Five JavaScript Projects to Keep an Eye on in 2023

Is it still possible to recommend themes for 2023, or is April already too late? Considering that the year only really begins after Carnival in Brazil and we still have nine months ahead, it's always time to keep an eye on trends. If you stopped back there and still think JavaScript is only for validating forms or making things move on the page, you've been hit by frameworks and many new developments in both frontend and backend. Yes, JavaScript on the server. You're quite late, huh?

Now, if you've been tuned in over the past few years, you've surely heard of solutions like React, Vue, Angular, Node, or Deno. To stay tuned and expand your toolbox, it's important to know a few more names. Here are five JavaScript projects that could explode in 2023.

1) Bun

In a direct translation from English, "Bun" would be the name of that bakery bun. But it's more like the "bun of JavaScript." This runtime is written in Zig and uses Apple's JavaScriptCore. That's right, no V8 from Google Chrome here! The folks at Bun claim that this brings better performance and makes your project lighter.

However, what really impresses about Bun is the implementation of APIs in native code instead of JavaScript. This approach helps improve the performance of Bun's implemented functionalities. It also has a built-in packager and its own transpiler, simplifying things a lot. Developers no longer need to download third-party libraries and set up build pipelines to use TypeScript, for example. Bun does all of this for you and is still very fast. Not to mention that it also brings TOML and CSS file loaders. TOML is transpiled into an ES module that can be consumed by other code, while CSS is imported into the browser page.

2) Astro

Astro arrives as a sensation in 2023. It was created in 2021, grew significantly in 2022, and has been adopted by large companies like Google, Netlify, and The Guardian.

Its great differentiator, which actually makes it similar to practically everyone on this list, lies in performance. Common frameworks render the site twice – once on the server and once on the browser. However, this ends up sending a lot of unnecessary code, as not all components need to be interactive. Astro solves this problem using the so-called Island Architecture, isolating client code, leaving only the components that need to be interactive. It's like separating the wheat from the chaff.

And that's not all: Astro also supports a variety of JavaScript UI libraries, such as React, Vue, Svelte, and Solid, making it a versatile transition solution for those coming from another environment and not wanting to give up what has already been done.

3) Turborepo

Welcome to the incredible world of Turborepo. If you're tired of waiting an eternity for your projects to compile, Turborepo is your problem-solving solution. Vercel has developed a compilation system that uses a cache that is so efficient it makes the Energizer Bunny seem lazy.

The great idea behind Turborepo is that it only does what is necessary because it's that smart. It uses a hash algorithm that takes everything – environment variables, input commands, and more – and generates a powerful hash. And the best part: Turborepo stores all of this in a cache, so you can save time and spend more time doing important things, like watching cute kittens on YouTube.

Turborepo also has an incredible remote cache feature. This means that if you have an entire team working on the same project, different machines can access the same cache.

4) Turbopack

Yes, Turbopack is related to Turborepo. This JavaScript code packager was also created by Vercel and comes trying to be an alternative to Webpack. The most impressive thing is that the original creators of Webpack also support Turbopack, which only increases the endorsement of this project.

But why use it? The answer is simple: speed! Turbopack is supposedly much faster than its competitors, thanks to its optimized architecture and the use of Rust instead of JavaScript. And the advantages don't stop there: Turbopack is also designed to allow the compilation of only specific parts of your application, making it more agile and less loaded. It even bundles assets during development, which is a novelty, as many modern packagers send all files directly to the browser. It's like Turbopack is a personal trainer for your code, giving it only what it needs to be strong and healthy.

5) Remix

If you're already tired of the same old React frameworks, maybe it's time to give Remix a chance! It was created by the same folks who made React Router and promises to revolutionize the way you create websites.

The idea is simple: render everything on the server side and let the client just enjoy the ride. This includes data recovery and other operations, relieving the network and CPU on the user's side. With this approach, Remix promises better performance, less load on the client, and a smoother experience for everyone. And if you're worried about those annoying users who don't want to enable JavaScript, relax: Remix helps you deal with that, making your site capable of functioning with or without JavaScript, through the so-called progressive enhancement. In addition, Remix is

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