Rebuild the web UI part using Svelte 5 (ts) ?

[kleenleen]

Not an issue but a suggestion for an easier future:

Rather than updating raw html + js code, converting the project into Svelte 5 + typescript would make the maintenance of new code much easier.

You can close if not feasible.

[moodyjmz]

It is an interesting suggestion. However it would be a massive change and would need comparing against other approaches too. Vue, React, Angular, Lit etc - or using a framework like ionic - it already uses framework7 and react for the mobile views.

To consider this would likely require some lightweight PoC's to compare approaches: Performance, Developer Experience, barrier to access, ease of build, testability etc etc

However I do agree with your general point about moving from raw JS is worth considering.

[kleenleen]

I was thinking of svelte because it's the one that generates the fastest code, has the cleanest syntax, and since it's a compiler, no extra runtime to embed.

There's Solid JS that is an amazing contender too, more like a lib.

[jeroenbreen]

I was pointed to this discussion, I was doing some investigation of the feasibility of rebuilding the (documenteditor) application to a more modern stack.

However it would be a massive change

I think the only way to do this (and how it is done by others in the past on other rebuildings) is doing it gradually, component by component (the Strangler fig pattern). That means: keep Backbone.js for now as the framework, replacing component by component for [vue/react/svelte/angular] components until everything is replaced. Then strip all Backbone.js and move all you component into a [vue/react/svelte/angular] application.

I found this example which looked interesting https://snipcart.com/blog/progressive-migration-backbone-vuejs-refactoring
We might have to do more steps before/inbetween (require to webpack?).

The reason why I think the strangler fig way is the only way to go, is because the application is that large that a rebuild would take lots of weeks. If you want to merge after that, merge conflicts would be terrible.

Vue, React, Angular, Lit etc - or using a framework like ionic - it already uses framework7 and react for the mobile views.

My 2 cents on which framework:

• I dont think the choice of the mobile views is a very relevant argument
• I would argue against Lit (yes more agnostic, and flexible, but slower development and less developers familiar with it)
  that generates the fastest code,
• I dont think fastest code is that relevant, I think all the 4 frameworks (angular, vue, react, svelte) are relatively close and just differ in different benchmarks
• I would chose for the framework that most of developers are familiar with. The number 1 is still React, my personal favourite is Vue (I believe NextCloud is also in Vue?).

I am planning to do some more investigation on the (I think I will go for Vue then for now) Vue-in-Backbone approach. And if promising I can create a PR.