𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬𝘅 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝗧𝗠𝗟 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲
I stopped using React for simple tools.
React is not bad. I quit using it for small projects because of a pattern.
I wanted to build something small. I would open a React setup. I would add a bundler. I would plan folder structures and install dependencies.
I spent more time building infrastructure than building the tool.
I tried a new rule.
No frameworks. No backend. No build tools. No npm.
I use one single HTML file. I use vanilla JavaScript and inline CSS. I use localStorage when I need to save data.
The results changed my workflow.
Ideas stop getting stuck in setup. I open a file and start coding. I do not make architecture decisions. I do not fall into dependency holes.
The process is now:
- Idea
- Code
- Done
I built invoice generators this way. Each tool is one file. It opens instantly in a browser. There is no install and no friction.
This change is mental.
I stopped asking what the correct stack is. I started asking what the simplest solution is.
Most small tools do not need a framework. They just need to exist.
This approach has limits. You should not use it for real-time collaboration. Most personal tools do not need that.
My new rule is simple: Start with one file. Add complexity only when you must. Do not add it because the ecosystem expects it.
Try this today. Pick a small idea. Build it in one HTML file. No setup. No excuses.
Just ship it.
Optional learning community: https://github.com/DarkenAmber/single-file-app