JavaScript Tech We Loved (But Don’t Use as Much Anymore)

Show Notes

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What It Was: The default way to write Vue apps before Vue 3 introduced the Composition API.
Why People Loved It:
- Simple and easy to understand, especially for beginners.
- Clear separation of concerns (data, methods, computed, etc.).
- Readable, structured, and familiar for those coming from traditional MVC patterns.
Why It’s in Decline:
- Vue 3 introduced the Composition API, which offers better logic reuse and TypeScript integration.
- The Options API can feel too rigid for complex applications.
- Many Vue tutorials and libraries are shifting toward the Composition API.
Where It Stands Today:
- Still supported in Vue 3, but the ecosystem is moving towards Composition API.
- Many Vue developers still prefer it—so it’s not dead, but definitely fading.

What It Was: jQuery was the JavaScript library for DOM manipulation, AJAX, and animations.
Why People Loved It:
- Made JavaScript actually usable in the days of vanilla JS struggles.
- Huge plugin ecosystem.
- Cross-browser support solved IE headaches.
Why It’s in Decline:
- Modern JavaScript (ES6+), frameworks like React, and better browser APIs made it mostly unnecessary.
- Performance issues on large-scale apps.
Where It Stands Today:
- Still lurking in legacy codebases.
- Some WordPress plugins still rely on it.
- Occasionally still useful for quick prototyping.

What It Was: The go-to library for handling and formatting dates in JavaScript.
Why People Loved It:
- Dealt with the nightmare that is JavaScript’s Date object.
- Easy parsing and manipulation.
- Rich set of features.
Why It’s in Decline:
- Officially marked as “done” (no new features) in 2020.
- Heavy library size.
- Alternatives like date-fns and Luxon are more modular and performant.
Where It Stands Today:
- Many legacy apps still use it.
- If you’re maintaining an old project, you might still run into it.

What It Was: Cordova (previously PhoneGap) allowed developers to build mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Why People Loved It:
- Let web developers build native-feeling apps without learning Swift or Java/Kotlin.
- Access to device APIs like camera and GPS.
Why It’s in Decline:
- Performance issues compared to true native apps.
- React Native, Flutter, and PWAs became more popular.
- WebViews (which Cordova relied on) weren’t ideal for mobile UX.
Where It Stands Today:
- Still used for some legacy apps and simpler mobile projects.
- Ionic (which originally used Cordova) moved to Capacitor, which is now the preferred choice.
Apache Cordova & PhoneGap Lore

What It Was: A front-end framework that provided pre-styled components and JavaScript-powered UI elements like modals and dropdowns.
Why People Loved It:
- Rapid prototyping.
- Consistent styling with a familiar grid system.
- Built-in JS components without needing extra libraries.
Why It’s in Decline:
- JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular now offer their own component-based UI solutions.
- Tailwind CSS became a strong competitor, focusing on utility-first styling instead of pre-designed components.
- Performance concerns—Bootstrap’s JavaScript reliance on jQuery slowed adoption in modern projects.
Where It Stands Today:
- The CSS side of Bootstrap is still widely used.
- The JS components are being replaced with native framework-based solutions.

Timestamps are machine generated - there may be some errors.