Software engineer educator Kent C. Dodds opened the Modern Frontend Development and Architecture track at QCon London with his keynote on The Web’s Next Transition, which focused on Modern Infrastructure and Techniques.
Dodds explained how the web had undergone various changes over the years. This started from static HTML files and quickly evolved to dynamic server-generated HTML responses. Now, REST or GraphQL APIs are consumed by JavaScript-heavy clients with the Jamstack. The latest transformation of the web is entirely unprecedented, as modern infrastructure and techniques have redefined the benchmarks of creating an exceptional user experience. In this novel era, old practices are being rediscovered while modern methodologies are proving insufficient.
During his talk, Dodds shared how this transformation will influence not just your user experience but also development productivity. The forthcoming era of the web is characterized by its decentralized nature, swifter speed, reduced costs, and thrilling prospects.
The technologies that constitute the web today were first standardized over 25 years ago, including HTTP, HTML, CSS, and JS, established in the mid-nineties. Over the years, the web has progressed into a ubiquitous application platform. As the web has evolved, so has the development architecture for creating these applications. While various core architectures are employed by web developers today, the Single Page App (SPA) is the most widely used. However, we are transitioning to a novel and enhanced architecture for web application building.
The impact on development productivity of this most recent change to the web is another crucial component. With the aid of contemporary web development tools and processes, developers can complete tasks more quickly, which reduces the time it takes to develop and launch new web apps. Also, this change makes it possible for developers to concentrate more on the business logic of their apps than the supporting infrastructure, leading to more fruitful and satisfying work.
It's critical to understand the potential advantages of these novel technologies and approaches to adjust to the shifting digital landscape. Developers can design web applications that are quicker, more dependable, and less expensive to develop and maintain by making use of the capability of contemporary infrastructure and procedures.
In conclusion, the most recent changes to the web are an exciting time for developers aiming to improve productivity and produce excellent user experiences. It's critical to keep a careful watch on new trends and technologies as we advance since they will surely continue to influence how the web develops in the future.
