When we start building an app or a website, we are usually challenged to choose the right tool for our context. This task becomes even more complex in view of a wide variety of JavaScript libraries and frameworks web developers have at their disposal in addition to the possibilities coming with programming in Vanilla Javascript.
As Javascript developers, we often honor the facility and lightweight nature of Vanilla JS. It guarantees a clean and simple approach to developing web apps with no overhead of frameworks. However, when the developed application complexity is constantly growing, using Vanilla JavaScript can remind you of Sisyphean labor. Let’s explore what Vanilla JS is and discuss when it might be beneficial to consider using Javascript libraries like Webix UI.
What is Vanilla JavaScript?
Vanilla JavaScript refers to plain Javascript – the core language that runs in web browsers and can be used to create interactive web applications.
Vanilla JS means creating websites using only the tools available in every browser. It stores data in a unique way known as a column-oriented database, which enables apps to run faster and consume less memory. This means that your apps will work seamlessly across any browser, making them convenient for anyone to use. And since it doesn’t depend on external tools or libraries, your apps will load quickly and remain lightweight.
Vanilla JS means using the language in its basic form to build apps without relying on any extra tools. As a developer, you probably understand all the benefits of using Vanilla Javascript. Let’s delve into a comparison of the two approaches, one of which implies designing your app with Vanilla JS vs taking the advantages of modern Frameworks.
When is it a Sound Idea to Choose Vanilla JS for Web Development?
Is Vanilla Javascript still used? To find the answer to this frequently asked question, let’s turn to some common cases when utilizing Vanilla JS is reasonable:
- creating single-page websites;
- developing websites with static content and a limited number of complex features;
- building lightweight small-scale applications with no or very limited number of repeated parts, i.e. there is no need for reusable components or UI state tracking;
- working with Content Management Systems that do not support frameworks.
Well, we have a number of cases listed above, but what about all the rest? Can we say that using Vanilla Javascript in all other situations is unreasonable?
To put the question differently: is it possible to make a clean sweep of Vanilla Javascript and completely avoid it in our app in case we make a decision in favor of a framework?
3 Reasons Why JS Frameworks Can’t Fully Replace Vanilla JavaScript
The idea of eliminating Vanilla Javascript is actually inviable despite being so tempting. For sure, we can study the subject and make an informed decision about whether to choose Vanilla JS or any of the frameworks or libraries as the main tool for creating our app. But in any scenario, it is highly luckily, we will end up writing at least some code in plain JS. So, let’s look into the matter.
Firstly, in certain situations we have to create our own plugins or design decisions – it can happen when the feature set of the framework we use does not provide the necessary solution;
Secondly, off and on, we face a task of extending the existing features of the framework to meet our needs;
Thirdly, we can’t eliminate writing glue code (at least some moderate sized pieces) for the application infrastructure to connect incompatible processes – Vanilla JS is one of the popular glue languages and a powerful tool in this case.
As you can see, when it comes to building a project there are always things you need to write in Vanilla Javascript.
When to Consider Frameworks and Libraries?
If you still solve the dilemma whether go for Vanilla JS or frameworks, but struggle doing things manually and know your project will grow big enough – consider using a JavaScript framework or library. They equip you with all necessary tools for managing large-scale applications and help to significantly speed up the development process.
Modern frameworks and libraries like React, Vue, Svelte provide a number of advantages: built-in state management, modularity and component reusability, support and extended documentation.
However, when choosing one of them make sure it is well suited for your project and benefits you enough – only in this case the learning curve will be justified. Try to avoid over-engineering the process – it will complicate the stack and increase development costs.
What if You Want to Focus on Designing Logic Rather Than UI?
If you want to devote most of your time to designing the logic of the application rather than creating UI from scratch – you can use UI libraries, such as Webix or SVAR. They allow you to concentrate on developing complex features leaving all UI work to them. You don’t need to worry about cross platform and browser support, performance, extensibility, accessibility and compliance. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Why Webix JS UI Library?
1. Enhanced UI Development
Webix UI is an extensive JavaScript library that offers over 100 ready-to-use UI components and 15 complex widgets such as Spreadsheet, Scheduler, File Manager, etc. Using predefined components significantly reduces coding time and improves maintainability. Let’s take a look at how easy creating a data grid can be:
Example: Creating a JS DataTable
view: "datatable",
columns: [
{ id: "id", header: "ID", width: 50 },
{ id: "name", header: "Name", width: 200 },
{ id: "age", header: "Age", width: 100 },
{ id: "job", header: "Job title", width: 200 }
],
data: [
{ id: 1, name: "John Doe", age: 30, job: "Project manager" },
{ id: 2, name: "Jane Doe", age: 25, job: "Web developer" }
]
});
Check out the code snippet where you can make changes on the go: https://snippet.webix.com/8fch79wa
In contrast to creating a table structure manually, the library allows you to define your data table in just a few lines of code. You can take advantage of the opportunities provided by JS DataGrid – a widget for working with large data sets that occupies the leading position on the market in terms of rendering speed.
2. Built-in State Management
Webix provides built-in data binding and state management features for layouts and data widgets (trees and tables). The majority of our complex widgets (Jet-based) support their own reactive states providing cross-view communication, i.e. interaction between different elements of the widget.
