What Is HTMX?

HTMX (also written as htmx) is an open-source, lightweight JavaScript library that extends HTML attributes. It allows developers to create interactive web applications without relying on complex JavaScript frameworks.

With HTMX, developers can add dynamic website features using HTML attributes. This simplifies development and makes it an excellent option for developers who want an improved user experience when building content applications. 

In this blog, we’ll explain the primary features of HTMX, how it works, and why developers might opt for this library when using a headless CMS like CrafterCMS. 

Key Features of HTMX

HTMX is a newer library that launched in November 2020 and offers several features that make it appealing to developers. 

• Small and Lightweight Size: Compared to many other JavaScript frameworks, HTMX is relatively small. This lightweight size makes it a good choice for applications that require fast load times.
• HTML-Driven Interactivity: With HTMX, developers can control interactivity directly from HTML attributes. They can perform actions such as fetching content from a server, submitting forms, or updating parts of a page without writing custom JavaScript.
• Partial Page Updates: HTMX can replace a specific portion of a page instead of reloading the entire page. Doing so can improves the user experience by making interactions faster and smoother. 
• Simplified AJAX Requests: HTMX handles AJAX requests under the hood. Developers can send GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests to the server and update the page with the response. This is particularly useful for creating real-time or reactive applications without dealing with complex JavaScript logic.
• Progressive Enhancement: HTMX is ideal for progressively enhancing web applications. Developers can build functional applications with basic HTML and add HTMX attributes to improve interactivity.

Benefits of HTMX

HTMX’s features also provide developers with several benefits when compared against heavier Javascript frameworks.

Simpler Development Workflow

HTMX removes the need for more complex JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular. These frameworks often require setting up build tools, managing state, and learning framework-specific syntax. 

Instead, developers can directly add interactivity by marking up HTML with attributes that handle AJAX requests, which allows for a more straightforward, HTML-centric development approach.

Faster Page Load Times

HTMX minimizes the JavaScript payload, leading to faster initial load times and quicker time-to-interactivity. Since it doesn’t require loading a large framework upfront, this allows HTMX to improve performance, which can be helpful when displaying content to users on slower networks or older devices.

Easier Maintenance

With less JavaScript and a simpler code structure, developers can maintain a clean and understandable codebase, which makes troubleshooting, onboarding new developers, and long-term maintenance easier.

Increased Flexibility

HTMX is backend-agnostic, meaning it integrates smoothly with any backend framework (such as Django or ASP.NET). This enables developers to work with their preferred server-side tools and frameworks without being tied to a specific JavaScript framework.

Enhanced Performance

HTMX is optimized for fast interactions by allowing updates to parts of a page instead of the entire page. This selective updating is particularly useful for applications that prioritize speed and responsiveness. 

Why Use HTMX?

Aside from the loading time benefits and easier maintenance, developers may want to use HTMX instead of more complex frameworks such as React or Vue. HTMX is ideal for applications that need quick and lightweight interactivity and environments where JavaScript needs to be minimized, such as content-rich sites or web applications focused on performance.

This includes use cases such as: 

• Content-heavy blogs or news sites
• Applications that offer real-time commenting or feedback for users
• Content libraries or resource hubs where filtering is required
• Media galleries
• Personalized content applications that change based on user behavior

When Not to Use HTMX

Although HTMX can be perfect for many use cases, developers may choose to turn to a framework such as React instead for the following:

Complex SPAs: HTMX isn’t well suited for complex single-page applications (SPAs) that require intricate client-side interactions and state management. 

Client-Side Applications: HTMX relies on server-rendered responses to inject updated HTML into the page. This can be limiting for situations where developers need client-side control and may create dependencies on server response times. 

Building Content-Driven Experiences with CrafterCMS and HTMX

CrafterCMS is an enterprise-grade headless CMS perfect for almost any use case. Companies that want to build content applications using HTMX can use CrafterCMS. Developers can also use HTMX to build and use simple tags and perform server-side and dynamic functions.

Developers can combine HTMX and Freemarker, which naturally bring together REST calls and tags, removing the need for a heavyweight React framework. While React is great for a number of applications, HTMX offers another option for simpler use cases. This is made possible through CrafterCMS’s flexible and developer-friendly architecture, which allows developers to use any UI framework on the front end and extend the backend with Groovy or JavaScript.

At the same time, CrafterCMS offers best-in-class content authoring, including drag-and-drop experience building, WYSIWYG content editing, and multi-channel preview, across all frontend technologies. This helps both developers and content authors maximize productivity.

Download CrafterCMS today and see how it works with HTMX, and enables you to build modern web applications.