Stories from the Blok #7: Frameworks On The Rise [Panel + Q&A]

After presentations from a long list of impressive speakers during Stories from the Blok #7 Frameworks Edition, our hosts Cathleen Ballar and Josefine Schaefer brought us home with a group panel and Q&A session. You can view the full talk in the video below:

They started by asking how each one ensures that the DX is constantly improving. The general consensus was that maintaining a connection to the developer community is essential.

This eventually led to another interesting question: is it possible for the “automagical” simplifying elements to actually get in the way of users? Fred responded that yes, it’s a possibility that framework developers should be cautious of, making the full code available in case it's needed for debugging. The frank conversation about potential problems continued into asking what the presenters are still striving to improve about their programs.

Chance stated that like with any exciting project, Remix has a lot of room to grow. While he believes it to be a stable and successful system, he referenced the partial hydration of Astro as an aspect he’d like to include. Improved styling and better module support were also on his to-do list.

As Astro has yet to release even V1, Fred’s answer was simple: polish. The team is trying to make sure the DX is as smooth as can be before they deliver the final product later this summer.

Finally, Cathleen and Josefine asked the panel members to comment on what they see as the future of web development. Fred was first to suggest that HTTP3 was going to be huge, with the more cacheable system being a boon to developers. Tan mentioned that with big changes like those on the horizon, there would be many newcomers who had a lot to learn before they could fully jump in. He said it was yet another reason why that “automagical” element of frameworks is so important – a better DX makes it easier to get started.

Alex was particularly interested in the many new JavaScript frameworks that are continuing to emerge. However, he also mentioned that there were a lot of new users looking for systems that were adapted to a content-focused model.

As the panel wrapped up, one thing was for certain: frameworks are continuing to evolve into exciting new technologies that will help improve the DX, making for bigger and better projects like never before.

For more information on each speaker’s presentations, you can find individual recaps at the links below:

• Chance Strickland's Intro to Remix - Software Engineer @ Remix Software
• Fred K. Schott's Intro to Astro - CEO @ The Astro Technology Company
• Tan Li Hau's Intro to Svelte - Software Engineer @ Shopee
• Alex Jover Morales's In the Magic Land of Storyblok SDKs - Developer Relations Engineer @ Storyblok