When and Why I Still Reach for Vanilla JS

I still reach for vanilla JavaScript when the interaction is small and local. A menu or a straightforward enhancement doesn't always need an application framework around it.

I want the resulting code to be understandable, though. Avoiding dependencies isn't much of a win if I quietly write a confusing miniature framework myself. Once state and interactions start spreading, it's time to look again at the tools rather than defend the original choice.