Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by WA 3798 days ago
tl;dr: Use jQuery + plugins, if you want to do some small UI improvements in JavaScript and don't make it too complicated.

Learn a lot more about jQuery, if you write complex JS applications (like single-page apps) with the help of jQuery.
1 comments
blhack 3798 days ago
<offtopic>

I feel like SPAs are one of the most abused concepts on the internet right now.

A cloud-based 3D modeling software? Yeah, that definitely needs to be some form of SPA.

Your twitter clone, blogging engine, etc. not only doesn't have to be an SPA, but shouldn't be one because it creates horrendous UX.

link
samizdatum 3798 days ago
SPAs don't need to have horrendous UX?
link
blhack 3798 days ago
Sure they don't, but saying that you are going to force logically separate pages onto a single page is starting from a point of bad UX and trying to dig yourself out of it.
link
samizdatum 3798 days ago
In theory, the only irreducible UX distinction surrounding logically separate pages in a traditional website vs a SPA is that the SPA doesn't do the full postback, which is arguably a better UX.

Sure, in practice many SPAs might be subpar, but then the debate shifts to "are SPAs are difficult to implement correctly," rather than "SPAs for blogging engines (necessarily) creates horrendous UX". There are existence proofs of well-designed SPAs with logically separate pages and excellent UX.

As an aside, someone who pattern matches on "SPA = horrendous UX" might not even notice a well-designed SPA, further entrenching their belief that SPAs are a Bad Idea from a UX perspective!

link
fweespeech 3798 days ago
SPAs for situations where they are not needed are horrendous UX in and of themselves due to the usability issues for power users that manage JS execution via browser plugins. [e.g. uBlock]
link
samizdatum 3798 days ago
Saying an application has a "horrendous UX" because you refuse to run its code seems strange to me.

You could disable CSS and images and call the result ugly, but I don't think that entitles you to call the website ugly?

link
fweespeech 3797 days ago
> Saying an application has a "horrendous UX" because you refuse to run its code seems strange to me.

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2013/10/21/how-many-people-are-missi...

If you want to ignore 1% of the internet, you go right ahead.

link
samizdatum 3797 days ago
Fair enough, but I think that's a separate issue. If we go down this path, we'd be diluting the term "UX" to homeopathic levels. I wouldn't criticize an iOS-only app for bad UX because it ignores half the market.
link