3 min read

What is htmx and why is it relevant?

What is htmx and why is it relevant?

I started my tech career as a MERN (MongoDB, ExpressJS, React, NodeJS) web application developer. The modern web development stack consists of a minimum of HTML (Hypertext markup language), CSS (Cascading style sheets), and Javascript. Every web page has HTML as the skeleton (The Document Object Model), CSS as its skin, and Javascript doing most of the heavy lifting. Because these technologies are the bread and butter of web development,  several new and exciting libraries make programming with these tools refreshing. I heard some buzz regarding htmx and decided to check it out.

This blog is written by Jeremy Rivera at KushoAI. We're building the fastest way to test your APIs. It's completely free and you can sign up here.

htmx is a lightweight JavaScript library that allows developers to create dynamic web applications by extending HTML's capabilities. It enables developers to use HTML attributes to define how a page should behave, facilitating async requests, partial page updates, and other interactive features without relying heavily on other JavaScript [JS] libraries and frameworks.

Relevance of htmx:

  1. Simplicity and Usability: htmx allows developers to achieve complex interactions with minimal JavaScript. This simplicity can be particularly appealing for projects where a full-fledged front-end framework may be overkill (overengineering a webpage is a common crux of web developers). Developers can add interactivity directly within the HTML document, making it easier to maintain and understand.
  2. Progressive Enhancement: It promotes a progressive enhancement approach, allowing developers to enhance existing HTML applications gradually without requiring a complete rewrite or a deep understanding of the various different popular JavaScript libraries and frameworks(think React, Angular, Vue, Svelte, etc). This approach ensures that applications remain functional even if JavaScript is disabled.
  3. Improved Performance: By enabling partial page updates and reducing the amount of JavaScript needed, htmx can lead to improved performance. Developers load only the necessary content when needed, which can result in faster page loads and a smoother user experience.
  4. Server-Side Integration: htmx works well with server-side technologies, allowing developers to leverage server-rendered HTML efficiently. This integration is especially useful for traditional web applications that rely on server-side rendering.
  5. Community and Ecosystem: As htmx gains popularity, it is becoming part of a broader ecosystem that includes other tools and libraries, enabling developers to build modern web applications more effectively without the complexity of larger frameworks.

Quick Start [from: https://htmx.org/]

<script src="https://unpkg.com/htmx.org@2.0.3"></script>
  <!-- have a button POST a click via AJAX -->
  <button hx-post="/clicked" hx-swap="outerHTML">
    Click Me
  </button>

The hx-post and  hx-swap attributes on this button communicate with the htmx library:“When clicked, issue an AJAX request to /clicked and replace the entire button with the HTML response”

The same code in vanilla HTML and Javascript:

<body>
<button id="clickMe">Click Me</button>
<div id="responseContainer"></div>
<script>
document.getElementById('clickMe').addEventListener('click', function() { fetch('/clicked',
{ method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ clicked: true }) }) .then(response => response.text()) .then(data => { // Replace the button with the response document.getElementById('responseContainer').innerHTML = data; }) .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error)); }); </script> </body>

As you can see, htmx reduces the code significantly. The library emerges as a valuable asset in the web development landscape to create modern web pages and web apps with minimal Javascript code. Though it may not provide as robust a feature set as something like NextJS or Angular, htmx may very well find a solution in a simpler use case and speed up time to market with its simple implementation and learning curve. By efficiently utilizing server-side rendering, htmx enhances performance and usability without the complexity of larger frameworks. As the htmx community grows, it offers a practical solution for developers seeking to balance simplicity and functionality, ultimately shaping the future of web development. 

This blog is written by Jeremy Rivera at KushoAI. We're building an AI agent that tests your APIs for you. Bring in API information and watch KushoAI turn it into fully functional and exhaustive test suites in minutes.

Published by:

Saumya

Member discussion