan 12y ago
A cursory glace at the editor code does not reveal any extensive jQuery use (in fact, I didn't notice any). I've never seen a jQuery-heavy app go quite this fast.
- Void_ 12y ago
  I found the opposite opening a random file: https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/src/gravit/component/colorpanel.js#L230 https://github.com/quasado/gravit/blob/master/src/gravit/com...

aragot 12y ago

+1 on making it iPad-compatible and making the demo without subscription. And snappy webapps in the iPad are rare.

pierrec 12y ago

Also from the bower file, the magic that turns it from a web app into a standalone app is node-webkit [1]. This kind of tool is really becoming one of the best options for creating desktop applications, especially considering how powerful the browsers' devtools have become. It's having like a GUI designer and a debugger rolled up into one. [1]: https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit

hoprocker 12y ago
Iirc, lighttable is written using node-webkit as well (in addition to clojurescript).

moron4hire 12y ago

>> "What front-end frameworks/technologies did you use?" Why is that everyone's first question? I get this constantly when I demo my stuff at meetups and hackathons. None. The answer is none. And they look at me like I just admitted to being a person who prefers to breath water. Vanilla JS is not that hard. It's a sight easier to know one language than to have to relearn the darling framework of the year all the time.

pestaa 12y ago
It's only been a year or two since major software is written in JavaScript. Why did you relearn the darling language of the year?
- coldtea 12y ago
  Perhaps you have been sleeping under a rock for the last 10+ years. Unless most multi-billion web services, from Gmail to Facebook are not "major software". Plus, from his cv: "I've been doing JavaScript since it was invented.".
Igglyboo 12y ago
Vanilla js is not that hard when you have thing like document.queryselect or you're building trivial web apps. Sadly when you're building enterprise grade software and you have to support things like Internet Explorer 7 it makes a lot more sense to use a framework like angular than vanilla js.
- moron4hire 12y ago
  Having been involved in lots of different types of projects over the years, "enterprise" software is not different from other types of software in any way.
  - Igglyboo 12y ago
    Sorry but when I'm writing my hobby projects I don't have to worry about supporting a 13 year old browser.

sspiff 12y ago

I just tried it for a few simple operations on a 1.3GHz laptop from 2006 (which is running and IDE that's indexing in the background), and this app was still instantly responsive. Very nice work indeed.

tidderton 12y ago
OT: Are you from Africa? If not, I am ready to help you get a new laptop if you can start a fundraiser.

Geee 12y ago

It's usually AJAX + lots of DOM manipulation that makes web apps crawl. Everything here is static.