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WildflowerJS Reactive JS, No BS*

A no-build reactive JavaScript framework, rooted in the web platform.
No build step. No dependencies. No lock-in.

<script src="wildflower.min.js"></script> ...and start building.

Back to Basics

The code you write is 100% web standard code. HTML stays HTML. JavaScript stays JavaScript. CSS stays CSS. No JSX, no templating language, no custom syntax to learn. If you know the web platform, you already know how to use this.

WildflowerJS extends the web platform. It doesn't replace it.

Your Development Simplified

Because you develop with 100% web standards, every tool in your existing chain already understands the code: IDE, browser DevTools, linter, formatter, screen reader, SEO crawler. Nothing to install, no custom file types, no sourcemaps. Save the file, refresh, and your change is live.

Just be a web developer.

Batteries Included: One Mental Model

Router, SSR, stores, computed properties, two-way binding, event modifiers, data pools, and TypeScript types, all built in, all speaking the same language. Learn data-bind once and you know binding everywhere: lists, pools, stores, forms. There's no five-library stack to keep in sync.

One script tag. Everything you need.

<div data-component="counter">
  <span data-bind="count"></span>
  <button data-action="increment">
    +1
  </button>
</div>

<script>
wildflower.component('counter', {
  state: { count: 0 },
  increment() { this.count++ }
})
</script>

How It Works

data-bind connects state to the DOM.

data-action connects events to methods.

this.count++ triggers a precise DOM update.

Mutate state. The DOM updates.

Two Reactivity Modes

data-list for automatic reactivity: mutate state, DOM updates. data-pool for explicit control: plain objects, zero proxy overhead, you say what changed.

Same template syntax. Different performance profile. From interactive forms to per-frame particle systems. You choose the right tradeoff for the job.

Try it. Right-click, inspect this demo. Every dot is a real DOM element.

See full demo →

Get Started View Demos
* Build Step

Zero Toolchain

Modern frameworks ask you to install a compiler, a bundler, a package manager, hundreds of fragile transitive dependencies, and a framework-specific file format, before you write a single line of your application.

WildflowerJS was built starting from a single principle: no build step, no tooling. Ever.

WildflowerJS asks you to add a script tag.

There's no CLI scaffolding step, no config files, no .vue/.jsx/.svelte source format. You don't debug through sourcemaps or wait on a build pipeline. Your project has zero dependencies.

Performance isn't a tradeoff. Build steps optimize bundle delivery, not the runtime work that follows it. WildflowerJS writes directly to the DOM, with no virtual DOM or reconciliation pass between state change and update, so it doesn't need a build step to be fast.

The framework is full-featured without the toolchain: router, SSR, stores, computed properties, transitions, pools. You don't need a toolchain to use any of it.

my-app/
  index.html
  app.js
  style.css
  wildflower.min.js

That's the entire project. No package.json.
No node_modules. No config files. Ship it.

Zero Install. Zero Attack Surface.

Every dependency you install is trust extended to a maintainer you've never met, running scripts on your dev machine and in your CI. A typical React + Vite + UI‑lib setup pulls in 300+ transitive packages before you write a feature.

Each one is a potential intrusion vector. NPM worms, OAuth chains compromising deploy platforms, postinstall hijacking: the supply chain is now where production code gets compromised, not the deploy. And signing isn't a backstop: Mini Shai‑Hulud (May 2026) compromised 170+ packages whose malicious versions carried valid SLSA Build Level 3 provenance, because the attestation came from build infrastructure the worm had already taken over.

WildflowerJS users don't have this attack surface, by construction. There is no npm install, no postinstall script, no transitive package graph. The framework is one file you copy or pin by hash.

As of v1.1, the same holds for building the framework itself. WildflowerJS bundles with a vendored rollup and terser pipeline pulled as three SHA‑512‑pinned tarballs: no npm install, no transitive packages, no postinstall scripts in the build path. The entire toolchain is three files you verify by hash.

Zero dependencies is the absence of a problem the rest of the industry has not properly addressed.

A typical React/Vue project:

  npm install
  ├── hundreds of packages
  ├── from hundreds of maintainers
  ├── postinstall scripts run on install
  └── tens to hundreds of MB of transitive code

WildflowerJS:

  <script src="wildflower.min.js"></script>
  └── 1 file.
      No transitive dependencies.

Zero Lock-in

WildflowerJS works with the DOM, not instead of it. There's no virtual DOM intercepting your code and no compiler rewriting your markup. The render cycle is yours.

