7 Surprising Polymer TakeawaysWhat I learned, writing PolyRest in Polymer

Surprise!1. Works?

2. Framework?

3. Robust?

4. Relevant?

5. Grok-able?

6. Support?

7. Human?

These are the questions I wanted answers to

About Me:• back end java dev • static language bigot • ultra lame full stack dev

About PolyRest:• “scratch an itch” project • created by an ultra-lame full javascript dev • at least one person thinks it is pretty cool

1. Does Polymer work?1

Ultimate Test: Does Polymer Work?

Can it maintain clean separation?

Does it offer clean access points?

If Polymer can maintain a clean separation of scope, and still let me talk back and forth between

components without bleeding over, I can make everything else work.

copypasting test: Check.

parameterization test: Check.

Pass

Does it work?

2. Is Polymer a Framework?2

No.Polymer is not a framework

is to

is to

as

3. Is Polymer Robust?3

?? Could it be robust ??

Only 1.n

Not even that many components

Very young - barely 3 years

Only 2 browsers even support shadow dom

Robust? Yes

4. Is Polymer Relevant?4

Counter indications:“N days since a new JS framework has been announced”

Not even a framework

Still doesn’t even play nicely with Angular, for example.

How many UI toolsets have I abandoned since 1980?

Oracle, MS as examples of UI toolsets that would never be relevant

5. How Grok-able?5

Yes, it’s drop dead simple to build a component.

Few features, plenty of docs

uh. Sorta Grok-able?

6 different scopes?

super arcane scope semantics?

probably OK for JS experts

6. How good is the support?6

Just one example of Polymer’s rather extreme commitment to making Polymer usable by mere mortals.

Excellent docs on many levels

Extremely well produced videos

Strong ethic around docs and corresponding simplicity

Tooling

Strong peripheral presentations such as google.io

7. The human element7

Never underestimate what the brightest humans will deliver

design

awareness

ethic

kindness

follow through

Conclusion:Ignore Polymer at your own peril

Credits, References

Much graphical content stolen from Polymer and Google presentations.

https://www.slideshare.net/petecarapetyan/7-surprising-polymer-takeaways

PolyRest at http://polyrest.datafundamentals.com/