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[partintro]
== Hypermedia Reconsidered
We hope that in this book we have managed to convince you that hypermedia, rather than being a "`legacy`" technology
We hope to have convinced you that hypermedia, rather than being a "`legacy`" technology
or a technology only appropriate for "`documents`" of links, text and pictures, is, in fact, a powerful technology for
building _applications_. In this book you have seen how to build sophisticated user interfaces for both the web, with htmx,
and for a mobile application, using Hyperview, using hypermedia as a core underlying application technology.
Focusing in on the web, in particular, many developers today view the links and forms of "`plain`" HTML as bygone tools
building _applications_. In this book you have seen how to build sophisticated user interfaces -- for both the web, with htmx,
and for mobile applications, using Hyperview -- using hypermedia as a core underlying application technology.
// check edits
Many web developers view the links and forms of "`plain`" HTML as bygone tools
from a less sophisticated age. And, in some ways, they are right: there were definite usability issues with the
original web. However, as we discovered while building Contact.app, by simply addressing four core limitations of
HTML:
original web. However, there are now JavaScript libraries that extend HTML by addressing its core limitations. Htmx, for example, allowed us to:
* By making any element capable of issuing an HTTP request
* By making any event capable of triggering an HTTP event
* By making all the different types of HTTP methods available
* By making it possible to target any element in the DOM for replacement
* Make any element capable of issuing an HTTP request
* Make any event capable of triggering an HTTP event
* Use all the available types of HTTP methods
* Target any element in the DOM for replacement
We were able to build user interfaces that many developers would assume require a significant amount of client-side
JavaScript, but using only hypermedia concepts.
With that, we were able to build user interfaces for Contact.app that many developers would assume require a significant amount of client-side
JavaScript, and we did it using hypermedia concepts.
The Hypermedia-Driven Application approach is not right for every application (after all, no approach is right for
_every_ application) but, for many applications, the increased flexibility and simplicity of hypermedia can be a huge
benefit. And, even if your application wouldn't benefit from this approach, it is at least worthwhile to _understand_
The Hypermedia-Driven Application approach is not right for every application. For many applications, though, the increased flexibility and simplicity of hypermedia can be a huge
benefit. Even if your application wouldn't benefit from this approach, it is worthwhile to _understand_
the approach, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it differs from the approach you are taking. The original web
grew faster than any distributed system in history, and it is worth understanding the underlying technologies that
grew faster than any distributed system in history; web developers should know how to tap the power of the underlying technologies that
made that growth possible.
== Pausing, And Reflecting
== Pausing, and Reflecting
The JavaScript community and, by extension, the web development community is famously chaotic, with new frameworks and
technologies emerging monthly, and sometimes even _weekly_. It can be exhausting to keep up with the latest and
greatest technologies that are coming out, and, at the same time, terrifying that we _won't_ keep up with them and
greatest technologies, and, at the same time, terrifying that we _won't_ keep up with them and
be left behind in our career.
This is not a fear without foundation: there are many senior software engineers that have seen their career peter out
This is not a fear without foundation: there are many senior software engineers that have seen their careers peter out
because they picked a technology to specialize in that, fairly or not, did not thrive. The web development world tends
to be young, with many companies favoring young developers over older developers who "`haven't kept up.`"
We shouldn't sugar-coat these realities of our industry. On the other hand, we also shouldn't ignore the downside that
these realities create. It creates a high-pressure environment where everyone is watching for "`the new new`" thing, that
is, for the latest and greatest technology that is going to change everything. It creates pressure to _claim_ that your
technology is going to change everything, if you are trying to get attention. It tends to favor _sophistication_ over
technology is going to change everything. It tends to favor _sophistication_ over
_simplicity_. People are scared to ask "`Is this too complex?`" because it sounds an awful lot like "`I'm not smart enough
to understand this.`"
The software industry has tended, especially in web development, to lean far more towards innovating, rather than
understanding the technologies of the past and building on them or within them. We tend to look ahead for new, genius
solutions, rather than looking backwards to older ideas. This is understandable: the technology world is necessarily
// check: emphasize established, vs. old or past
The software industry tends, especially in web development, to lean far more towards innovating, rather than
understanding existing technologies and building on them or within them. We tend to look ahead for new, genius
solutions, rather than looking to established ideas. This is understandable: the technology world is necessarily
a forward-looking industry.
// check: refer back to Fielding?
On the other hand, there have been a lot of great ideas in the past, many of which have been discarded. We are old enough
to have seen hypermedia come and go as the "`new new`" idea. It was a little shocking to us to see it discarded so cavalierly
by the industry. Fortunately, the concepts are still sitting there, waiting to be discovered and reinvigorated by
a new generation of web developers. The original, RESTful architecture of the web, when looked at with fresh eyes,
can address many of the problems today's web developers are facing.
On the other hand -- as we saw with Roy Fielding's formulation of REST -- some early architects of the web had some great ideas which have been overlooked. We are old enough
to have seen hypermedia come and go as the "`new new`" idea. It was a little shocking to us to see powerful ideas like REST discarded so cavalierly
by the industry. Fortunately, the concepts are still sitting there, waiting to be discovered and reinvigorated. The original, RESTful architecture of the web, when looked at with fresh eyes, can address many of the problems today's web developers are facing.
Perhaps, following Mark Twain's advice, it is time to pause and reflect. Perhaps, for a few quiet moments, we can
put the endless swirl of the "`new new`" aside, look back on where the web came from, and learn.
// check: suggest this as the stronger concluding line
Perhaps it's time to give hypermedia a chance.
We hope you will.