

Are we going backwards using a library like Backbone.js - decad
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14821599/are-we-going-backwards-using-a-library-like-backbone-js

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ascotan
I'm going to throw my opinion/view in here: Basically back in the mid 2000's
there were 2 things that spurred the all-js apps: Google docs and the mobile
phone biz. Google showed everyone what a full-on js framework could do in a
browser, but there was no available API for people use to build their own
tools. Then when phone apps became all the rage, people started developing
js/app APIs starting with sproutcore way back when (now called ember.js). Then
there's sencha touch, etc. Backbone, etc is sort of an evolution on these
themes of having a front end API but for the web.

In terms of going backward, I think that there are some advantages and
drawbacks. There clearly a polling/ajax problem when alot of people need to be
pinging the server for tiny updates. If all of this can be pushed onto the
client (especially requests for html blobs) you reduce server traffic and make
things more snappy (no more preloaders). The downside is having all your code
on the client. I wonder if there are unsolved security implications to having
so much logic on the client. All-in-all for a standard web app, theres nothing
wrong with the old school 'keep it on the server' approach. But if you need
alot of dynamic "app"-like behavior, then having a front end API will benefit
you more in the end.