Our users can add reactive properties to configuration settings of the widget and get access to them through the getState() method. Reactive state enables the dynamic update of the UI in response to any changes resulting from user actions, data modification or any other events.With such an ace up your sleeve, you can focus on building your web application logic rather than worrying about managing the state effectively.
Check the code snippet to get the idea of how it works: https://snippet.webix.com/e52eaf62
3. Modularity and Component Reusability
Webix JS UI Library is designed around the concept of components. You can create reusable components that inherit component logic and styles, making your application more modular.
It suggests a wide range of complex widgets that supply users with advanced business solutions such as:
- Time, task and project management: add Scheduler to your business app in case you require a tool facilitating scheduling events and meetings; ToDo List – if you are searching for better task management opportunities; Kanban or Gannt – in case your app needs advanced task and project management solutions.
- File management: File Manager and Document Manager can become well-suited widgets for working with files, folders and electronic document flow. You can choose either of them depending on the set of features you need.
- Reports management, data management, filtering and graphical representation: consider Report Manager, Spreadsheet, Pivot Table or Query as powerful tools for manipulating big data and presenting summary reports. Use Pivot Chart for graphical representation of the data.
- Exchanging messages: integrate Chat into your project and provide your users with the functionalities enabling them to communicate comfortably. The widget encompasses Chat and Messenger features giving the users the possibility to take advantage of both.
- Administering users: Add User Manager to your app if you want to be able to work with the users list and manage access rights and permissions.
- Building diagrams: Diagram equips the users with the necessary tools for creating all sorts of diagrams describing business processes.
- Remote desktop opportunities: Desktop can be of great help in case you are looking for a component that can provide your users with remote desktop opportunities.
Webix team is constantly improving and extending the functionality of its widgets providing its users with modern day tools for handling tasks of varying complexity. By way of example, File Manager has undergone significant changes over the last 4 years. It has had two completely different versions – the latest one presents a fully updated file management solution.
Read Evolution of JavaScript Webix Complex Widgets: File Manager to learn more about its transformation. There is one more distinctive feature – you can integrate them into your project as widgets or decide on Webix Jet – a framework designed for creating Webix UI-based applications.
4. Support and Documentation
Webix comes with extensive documentation that is continuously being updated by technical writers. The User community on the forum and technical support helps developers to figure out how to deal with custom solutions. This can significantly reduce development time as you can rely on existing solutions for common problems rather than reinventing the wheel.
5. Easy frameworks and libraries integration
Your project can be associated with frameworks like AngularJS, React, Vue.js, Backbone.js, other JS libraries or third-party UI extensions.
Webix offers a number of tools for integration, as well as provides an opportunity to design custom UI elements by wrapping JavaScript widgets into your framework components.
You can find detailed information about integration with frameworks here. Check this link to learn more about UI integration extensions.
Key Differences Between Vanilla JS and JS UI Libraries
In this table, we highlighted the key differences between Vanilla JavaScript and JavaScript frameworks using Webix UI as an example:
| Feature/Aspect | Vanilla JavaScript | Webix JavaScript UI Library |
| Learning Curve | Generally easy for beginners | Easy Start: extensive documentation, interactive tutorials, video guides |
| Setup | No setup required | Requires installation and configuration |
| DOM Manipulation | Manual DOM manipulation | Built-in methods for efficient DOM |
| State Management | Manual state management | Built-in state management solutions |
| Component Structure | No inherent component structure | Component-based architecture for reusability |
| Reusability | Limited; requires manual effort | High; components can be reused across projects |
| Performance | Lightweight, but can become slow with complexity | Optimized for performance, especially with large UIs |
| Community Support | Large but less focused | Strong community support with extensive resources |
| Development Speed | Slower for complex applications | Faster due to pre-built complex and standard widgets |
| Built-in Features | Minimal; requires third-party libraries | Rich set of built-in features |
| Testing | Manual testing; less structured | Testing before each release |
| Maintenance | Can become difficult with growth | Easier to maintain due to modularity |
| Ecosystem | Limited ecosystem | Rich ecosystem with plugins, tools |
Building Web Interfaces with JavaScript Frameworks
If you choose to work with JavaScript frameworks and want to utilize ready-to-use UI blocks, check out our partner, SVAR UI widgets. They offer a set of pre-built, high-performance UI components that natively integrate into Svelte, React, and Vue projects.
Currently, their Svelte lineup includes Core UI library with 20+ essential form controls, advanced DataGrid, Gantt chart, and File Manager. More UI widgets are planned to be released later this year.
The React version is in active development and should be released soon, while the Vue version is planned for the future. You can sign-up to be first to know when the new SVAR components are released.
Conclusion
Although Vanilla JavaScript offers advantages like simplicity and minimalism, with the increasing application complexity we encounter challenges like intricate DOM manipulation, state management, and the necessity for reusable components. At this point we start considering using frameworks or integrating libraries into our project.
Utilizing them can boost your productivity, enhance code maintainability, and enable the creation of dynamic user interfaces without the hassle of boilerplate code. Ultimately, the decision between Vanilla JavaScript and a framework or library should be based on the specific requirements of your project, its size, the system complexity and your long-term objectives as a developer.
