(3) The Only Current Alternative: Vanilla JavaScript

The author compares the current state of the JavaScript ecosystem to the early days of C++ development, where developers had to build everything from scratch due to a lack of commercial frameworks. Similarly, in JavaScript, there is no existing framework that fully meets the demands of high-performance single-page applications (HPSE), so developers are left to manually develop with Vanilla JavaScript. Many programs that started with grand ambitions to break new boundaries have ended up relying heavily on custom features built directly within the programming language. The author also discusses the potential use of C++/Rust code and WebAssembly (WASM) modules but notes that JavaScript offers high productivity and runs directly in the browser, making it a preferred choice. The focus has shifted from building programs that run on top of operating systems to building programs that run within browsers. The author reflects on their identity as a developer and questions what "frontend" means in the context of web client development.