A Survey Of JavaScript Meta-Frameworks — Ken Rimple

Why you should consider a meta-framework for your React, Svelte or Vue project?

In the dawn of the JavaScript front-end application development days, there were heavyweight development frameworks like Angular.js, Ember, and before that, jQuery. In those days, the framework had to do most of the heavy lifting, and developers used to back-end development looked for familiar patterns and features to their server-side brethren.

When React took over most current-day single-page application development, it did so by being very small, and by doing one thing well: rendering and managing state and behavior using components. Vue and Svelte evolved as strongly component-driven APIs, with all of the additional features such as routing, shared state management and networking features being external to the core project in an opt-in fashion.

As people began to assemble bespoke React and Vue platforms, pulling from a wide variety of tiny libraries, it became difficult to get started quickly on a new project without picking a template, hoping it was up to date, and then customizing it for your own needs.

There was a real need for a more predictable and performant set of implementation patterns, and for a framework-for-your-application-framework, or, as they are now known, a meta-framework. Meta-frameworks ride atop the component API and add all of the other needs in one, coordinated set of modules.

In this talk, Ken Rimple will discuss the need for, and key features of a meta-framework, and then dive in, discussing how Gatsby, Nuxt, Next.js, SvelteKit and Remix.run answer the question we didn’t really ask: “how can I keep my package.json file at less than 500 lines, and how can I get most of my work done with one meta-framework, rather than going surfing on NPM every day to keep on top of the myriad changes to those dozens of bespoke curated libraries I chose?” He’ll compare the feature set of these five meta-frameworks and provide some pros and cons to help you determine whether one of them will suit your needs.

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About Ken Rimple
Ken Rimple has more than 34 years of experience in application development, consulting, mentoring and training, and has worked with many application architectures. Over the past decade he’s worked on web-based front-ends, starting with Angular.js, then Angular, then React and its various iterations. His current focus is on using meta-frameworks such as Next.js and Remix.run. His background includes consulting and training in Spring and Java, Node.js, Python and also providing cloud-based full-stack architectures with React and Angular for our clients using CloudFront, ECS, RDS and Cognito. Ken is a failed rock musician with a passion for Jazz, four adult and/or pre-adult children, three dogs and a headache.

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About the Conference
The Philly Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise (ETE) is the Mid-Atlantic's premier developer's conference. Entering its 17th year, we've brought world-class speakers — including some local favorites — to speak about leading-edge technologies being used today, and emerging technologies that will be important for attendees to know about in the near future.

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About the Host
Philly ETE is hosted by Chariot Solutions, a software development consultancy.
For over 20 years, companies of all sizes and industries have
looked to Chariot as a partner to help them solve their toughest software challenges, and move their business forward.

Are you a business looking to build and manage software solutions optimized for your unique needs? We're here to help. We’ll apply our strategic, high-touch approach and extensive tech experience to solve your most complex business problems. Reach out today. Visit us at https://chariotsolutions.com/

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Sponsored by Pinnacle 21
Employees at Pinnacle 21 do tech work that means something. Their software enables key transitions in the clinical trial data pipeline and streamlines regulatory approvals for drugs and medical devices, getting new treatments to patients faster. Pinnacle 21 supplies its SaaS platform to the US FDA, Japan’s PMDA, 24 of the top 25 biopharma firms, and many more biotechs. It ensures clinical trial data comply with the standards of both government agencies and trial sponsors. Learn more: https://pinnacle21.com

Sponsored by Lutron
Lutron is the worldwide leader in lighting, automated shade and temperature controls, with headquarters in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and engineering offices in Philadelphia, Boston, South Florida and Austin. We are a privately held manufacturing company with over 4000 design and product patents. We are at the forefront of innovating IoT products for smart homes and connected buildings. Learn more: https://www.lutron.com/en-US/pages/de...