Code It Forward

JavaScript Fatigue is Real (But It's Worth It)

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javascripttoolsbest-practicesmodern-development
Modern JavaScript Development

I’ve been writing JavaScript for over 15 years. I remember when jQuery was revolutionary, when adding onclick handlers directly in HTML was normal, and when the biggest decision was whether to minify your one JavaScript file.

Now I have webpack configs, TypeScript compilers, ESLint rules, Prettier configs, and three different package managers to choose from. Some days I miss the simplicity of the old days.

But then I remember what it was like to debug IE6 compatibility issues and I appreciate how far we’ve come.

The bundler evolution

I started with manually including <script> tags in order. Then came task runners like Grunt and Gulp. Then webpack changed everything.

Webpack was powerful but complicated. I spent more time configuring it than writing actual code. The config files grew into monsters:

// webpack.config.js (the horror)
module.exports = {
  entry: './src/index.js',
  module: {
    rules: [
      { test: /\.js$/, use: 'babel-loader' },
      { test: /\.css$/, use: ['style-loader', 'css-loader'] },
      // ... 20 more rules
    ]
  },
  plugins: [
    // ... 15 plugins
  ],
  // ... 100 more lines
};

Then Vite came along and made me happy again:

// vite.config.js (the relief)
export default {
  // That's it. It just works.
};

Vite’s dev server is blazing fast. Hot module replacement actually works. I can focus on building features instead of fighting build tools.

My current stack: Vite for new projects, webpack only when I’m stuck with legacy code.

The package manager wars

I lived through the npm vs Yarn wars. Yarn was faster and had better lockfiles when it launched. Then npm caught up. Then pnpm showed up promising to save disk space.

Honestly? They’re all fine now. I use npm because it’s everywhere, but I won’t fight you if you prefer Yarn or pnpm.

What I will fight you on: commit your lockfiles. package-lock.json is not optional. I’ve debugged too many “works on my machine” issues caused by different dependency versions.

# My typical workflow
npm install        # Install dependencies
npm run dev        # Start development
npm run build      # Build for production
npm test           # Run tests

Keep it simple.

Code quality tools that actually help

I used to think linters were annoying. Then I worked on a team where everyone had different coding styles. Debugging became a nightmare because I couldn’t recognize patterns in unfamiliar formatting.

Now I’m a believer in automated code quality:

ESLint catches bugs before they happen:

// .eslintrc.js - my basic setup
module.exports = {
  extends: ['eslint:recommended'],
  rules: {
    'no-unused-vars': 'error',
    'no-console': 'warn',
    'prefer-const': 'error'
  }
};

Prettier ends formatting debates:

{
  "semi": true,
  "singleQuote": true,
  "trailingComma": "es5"
}

I run both on save in my editor and in pre-commit hooks. No more arguing about semicolons or tabs vs spaces.

TypeScript changed my life

I resisted TypeScript for years. “I don’t need types,” I said. “JavaScript is fine.”

Then I joined a team with a large TypeScript codebase. The developer experience was incredible. My editor knew exactly what properties every object had. Refactoring was fearless. Runtime errors dropped dramatically.

// Before: hoping this object has the right shape
function formatUser(user) {
  return `${user.name} (${user.email})`; // 🤞
}

// After: knowing exactly what I'm working with
interface User {
  id: number;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

function formatUser(user: User): string {
  return `${user.name} (${user.email})`; // ✨
}

The initial setup cost is worth it. Start new projects with TypeScript. Gradually migrate existing ones.

Pro tip: Don’t go crazy with complex types at first. any is okay while you’re learning. Better to have some type safety than none.

Modern JavaScript is actually good

Remember when we had to do this?

// The bad old days
var name = user.name;
var email = user.email;
var users = data.map(function(item) {
  return Object.assign({}, item, { active: true });
});
var message = 'Welcome, ' + user.name + '!';
var city = user && user.address && user.address.city;

Now we can write:

// Modern JavaScript is beautiful
const { name, email } = user;
const users = data.map(item => ({ ...item, active: true }));
const message = `Welcome, ${name}!`;
const city = user?.address?.city;

Optional chaining (?.) alone has saved me from so many “Cannot read property of undefined” errors.

Don’t be afraid to use modern features. Browsers support them, and if you need to support old browsers, your bundler can transpile them.

Testing: from zero to hero

I used to be that developer who tested in the browser by clicking around. “If it works when I try it, it’s good to ship.”

That approach doesn’t scale. One too many production bugs taught me the value of automated testing:

// Jest makes testing almost pleasant
describe('formatUser', () => {
  it('formats user name and email', () => {
    const user = { id: 1, name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com' };
    expect(formatUser(user)).toBe('John (john@example.com)');
  });

  it('handles missing email gracefully', () => {
    const user = { id: 1, name: 'John', email: null };
    expect(formatUser(user)).toBe('John (no email)');
  });
});

My testing philosophy:

  • Test the happy path
  • Test edge cases that have bitten you before
  • Don’t test implementation details
  • Write tests that make refactoring safer

Start small. A few key tests are better than none.

Framework fatigue is real

I’ve used jQuery, Backbone, Angular (1.x), React, Vue, Svelte, and probably a few others I’ve forgotten.

Each framework promised to solve all my problems. Each had its own way of doing things. Each had its own ecosystem to learn.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

React - Great ecosystem, steep learning curve, lots of boilerplate. Good for teams that can invest in learning it properly.

Vue - More approachable than React, good documentation, smaller ecosystem. Great for smaller teams or solo projects.

Svelte - Interesting approach, smaller bundles, less mature ecosystem. Worth watching but I haven’t used it in production.

My advice: Pick one and stick with it for a while. Framework-hopping is expensive. Most frameworks can build most apps. The team’s familiarity matters more than the framework’s features.

Currently betting on React because that’s where the jobs are, but Vue makes me happier.

Performance lessons learned the hard way

I once shipped a React app that took 30 seconds to load on 3G. The bundle was 5MB. Oops.

That taught me to care about performance from day one:

Code splitting saves lives:

// Load heavy components only when needed
const Dashboard = lazy(() => import('./Dashboard'));
const Reports = lazy(() => import('./Reports'));

// Route-based splitting
const routes = [
  { path: '/dashboard', component: Dashboard },
  { path: '/reports', component: Reports }
];

Bundle analysis is essential:

# See what's making your bundle fat
npx webpack-bundle-analyzer dist/static/js/*.js

I was shocked to discover that moment.js was 67KB and I was only using it to format one date. Switched to date-fns and saved 60KB.

Performance budget: I set a target bundle size (< 1MB total) and fail builds that exceed it. Prevents performance regression.

The JavaScript ecosystem will keep changing

New frameworks launch every week. Build tools promise to be 10x faster. Package managers claim to solve all problems.

I’ve learned to be selective about what new things I adopt:

Before jumping on trends, I ask:

  • Does this solve a real problem I have?
  • Is it mature enough for production use?
  • Will my team be able to learn and maintain it?
  • What’s the migration path if it doesn’t work out?

Current bets I’m making:

  • TypeScript is here to stay
  • Vite will continue eating webpack’s lunch
  • React will remain dominant for a while
  • Edge computing will become more important

Things I’m watching but not betting on yet:

  • WebAssembly for frontend apps
  • Micro-frontends (seems like premature optimization for most apps)
  • The next “React killer” framework

The JavaScript ecosystem is exhausting but also exciting. New tools genuinely make development better, even if the pace of change is overwhelming.

My advice: focus on fundamentals (code quality, testing, performance), pick a stable stack you can be productive with, and upgrade incrementally when you have clear benefits.

The tools will keep changing. The principles stay the same.

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