Unlock the Power of Forgo: A Lightweight Alternative to React
Forgo, a mere 4KB JavaScript library, is revolutionizing the way we build client-side web applications. Despite its similarities to React, Forgo boasts distinct differences that set it apart. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of Forgo, exploring its unique features and demonstrating how to create robust web apps with ease.
Getting Started with Forgo
To begin, we need to install webpack and webpack-cli globally, followed by cloning the JavaScript repo into our computer. This will provide us with a solid foundation for our project. Next, we’ll navigate into our project folder and run npm i to install the necessary packages. Finally, we can start our project with npm start, which will run on port 8080 by default.
Creating a Simple Component
With our project set up, let’s create a basic component using Forgo. We’ll write the following code in index.js:
import { render } from 'forgo';
let seconds = 0;
function tick() {
seconds++;
rerender({ element });
}
render(
<div>{seconds}</div>
, tick);
``<code>
Notice how we store the state in a regular variable and re-render the component using the</code>rerender` method.
<strong>Mounting the Component</strong>
To mount our component, we'll add the following code:
import { mount } from ‘forgo’;
mount(, document.getElementById(‘root’));
This will render our component onto the page.
<strong>Child Components and Props</strong>
Forgo allows us to create child components and pass them props, just like in React. Let's create a <code>Greeter</code> component that accepts a <code>name</code> prop:
function Greeter(props) {
return
;
}
function Parent() {
return ;
}
We can also add inputs to our components using the ref prop:
function InputComponent() {
const inputRef = {};
return (
);
}
<strong>Lists and Keys</strong>
Forgo enables us to render lists by calling <code>map</code> on an array and returning the components we want to render. Let's create an <code>App</code> component that renders a list of people:
function App() {
const people = [
{ id: 1, name: ‘John’ },
{ id: 2, name: ‘Jane’ },
];
return (
-
- {people.map((person) => (
- ))}
);
}
<strong>Fetching Data with Forgo</strong>
We can fetch data using promises, but unlike React, we can only use the <code>then</code> method to get data. Let's create a component that fetches data when it mounts:
function DataComponent() {
let data;
fetch(‘https://api.example.com/data’)
.then((response) => response.json())
.then((d) => (data = d));
return
;
}
<strong>Events and Errors</strong>
Forgo components emit various events throughout their render lifecycle. Let's create a component that logs a message when it mounts and unmounts:
function HelloComponent() {
return
;
}
mount(, document.getElementById(‘root’));
We can also handle errors using the error method:
function ErrorComponent() {
throw new Error(‘Something went wrong!’);
}
mount(, document.getElementById(‘root’));
“`
The Future of Frontend Development
Forgo offers a lightweight and flexible alternative to React, allowing developers to create robust web applications with ease. With its unique features and similarities to React, Forgo is an attractive choice for developers looking to build fast and efficient web apps.
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