I’m sure there’s no need for me to tell you how amazing JavaScript is. But what shocked me in the past week was this library of JavaScript, Solid.js created in 2018 by Ryan Carniato. It took me only 2 days to learn because I already knew React. However, if you are a beginner with some know-how of HTML, CSS, and Vanilla, it will take you a few weeks to learn it.
But why should you actually learn it? It’s faster than most JavaScript libraries. What’s even better? It doesn’t use virtual DOM. Some of the key features of Solid.js include TypeScript and JSX support, server-side and asynchronous rendering, and reactive and declarative programming.
Additionally, since it has various simple and flexible APIs, developers can develop feature-rich interfaces without fretting about complexities in the backend. The user interfaces in solid.js are also compatible with frameworks like Angular.js, React.js, and Backbone. There’s also a cross-development platform — developers can make web apps for both mobiles and websites with the same code.
Now, if you want to display real-time data, solid.js has got you covered. For this very reason, it’s best for making large websites like e-commerce websites. This is because developers can create complex components with minimal code.
Want fast initial rendering? Use Solid.js. The fine-grained reactivity system used in it cuts down unnecessary re-renders. Solid.js also has a small bundle size, meaning pages can be loaded faster here. And since solid.js only re-renders components when there’s a change in dependencies, the reactivity system has faster updates.
Despite all these pros, there are some cons of Solid.js like debugging can become a little daunting because of limited abstractions. Also, since it doesn’t have a virtual DOM, sometimes a custom virtual DOM is used — it’s fully optimized for performance.
Solid.js doesn’t have state management. You have to use external libraries. Additionally, there isn’t any built-in support for JSX in Solid.js. SSR also needs additional configuration.
At times, if you want to add some more functions, you need to use third-party libraries. The community of Solid.js is also limited. No doubt, in recent years, Solid.js has gained traction. But for some unknown reason, it still has a small user base. So, developers using Solid.js may have a difficult time working on it. What’s worse is that documentation is also limited. Tools and plugins are also not diverse.
Top comments (2)
But you still need to load Solid before you can do anything; so native javascript is faster
You are right, but here I am talking about javascript library