Full-stack JavaScript leads the way

Building web apps begins with a simple premise, but the real-world experience is a juggling act of optimizations, best practices, toolchains, and so on. Developers tend to respond by doing what we do best: creating new tools and techniques to manage ever-changing demands. 

The paradox is, if we don’t strike the right balance, our efforts compound the problem with more technology choices and the effort of integrating them. To quote Tom Petty, “There ain’t no easy way out.”  It’s an enduring part of building the Internet that we are continually walking the tightrope, refining our balance as we go.

Top picks for JavaScript readers on InfoWorld

State of JavaScript: Highlights of the JavaScript developer surveyEvery year, the State of JavaScript survey gives a wide view of both specific JavaScript technologies and the pace and dynamics of change in the software industry at large. The rise and fall of JavaScript frameworks is especially instructive in this latest report.

Get started with HTMX: Dynamic HTML without JavaScriptHTMX, now in version 2.0, is an HTML extension syntax that replaces JavaScript with simple markup while leaving the choice of server-side APIs entirely up to the developer. I’ve written a few tutorials demonstrating how to seamlessly combine HTMX with popular tools and frameworks, including BunJS.

Angular team unveils strategy for 2025Angular is shaping up to be one of JavaScript’s great stories of rebirth. The framework stumbled early on, earning a reputation among developers for being heavy-handed. It has since taken on new life, with plans this year to enhance developer experience and more.

Bun 1.2 squashes Node compatibility bugsBunJS continues its drive forward as a fully compatible, drop-in Node replacement. With a growing reputation for impressive performance, Bun has the feeling of a passion project with a fanatical devotion to optimization.

More good reads and JavaScript updates

Vitest 3.0 is out!Vitest testing framework can be used as part of the Vite build tool or as a standalone tester. Check it out for yourself to see why its popularity is surging.

JavaScript frameworks in 2025Ryan Carniato, creator of SolidJS, has posted an in-depth look at the framework landscape going into 2025. The move to server-side figures large, but he also sees the pendulum swinging back toward the client. Bottom line? Full-stack thinking is here to stay.

Introducing AX: Why agent experience mattersNetlify cofounder Matt Biilmann, has interesting thoughts on the rise of agenic AI. Namely, he proposes that next-gen software companies must take “AX”—the overall experience of AI agents using their products and platforms—as seriously as they do UX and DX. But does the word experience really apply to AI agents? Not to go all Blade Runner on you, but Do androids dream of electric sheep?