Despite this - I can do frontend development as well - but I have reached a point where I cannot be asked to learn new Javascript framework or libraries. Personally I just think it has become bloated, so I leave that for those that do know/understand.. like full-time React developers. I cannot be bothered as I am sure some new toy will come out in the next few years and replaces it.
My opinion... and I understand it is apples and oranges... is web development could be much easier than it is today. Back in '00s we were using old school PHP or Classic ASP to return compiled HTML content and, mostly, full screen refreshes. Eventually, Javascript gained more responsibilities giving us JQuery. We had simple GET and POST functionalities, allowing us to refresh part of the page, etc.
By around the 2010's I remember KnockoutJS and, eventually, AngularJS. Web development was changing and I accepted this. While I saw some benefits with auto refreshing hooks or the like.. the end was a lot of bloat... more lines of code. Some of which is duplicated in the frontend as well as the backend.
Between 2016 to 2021 I stopped web development. I started a job as a GUI application developer. When I returned to web development I am now seeing Node being used... Grunt being used... with some websites sticking to JQuery while another is using React. I am in shock at how complicated things has gotten!
To me, with my years of experience, feel like I am going full circle back to the old methods of web development... just with modern tools! I leaned back to jQuery for personal projects. It is easy to follow (in my opinion) -- but I came across HTMX in 2023 and really enjoying it!
Using HTMX, With odd exceptions, my javascript code is mostly a compliment to my CSS. The amount of code is reduced by 60-80%!
Since then I have started using HTMX for web projects at work -- with positive feedback from the team. We are, one by one, moving our projects over to HTMX. It is just easier to deal with.
Our team only has half a dozen developers. We are mostly backend devs but OK with react. Some are better than others. We have agreed that with HTMX we are getting things done a lot easier. We no longer have to bother with the additional layer that is React. We also stopped using jQuery.
Now I am not suggesting HTMX replaces React for all cases. Its just, for our use cases, it has done the job remarkably well.. and we are doing complicated web sites.
Having a team of React devs may be needed in a number of scenarios - I, thinking of all websites I have built over the last 20 years, struggle to find one.
There is a saying that is going to offend, but I think those that dislike or hating on HTMX are those that have invested their time on (things like) React. I also hear that HTMX guys are like a cult. That might be true to a degree. I am sure some will suggest I am one of them with this comment.
- React creates jobs, but HTMX gets rid of them.