[Koha-devel] To React or not to React

[Kyle Hall]

I have my proof of concept for using React within Koha completed! You can
see it here: https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=17297

Please give it a try!

So, I've written this development ( at least in part ) in both Angular and
React. I know Angular 2 is out but here are my thoughts so far.

1) It's much easier to think in React than in Angular. React is for the
most part just Javascript. It's far less opinionated than Angular. They
saying goes React is Javascript and Angular is Angular. I think the
flexibility of React works well within the Koha ecosystem.

2) Writing React feels much more like programming. I think it's much faster
to develop reactive and ajax features in React than it is using jQuery.

3) React makes it pretty easy to create widgets that we can drop in to a
given page and have just work. Pretty much anything that shows up on
multiple pages would make for a good React widget. Think the holds table
which is on the checkouts page and the patron details page. It is ajaxified
now, but a far far cleaner version could be written in React.

4) React is just a view layer. Angular is a full MVC framework with many
pieces we don't really need.

I think React is probably the way to go for Koha. I like Angular but for
Koha in particular, I think React is a better fit. I think we really need
to get this decision made as soon as possible. If anyone has opinions,
please let everyone know!

Kyle


http://www.kylehall.info
ByWater Solutions ( http://bywatersolutions.com )
Meadville Public Library ( http://www.meadvillelibrary.org )
Crawford County Federated Library System ( http://www.ccfls.org )
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.koha-community.org/pipermail/koha-devel/attachments/20160915/31f94572/attachment.html>