Goodbye javascript (for now)

Summary

The speaker discusses their concerns with increasing memory usage in Next.js applications, possibly due to image optimization with Sharp. They explore the idea of 'doing more with less' in web development, comparing the memory footprint of different frameworks like Next.js, Hono, Bun, and Go with Fiber. The speaker highlights the efficiency and performance of Go, suggesting it as a potential alternative to JavaScript-based solutions for its lower memory usage and built-in features. They also touch on the potential of HTMX to reduce client-side interactivity complexity, advocating for a shift towards simpler, more efficient coding practices.

Takeaways

• 📈 The speaker has been investigating memory usage issues in Next.js applications, particularly with image optimization using Sharp.
• 🔍 They are exploring the idea of achieving more with less, in terms of code, dependencies, and complexity in the software industry.
• 💡 The speaker's work involves AWS, cloud computing, and infrastructure as code, where they've noticed that complexity can sometimes outweigh the deployment's actual needs.
• 🛠️ They have refactored some applications from Next.js to other technologies like Hono and Bun to reduce memory usage, with varying degrees of success.
• 📉 A comparison of memory usage between different implementations shows that a Go and Fiber implementation uses significantly less memory than JavaScript-based ones.
• 🚀 The speaker considers Go to be a strong alternative due to its performance, low memory footprint, and ability to compile into a single executable.
• 🤔 There's a contemplation about the necessity of client-side interactivity and whether it justifies the overhead of JavaScript frameworks and libraries.
• 🌐 HTMX is highlighted as a potential solution for achieving frontend functionality with less JavaScript, by leveraging server-side rendering and HTML.
• 🛑 The speaker expresses a desire for a shift in mindset towards simplicity and efficiency, questioning the need for complex ecosystems in common web development tasks.
• 🔧 They advocate for evaluating whether the same functionality can be achieved with fewer dependencies, less memory, and reduced third-party services.
• 🔄 Despite the exploration of new technologies, the speaker will continue to produce content on Next.js and other JavaScript frameworks, acknowledging their value in certain contexts.

Q & A

What issue with Next.js applications prompted the speaker to investigate memory usage?

The speaker noticed that their Next.js applications were consuming increasing amounts of memory over time, which led them to investigate the cause and consider ways to optimize performance.

What does the speaker suggest as a potential cause for the memory consumption issue in Next.js applications?

The speaker suggests that the image optimization process using Sharp might be contributing to the memory consumption issue in Next.js applications.

What philosophy is the speaker advocating for in the software industry?

The speaker is advocating for a philosophy of 'doing more with less,' which means achieving better performance, more features, or other benefits using less code, fewer dependencies, and reduced complexity.

What alternative to Next.js did the speaker try for their applications?

The speaker tried using Hono and Bun for their applications as an alternative to Next.js to see if it would help with the memory usage issue.

How does the memory usage of the Hono and Bun implementation compare to the Go and Fiber implementation?

The Hono and Bun implementation has a memory usage of around 150 megabytes, whereas the Go and Fiber implementation uses significantly less memory, starting at 6 megabytes and going up to 11 megabytes after deployment.

What benefits does the speaker see in using Go for their projects?

The speaker sees benefits in using Go such as lower memory usage, the ability to build a fully functioning REST API without external dependencies, and the inherent performance and concurrency features built into the language.

What is the speaker's opinion on the current state of the JavaScript ecosystem?

The speaker feels that the JavaScript ecosystem is bloated and often requires too many external tools and dependencies to achieve what could be done more efficiently with other languages like Go.

What is the speaker's view on the use of HTMX for front-end interactivity?

The speaker finds HTMX appealing because it allows for achieving front-end interactivity with less complexity and without the need for extensive JavaScript code, by leveraging server-side rendering with Go.

What is the speaker's recommendation for new developers or small teams looking to build web applications?

The speaker recommends considering the use of Go for its performance and simplicity, but also acknowledges that for quick prototyping or in certain contexts, using Next.js can still be beneficial.

What is the speaker's perspective on the continuous updates and changes in the JavaScript ecosystem?

The speaker expresses frustration with the constant updates and changes in the JavaScript ecosystem, which can lead to instability and additional work to keep up with the latest tools and practices.