TL;DR
htmx is a small, dependency-free JavaScript library that exposes AJAX, CSS transitions, WebSockets and Server-Sent Events through HTML attributes. It aims to let developers build modern interfaces with less client-side JavaScript by completing HTML as a hypertext.
What happened
The htmx project presents a lightweight approach for adding dynamic behavior to web pages by enabling HTTP requests and realtime channels directly from HTML via attributes such as hx-post and hx-swap. The library is described as compact (around 14 KB when minified and gzipped), dependency-free and extensible. Examples in the repository show how a single button can trigger an AJAX POST and replace its own markup with the server response. htmx is positioned as the successor to intercooler.js and is distributed via CDN and an npm package named htmx.org (the repository warns of an older, broken package called htmx). The project repository includes documentation, a contribution guide, a local hacking and test workflow using npm, and an automated and manual test suite that relies on mocha, chai and sinon. The GitHub project shows active development, numerous contributors and ongoing release preparation activity.
Why it matters
- Moves common client-server interactions into plain HTML, reducing the need for bespoke JavaScript glue code.
- Small footprint can lower front-end payloads compared with larger client-side frameworks.
- Provides a path for server-driven UI updates and realtime features without a heavy JavaScript runtime.
- Extensibility and lack of hard dependencies make it easier to integrate into existing toolchains and sites.
Key facts
- htmx exposes AJAX, CSS transitions, WebSockets and Server-Sent Events via HTML attributes.
- The project describes the minified gzipped library size as approximately 14 KB.
- It is dependency-free and designed to be extendable.
- Example usage: a button with hx-post="/clicked" and hx-swap="outerHTML" issues an AJAX POST and replaces the button with the response.
- htmx is the successor to intercooler.js, per the project README.
- Install options: CDN script (cdn.jsdelivr) or npm package: npm install htmx.org –save. The repository warns of an old broken package named 'htmx'.
- Documentation and docs site URLs are provided: https://htmx.org and https://htmx.org/docs.
- The repo includes contribution guidelines, a hacking guide and a test suite accessible at /test/, using mocha, chai and sinon.
- Repository metadata: tens of thousands of stars (47.1k), around 1.6k forks, roughly 212 watchers, and active issue and PR tracking (issues and pull requests listed in the source).
- Repository files and recent commits indicate preparation work for a 2.0.8 release and a change of license to a 0-clause BSD in the history.
What to watch next
- Preparation for a 2.0.8 release in the repository (commit messages reference 'prep 2.0.8 release').
- Ongoing community activity: open issues and pull requests indicate active maintenance and potential feature or compatibility work.
- Wider adoption or official integrations with major frameworks is not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- AJAX: A technique for sending HTTP requests from the browser and updating parts of a page without a full reload.
- WebSocket: A bidirectional communication protocol that keeps a persistent connection between client and server for realtime data exchange.
- Server-Sent Events (SSE): A unidirectional server-to-client streaming protocol used to push updates from the server to the browser.
- CDN (Content Delivery Network): A distributed network of servers that delivers cached static assets (like JavaScript files) to users from locations close to them.
- minified and gzipped: Processes that reduce file size: minification removes unnecessary characters from code; gzipping compresses files for network transfer.
Reader FAQ
How can I include htmx in a page?
The README shows a CDN script (cdn.jsdelivr) example and mentions an npm package; the correct npm package name is htmx.org.
Is htmx a large framework?
The project states the library is approximately 14 KB when minified and gzipped.
Does htmx require other dependencies?
The source describes htmx as dependency-free.
How do I contribute or run tests locally?
The repository includes a contribution guide and a hacking guide. Local development instructions show running npm install, starting a server (npx serve) and visiting /test/ to run the test suite.
high power tools for HTML introduction htmx allows you to access AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets and Server Sent Events directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build modern user…
Sources
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