Why I only use vanilla HTML, CSS, and JS on YouTube

I get a lot of questions about when I’ll be making React tutorials, or when I might make a series on Tailwind, so a quick explanation of why I stick with vanilla HTML, CSS, and JS, as well as the mistake people make rushing into libraries and frameworks.

🔗 Links

⌚ Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:14 - The two main reasons
00:49 - The problem with jumping ahead
02:04 - I made this mistake too
03:15 - Nothing sticks around forever
03:59 - Newsletter

#css

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[hannah]

Makes sense. Core languages are so so important

[frankroos]

This is where I was 30 years ago. I've been advocating "know the basics" since then. Often against the grain. And it's still actual. History keeps repeating itself.
Good to see someone more popular than me say it out loud.
Thank you master Kevin. Another lesson well taught.

[nitrohite]

As usual, spot on, Kevin. Knowing the foundations and pillars of front-end web development is the only way to properly learn any framework.

[Fliteska]

I like that you don't focus on frameworks, makes it really easy to tweak stuff as you need to.

[sampson]

In my opinion, this is probably the most important video you have made. I have been writing software since 1985 and could not agree with you more strongly!! Well Done Kevin!!

[tailofmoon]

You're absolutely right. Nowadays, there are too many strange frameworks, and it only adds to the confusion.

[lintfree]

I'm 56 semi retired truck driver and just recently decided to learn some html/css/js and am seeing many frameworks recommended but I keep plugging away at the basics because I was taught a good base is needed for everything else to be built on top of it no matter what you are doing.

[alexismandelias]

This is so important for everyone starting out and you articulated that so well. Even if you, as a beginner, don't see the value in that, take it from someone who has experience and follow their advice

[tiagocerqueira]

Completely on your side. I tried learning react first and as soon as I faced a problem I had no idea if I was on Js land or react land and made it a pain to solve problems. I took a step back and did a Discord clone with php, js and css and now I feel like I can tackle any problem and learn any framework.

[Gugarosp]

As a JS, CSS and HTML Vanilla frontend developer, i can say that is a bit hard to find jobs only knowing vanilla languages

[andrewforrester]

Very much agree. The only thing I'd add from a personal perspective is that using Tailwind is what finally made many CSS concepts click for me. It was immensely helpful learning core CSS concepts

[yesmn]

Great to hear this first thing in the morning, especially after all the pressure I'm getting to jump to React instead of sticking to the html, css and js vanilla for a little longer.
I've learned a lot from you, ever since you & Kyle from WBS did the CSS battles. I'm very grateful! Keep up the great content.

[RichardCalder]

I have said this for years, and it is so nice to see someone high profile say it. I have answered the question "I am a new programmer, what should I learn first, React or Vue?" Javascript. And oddly enough I fell into the same trap of learning jQuery before really diving into JS. I really value your videos because they focus on the core and I have learned lots from you. Keep it up!

[pascalmaranus]

I'm 100% with you on that. When I first started to create websites (around 2000-2001), jQuery, LESS and SASS weren't even a thing. So I had no choice but to learn to crawl, before I could walk and walk before I could run. Nowadays, I do almost every project with VueJS and SASS. But all these younger people have always had the more advanced stuff at their disposal, so it's hard not to skip any steps in the process then. It's basically decades of catching up they have to do.

[senrign]

So true. I've tried learning frameworks such as react and vue also dabbled a bit with bootstrap back when i first started because they were "cooler" and that base css and js was too "lame". I never knew why i was doing what i was doing until i decided to strenghten my core css, js skills. After that it just clicked and now im enjoying programming more than ever

[diegocastaneda]

This is exactly how I started dipping my toes into frontend development! I noticed I was watching React tutorials here and there and I wasn't entirely sure what code was React specific and what was html and css specific. So I promised myself I would stay away from frameworks until I could comfortably logic my way through a solution using html, css and JavaScript.

SET A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR YOURSELF! There's no rush, give yourself time 😌

[hunterbertoson]

This is great! I agree with you 100% on this. One my coworkers actually has only ever used Bootstrap. And we are using tailwind now on a project. He is struggling with tailwind because he does not have the basics of CSS down.

[mebamme]

I have kind of the opposite problem - I learned HTML/CSS/JS ages ago and feel very at home with it, but I've never gotten too familiar with all the new frameworks, understood exactly how they abstract from the basics, and I'm even still kind of stumbling around the whole Node.js ecosystem.

[ajzack]

I agree, I took that long route of learning vanilla things first and now I'm learning frameworks and the learning curve / debugging is much easier when u know the Core languages.
Thank you kevin, you helped me a lot learning CSS.

[TommyTheMooch]

After stepping back and really taking the time to learn CSS, I now have whole new respect for CSS frameworks and what they can do for you. I also realized why I didn't really need them at all.