Show HN: Dagger.js – A buildless, runtime-only JavaScript micro-framework

📰 Hacker News · TonyPeakman

Learn about Dagger.js, a buildless JavaScript micro-framework for small apps and edge/serverless deployments

intermediate Published 15 Sept 2025
Action Steps
  1. Use HTML-first directives like +click and +load to add interactivity to your web pages
  2. Drop a single <script> tag from a CDN to ship a page, eliminating the need for bundlers and compile steps
  3. Explore Dagger.js' distributed module system to load small, focused script modules via CDN
  4. Build a small application using Dagger.js to understand its capabilities and limitations
  5. Compare Dagger.js with other micro-frameworks and libraries to determine its suitability for your project
Who Needs to Know This

Frontend developers and engineers can benefit from using Dagger.js for building small applications and internal tools, as it simplifies the development process and reduces dependencies

Key Insight

💡 Dagger.js allows developers to build and ship small applications quickly, without the need for bundlers, compile steps, or complex framework DSLs

Share This
🚀 Introducing Dagger.js, a buildless JavaScript micro-framework for small apps and edge/serverless deployments! 🚀

Key Takeaways

Learn about Dagger.js, a buildless JavaScript micro-framework for small apps and edge/serverless deployments

Full Article

TL;DR: dagger.js is a buildless, runtime-only micro-framework that plays nicely with native Web Components. It uses HTML-first directives (e.g. +click, +load) so you can ship a page by dropping a single <script> from a CDN—no bundlers, no compile step. Why I built it Modern stacks are powerful but often heavy: bundlers, compile steps, framework DSLs, local CLIs. For internal tools, small apps, and edge/serverless deployments, I wanted something you can view-source, paste into a page, and ship. What it is: Runtime-only: no build or VDOM compile; hydrate behaviors directly on HTML. HTML directives: e.g. +click, lifecycle +load / +loaded / +unload / +unloaded. Zero APIs: dagger.js works in pure declarative mode, modules and directives provide everything you need to build your application. Web-Components-first: works alongside Custom Elements; keep concerns local. Distributed modules: load small, focused script modules via CDN. Progressive enhancement: the page re
Read full article → ☆ Save to playlist ← Back to Reads

Related Videos

Host your website for free on GitHub Pages
Host your website for free on GitHub Pages
Coder Coder
Adapting to dynamic content using modern CSS
Adapting to dynamic content using modern CSS
Kevin Powell
How Jake Uses Singularity Biome
How Jake Uses Singularity Biome
Sol's Rng
Keep your page interactive during view transitions #GoogleIO
Keep your page interactive during view transitions #GoogleIO
Chrome for Developers
Why MCP and ChatGPT Apps Use Double Iframes — Frédéric Barthelet, Alpic
Why MCP and ChatGPT Apps Use Double Iframes — Frédéric Barthelet, Alpic
AI Engineer
What was the process of open-sourcing TypeScript, Chakra, .NET, VS Code, and the Copilot extension?
What was the process of open-sourcing TypeScript, Chakra, .NET, VS Code, and the Copilot extension?
Microsoft Developer