[BiteCode_dev]

Because HTMX is declarative and the declaration is in HTML, people have weirdly extended the "no need for js+json+rendering for ajax" to "don't use js".

This is making your life needlessly difficult.

HTMX is just a fancy ajax layer with a little event handling sprinkled on top. You can and should script to your heart content even if you use it, when you need so.

I use js in all most of my HTMX powered pages. Sometimes just a few lines. Sometimes a whole lot. Sometimes vanilla, sometimes alpine. I even have one where I load react for one single page because I want a community widget while the rest of the site is pure HTMX.

You can do whatever you want.

[kisamoto]

Of course you can combine the two but why use three tools (SSR + HTMX + JS) when I can just use two (SSR + JS)?

My point is that if you are going to use a JS framework then it will do the same as HTMX and I don't have to remember where to draw boundaries of responsibility.

[recursivedoubts]

htmx generalized hypermedia controls, so it makes HTML more powerful as a hypermedia:

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3648188.3675127

that means you may be able to express more of your UI needs in HTML, using the traditional REST-ful architecture of the web (HATEOAS, in particular) and reserving JavaScript for the areas where that additional complexity adds the most value.

Depending on your application, this may lead to significant reduction in application complexity:

https://htmx.org/essays/a-real-world-react-to-htmx-port/