How to add server-side rendering to an ArrowJS app?

Use the @arrow-js/ssr package for renderToString() on the server and @arrow-js/hydrate for client-side hydration. The scaffold command 'pnpm create arrow-js@latest' sets up a complete Vite project with SSR and hydration pre-configured, as mentioned in the install section.

ArrowJS vs Lit: which is better for web components?

ArrowJS is more minimal and focused on reactive updates with template literals, while Lit offers broader web component standard alignment. Choose ArrowJS for tiny size and agent compatibility; opt for Lit if you need established interoperability and a larger ecosystem.

Can I use ArrowJS with an existing React codebase?

ArrowJS is standalone and uses a different rendering model based on template literals, so integration would require rewriting components. It's best suited for new projects or gradual migrations where you can replace React parts incrementally.

What makes ArrowJS fast compared to other frameworks?

ArrowJS performs direct DOM updates with a small reactive runtime, avoiding virtual DOM overhead. Its minimal API and use of platform primitives reduce framework bloat, leading to faster initial loads and updates, as highlighted in the performance focus.

How does state management work in ArrowJS?

State is managed via the reactive() function that creates observable objects; changes automatically trigger updates in bound template literals. For complex scenarios, you can compose reactive states or use external libraries, but the core is designed for simplicity.

Is ArrowJS good for building large-scale applications?

While ArrowJS offers TypeScript safety and SSR, its young ecosystem and modular setup might require more in-house tooling. It can work for large apps, but teams should evaluate trade-offs in component reuse and community support versus established frameworks.

Open-Awesome

arrowjs

MITTypeScriptv1.0.6

A tiny, performant, type-safe reactive UI runtime built around JavaScript modules, template literals, and the DOM for the agentic era.

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3.8k stars93 forks0 contributors

What is arrowjs?

ArrowJS is a reactive UI runtime built for the agentic era, offering a tiny and performant framework centered on JavaScript modules, template literals, and the DOM. It solves the need for a minimal, type-safe UI framework that coding agents can easily understand and manipulate, with optional WASM sandboxes for safe code execution.

Target Audience

Developers and coding agents building modern web applications who prioritize minimal API surfaces, direct DOM updates, and seamless integration with platform primitives.

Value Proposition

Developers choose ArrowJS for its extreme minimalism, performance, and safety features like WASM sandboxes, combined with a familiar template-literal syntax and full TypeScript support, making it ideal for agentic workflows and reactive UI development.

Overview

The first UI framework for the agentic era — tiny, performant, with WASM sandboxes for safe code execution.

Use Cases

Best For

Building reactive UIs with minimal framework overhead
Creating applications where coding agents need to understand and generate UI code
Implementing server-side rendering with client-side hydration
Developing type-safe web components using template literals
Executing UI code in isolated sandboxes for enhanced security
Scaffolding Vite-based projects with SSR and hydration support

Not Ideal For

Teams deeply invested in JSX-based ecosystems who prefer its syntax over template literals
Projects requiring a vast array of pre-built UI components and plugins, as ArrowJS's minimal approach means building more from scratch
Applications where complex, integrated server-side rendering with built-in data fetching is critical, as ArrowJS requires additional packages for full SSR support

Pros & Cons

Pros

Extremely Minimal Core

The @arrow-js/core package is under 3KB and works without a build step, allowing direct ESM imports in browsers, as shown in the installation example with browser imports via esm.sh.

Full TypeScript Support

ArrowJS is built with TypeScript from the ground up, providing type safety and autocomplete for reactive state and template literals, as emphasized in the key features.

Coding Agent Optimized

Designed around platform primitives like JavaScript modules and template literals, making it deeply understandable by coding agents, which is core to its philosophy for the agentic era.

WASM Sandbox Safety

Includes @arrow-js/sandbox for executing Arrow code in isolated QuickJS/WASM environments off the host window realm, enhancing security for untrusted code execution.

Cons

Layered Package Setup

Advanced features like async components and SSR require installing and configuring multiple separate packages (@arrow-js/framework, ssr, hydrate), adding complexity compared to all-in-one frameworks.

Limited Third-Party Ecosystem

As a newer framework, ArrowJS lacks the extensive community-driven libraries, tools, and integrations available in more established alternatives, which can increase development time for custom needs.

Template Literal Syntax Barrier

The tagged-template rendering approach, while efficient, may be less intuitive for developers accustomed to JSX, and editor support is primarily limited to a dedicated VSCode extension.

Frequently Asked Questions

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