Show HN: Rethinking the UI = F(State) Model
https://github.com/livetrails/targetjsMost modern frameworks model UI as a function of state: change state, re-render. but modern rich UX is increasingly about the space between states. It is about how to represent a smooth transition between states to have a fluid UI.
Today, we handle these "in-betweens" state by bolting on external libraries like Framer Motion or GSAP. These often feel like a continuous fight of synching two separate models.
I am building TargetJS to experiment with a different model: State as a Destination. In TargetJS, you don't just set a state instead you set a target for the framework to achieve. It treats the journey from state A to B as a first-class citizen.
Key Architectural Shifts:
- Implicit state and lifecycles: Every class field and function tracks its own progress.
- Linear execution: The code executes how it written from top to bottom with no jumps. Complicated flow are structuring the work into parent child relationship.
- Syncing to asynchronous operations is done by two modes: deferred and reactive.
- Built in fetching, events, efficient animation to provide one synced stack.
It's still in early stages, and I'm mostly looking for feedback on the developer experience of this model