Why don't more developers “use the platform”?
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Nolan Lawson explores why web developers often avoid using built-in browser APIs despite their advantages.
The article examines why developers frequently bypass web platform APIs in favor of custom JavaScript or library solutions. Historical reasons include browsers playing catch-up with libraries like jQuery, requiring workarounds for laggards like IE6. Familiarity with React and npm ecosystems drives developers to reach for component packages rather than native features like CSS position: sticky. Poor documentation of platform APIs historically pushed developers toward well-documented libraries. The 'IKEA effect' makes building custom solutions more fun and educational, even when reinventing the wheel yields half-working results. The author observed similar dynamics at work with ClickHouse, where his team built custom compression and storage solutions that duplicated the database's built-in capabilities. The article speculates that AI coding tools could either improve platform adoption through encyclopedic API knowledge or worsen it by proliferating verbose custom code.
What commenters are saying
Commenters widely challenge the article's premise that platform APIs are always superior, citing concrete shortcomings. Multiple commenters criticize the native <dialog> element for lacking default backdrop-click dismissal, poor iOS Safari support, and inability to animate fade-out in Firefox. Several note that built-in date pickers lack essential features like disabling specific dates or weekdays-only selection, forcing custom implementations. Web Components receive harsh criticism as 'badly designed' and 'miserable' to use, with AI tools also tripping over their footguns. A divide emerges between those who view 'use the platform' condescension as ignoring real API gaps and those who agree with the article that library-first habits are historical artifacts.