A New JavaScript Framework? In this Economy?

After 20 years in software, full-stack developer Yaniv Soussana is tired of complexity in React-based JavaScript frameworks. So the creator of the app conversion tool Wappaa did what developers tend to do: He built a new framework, called Sigment.

“I wanted to create something better than React and Angular, because I’m already tired of all this — I wanted to create something simple for developers,” he said.

Sigment simplifies by exemption, which means it does not:

• Combine HTML with JavaScript;
• Use JSX; or
• Create a virtual DOM.

So when would you use Sigment?

Well, for starters, if you’re fed up with React-based frameworks or don’t want to learn React, it might be a good option. The open source framework claims to have a maximum runtime performance with minimal overhead, full control over rendering with a API, zero-config development without transpilation, and fine-grained reactivity.

Let’s dig in.

The Problem With Mixing HTML and JavaScript

React mixes JavaScript with HTML syntax (JSX), and, frankly, Soussana isn’t a fan. Sigment does not mix the two, which he says makes the syntax shorter and easier. This makes the framework more accessible to those who know vanilla JavaScript but don’t want to learn React (which created and uses JSX).

That makes it possible for the framework to do more than build single page applications; it also supports an HTML first-architecture, he said. Plus, Sigment supports dynamic or incremental rendering.

“The developer can create a small website and then when the user starts to move, it will, on time, on the fly, create the new element and everything,” he explained, adding it will also put that element into the cache for better performance.

Why Sigment Doesn’t Use JSX

JSX stands for JavaScript XML. It’s a syntax extension that allows developers to write HTML-like code directly inside their JavaScript.

For context, React relies on JSX syntax, as do other React-based frameworks. Preact, Qwik and Solid JS also use JSX. With JSX, developers write JavaScript that generates HTML.

The issue with JSX is it requires transpilation, or conversion, of the code, plus additional tooling such as Babel, Webpack or Vite. And while that feels declarative, it adds complexity to the build process, according to Soussana.

Sigment relies on declarative markers when developers use the HTML-first architecture with layouts or embedded JavaScript in HTML. This means parts of the UI are marked for the Sigment framework engine, which processes them during the build phase to generate the appropriate HTML parts. Svelte, by the way, is similar in some cases, but it remains template-driven rather than HTML-drive.

Instead of JSX, Sigment relies on JavaScript tag functions. For example, instead of writing:

<div class="container"></div>

a developer might write:

div({ class: 'container' })

This results in “lightning-fast” performance and faster iteration because the code is already valid JavaScript, according to Sigment’s website.

Also, because Sigment doesn’t use JSX, developers can create websites with pure HTML and simple syntax in HTML-first mode, Soussana told The New Stack.

It also means the framework works without creating a virtual DOM. However, when developers choose SPA mode, Sigment relies entirely on JavaScript tag functions such as Div and Span, so developers can create websites with pure JavaScript.