From Server-Rendered Forms to a Framework-Agnostic JavaScript Library
A few years ago, while working on a Java and Thymeleaf application, I faced an interesting frontend challenge. One of its workflows involved collecting notary-related information through a form that spanned multiple pages, with different validation requirements along the way. The challenge wasn't creating inputs or rendering HTML. It was coordinating the entire experience while preserving user…
The article discusses the creation of Demetria, a JavaScript library inspired by the challenges faced while working on a Java and Thymeleaf application involving multi-page forms. The author explains the problems that arose when coordinating the user experience across separate documents, such as preserving user progress, tracking form validation, and maintaining consistent behavior between pages.
The inspiration for Demetria came from the desire to build a framework-agnostic library that could handle form rendering, state, validation, and navigation in both modern and traditional server-rendered applications without requiring a specific frontend framework. The article outlines the library's architecture, which separates form orchestration from presentation, consisting of three main components: the form engine, DOM renderer, and optional persistence.
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