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Comment on Ask HN: Why use an SPA?

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Why do we need elaborated backend structures? A bit of SQL in stored procedures on top of a DB is good enough all the time. It's way less overhead. Heck, why don't we just let the users get what they want by giving them access to a SQL prompt. We could eliminate the UI completely.

This is a blatant and dishonest strawman.

Nobody said we should remove all UI from applications.

A bit of SQL in stored procedures on top of a DB is good enough all the time.

You do need an HTTP server if you want to offer an HTTP service.

Heck, why don't we just let the users get what they want by giving them access to a SQL prompt.

I don't think any RDBMS has a sufficiently complex permissions system to accommodate the needs of a webapp.

We could eliminate the UI completely.

Obviously, any user needs a UI to interact with any software, so I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. Your proposed SQL prompt is also a UI.

I feel you're trying to imply something here, but I'm at a loss as to what that is.

I was joking. I usually hear complaints about SPAs from backend engineers who see frontend as a few server-side rendered forms with some validations thrown in. An equivalent to that is a back-end with a thin layer atop of database tables. I programmed server-side web forms in ASP.NET and JSP for years before switching to SPAs and React. Literally everything is better with React. Everything.

I programmed server-side web forms in ASP.NET and JSP for years before switching to SPAs and React.

I don't think that comparison makes sense? ASP.NET and JSP are server side languages while React is client side.

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