Building stateful web apps without React

React, Angular, and Vue are popular JavaScript frameworks known for their ability to simplify the development of web applications with consistent structures, but this article explores how similar functionalities can be achieved using only vanilla JavaScript. It provides insights for developers familiar with these frameworks but curious about their underlying mechanisms, focusing on creating a stateful web app without relying on external libraries. Key areas covered include state management using JavaScript objects and Proxy objects, building modular components, handling DOM manipulation, implementing lifecycle hooks, and setting up routing with JavaScript's history API. Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of understanding JavaScript's core capabilities to avoid dependency on frameworks and presents strategies for organizing files, debugging, and maintaining clean codebases. The discussion highlights the flexibility and foundational understanding gained by working directly with JavaScript, offering a thin scaffolding layer for scalable and functional web applications.