XMLUI: Bringing the Ease of Visual Basic to Modern Web Development with React Components

XMLUI, a new framework, aims to bring the simplicity and power of Visual Basic to modern web development. In the mid-1990s, Visual Basic allowed non-expert developers to create robust applications using pre-built components and a declarative approach. XMLUI seeks to replicate this model in the context of web development, leveraging the React ecosystem and offering a way to build and maintain web apps using XML markup. Key Features and Benefits of XMLUI Declarative and Reactive: XMLUI wraps React components and CSS, enabling developers to create complex, dynamic web apps with a straightforward, declarative XML syntax. For instance, a simple app to check the status of London tube lines can be built with just a few lines of XML: ```xml ``` Ease of Use: The framework emphasizes readability and maintainability, making it accessible to developers without deep React or CSS expertise. XMLUI’s reactive data binding ensures that components update automatically when underlying data changes, simplifying the development process. This is similar to how spreadsheets automatically update cell values based on dependencies. Theming: XMLUI provides a robust theming system that minimizes the need for manual CSS. Developers can apply global or granular theme variables to control appearance without writing custom styles. Themes can be easily switched, and default settings ensure good-looking and well-behaved UIs. User-Defined Components: XMLUI allows developers to create and use their own components seamlessly. For example, a TubeStops component can be defined and reused multiple times: ```xml .Component name="TubeStops"> {$props.line} ``` Scripting Support: While XMLUI is primarily declarative, it supports small JavaScript snippets for more complex logic. However, these imperative parts are well-scoped and manageable for less experienced developers. LLM assistants can also help with this scripting, enhancing productivity. Model Context Protocol (MCP): XMLUI integrates MCP, a protocol designed to facilitate collaboration between human developers and AI assistants. MCP helps LLMs understand the context and structure of XMLUI components, making it easier to generate and maintain code. Developers can use tools provided by MCP to query and search for documentation, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Simplified Content Management: XMLUI can serve as a content management system (CMS), allowing for the creation of dynamic, interactive web pages and applications. This is particularly useful for teams that prefer a more intuitive approach to managing and updating their website's content. The framework's minimal deployment footprint makes it easy to host and run apps using a static web server or AWS S3 bucket. Evaluation by Industry Insiders and Company Profiles Industry Insiders' Evaluation Industry experts view XMLUI as a promising solution for democratizing web development. The framework addresses the growing complexity and specialization required in modern web development, making it more accessible to a broader range of developers. The integration of LLMs and MCP is seen as a significant innovation, potentially reducing the barrier to entry and improving the efficiency of app development. Company Profile /n software, founded by Gent Hito, specializes in making network communication easy for developers. Hito also founded CData, which focuses on simplifying data access. With XMLUI, Hito aims to tackle the frustration many developers face when building user interfaces, particularly those whose strengths lie in backend development. The framework's design philosophy is centered on bringing the ease and accessibility of Visual Basic to the web, empowering non-expert developers to create sophisticated web applications without the steep learning curve associated with React and CSS. By providing a rich component library and a declarative approach to web development, XMLUI hopes to bridge the gap between backend experts and frontend specialists, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and collaborative development environment. Early adopters and testers are encouraged to try the framework and provide feedback, helping to refine and improve it further.