Hey everyone! I’m working on a small project and I want to build a simple virtual DOM from scratch. I’ve heard it’s possible to do this in about 200 lines of JavaScript code. Has anyone tried this before? I’m looking for tips on where to start and what key concepts I should focus on. Maybe some pointers on efficient diffing algorithms or how to handle element creation and updates? Any advice or resources would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!
I’ve experimented with building a lightweight virtual DOM before. The key is to start with a simple node representation - just a JavaScript object with properties for tag, attributes, and children. For diffing, I found it effective to compare nodes recursively, checking tag and attributes first.
One challenge was minimizing actual DOM manipulations for performance. I implemented a basic patch queue to batch updates, which helped significantly.
I’d recommend starting by implementing basic node creation and diffing. Once that’s working, you can optimize and add more complex features. The MDN docs on DOM manipulation are a great resource. Also, studying how libraries like Preact handle their virtual DOM can provide useful insights.
Remember to keep your initial implementation simple and build up from there. Good luck with your project!
I’ve actually implemented a basic virtual DOM in JavaScript before for a side project. It’s definitely doable in around 200 lines. The key is to start with a simple representation of DOM nodes and a basic diffing algorithm.
For the node representation, I used a class with properties for tag name, attributes, and child nodes. The diffing was trickier - I focused on comparing node types and attributes first, then recursively diffed child nodes.
One challenge was efficiently updating the real DOM based on the diff results. I ended up using a patch queue to batch updates. Performance improved a lot by minimizing actual DOM manipulations.
My advice would be to start small - get basic node creation and diffing working before tackling more complex scenarios. The Mozilla docs on DOM manipulation were super helpful. Good luck with your project!
i’ve dabbled in vdom implementations before. key is to start simple - just represent nodes as JS objects with tag, props, and kids. for diffing, compare recursively.
one tricky bit was minimizing actual DOM updates. i used a queue to batch changes which helped perf a ton.
start with basic node creation/diffing first. MDN docs on DOM stuff are great. good luck!