That means Leaflet, DataTables, Chart.js, D3, Three.js, any library that touches the DOM, just works. No wrapper packages or framework-specific escape hatches required. Drop in a script tag and use it.

Because your code is standard HTML and JavaScript, you're never locked in. Your skills transfer and your code is more portable. If you outgrow the framework, your knowledge doesn't expire.

This also means your "ecosystem" is all of the world of vanilla JS. Without compromises or hacks.

<!-- Use any library directly -->
<div data-component="map-view">
  <div id="map" style="height: 400px"></div>
</div>
wildflower.component('map-view', {
  state: { lat: 51.505, lng: -0.09 },
  init() {
    // Leaflet works as-is. No wrappers.
    this._map = L.map('map')
      .setView([this.lat, this.lng], 13);
    L.tileLayer('https://{s}.tile.osm.org'
      + '/{z}/{x}/{y}.png').addTo(this._map);
  }
})

Precise Reactivity

When you write this.count++, WildflowerJS updates the single DOM node bound to count. Nothing else is touched. There's no tree diffing or reconciliation pass to figure that out.

This isn't a tradeoff. You get fine-grained updates and a simple mental model. Change a property, the bound element updates. That's the entire reactivity model.

Other frameworks ask you to learn signals, accessors, memos, effects, and subscription lifecycles to achieve what WildflowerJS does with a property assignment.

wildflower.component('dashboard', {
  state: {
    users: 1420,
    status: 'healthy'
  },
  computed: {
    summary() {
      return this.users + ' users, ' + this.status;
    }
  },
  refresh() {
    this.users = 1421;
    // Only the elements bound to 'users'
    // and 'summary' update. Everything
    // else on the page is untouched.
  }
})

One Reactivity Model. Everywhere.

Components, Stores, and Plugins all share the same reactive foundation. State, computed properties, and methods work identically no matter where they live. Learn it once, it works the same way in a UI component, a global store, or a framework plugin.

Other frameworks make you learn a different system for each layer. React components use hooks, but stores need Redux or Zustand, which are completely different APIs. Vue components use reactive data, but Pinia stores have their own patterns. Every layer is a new mental model.

In WildflowerJS, there's one model. A store is a component without a template. A plugin is an entity that extends the framework itself, adding directives, lifecycle hooks, and services. The same this.count++ triggers the same reactivity everywhere.

This unlocks patterns other frameworks can't express. A store can run headless physics simulations with tick(), feeding data into a component that renders it through a pool, all using the same reactive primitives, no glue code required.

// Component: reactive UI
wildflower.component('cart', {
  state: { items: [] },
  computed: {
    total() { return this.items.length; }
  }
})

// Store: global shared state
wildflower.store('user', {
  state: { name: '', role: 'guest' },
  computed: {
    isAdmin() { return this.role === 'admin'; }
  }
})

// Plugin: extends the framework
wildflower.plugin({
  name: 'notifications',
  state: { items: [], unreadCount: 0 },
  computed: {
    hasUnread() { return this.unreadCount > 0; }
  },
  add(msg) { this.items.push(msg); this.unreadCount++; }
})
// Access globally: wildflower.$notifications.add(...)

// Same state. Same computed. Same methods.

Data Pools

Every framework wraps collection items in reactive proxies, whether the item needs it or not. WildflowerJS gives you a choice: data-list for push reactivity (automatic), data-pool for pull reactivity (explicit control, zero proxy overhead).

Pools render plain objects with the same template syntax as lists. Mutate the object, call markDirty(), and only that item updates. Full CRUD, selection, bulk operations, all faster than the push-reactive path.

And because pools use pull-based rendering, they scale to simulations, games, particle systems, and data visualizations at native frame rate. Use cases that would choke a virtual DOM. No other framework has anything like this.

<div data-component="user-table">
  <tbody data-pool="users" data-key="id">
    <template>
      <tr>
        <td data-bind="name"></td>
        <td data-bind="status"
            data-bind-class="status === 'active'
              ? 'badge success'
              : 'badge inactive'"></td>
      </tr>
    </template>
  </tbody>
</div>
wildflower.component('user-table', {
  pools: { users: {} },

  init() {
    // Populate: plain objects, no proxies
    data.forEach(u => this.pools.users.add(u));
  },

  // Optional: add tick() and the same pool
  // renders every frame. Same template, same
  // data, different rendering frequency.
  // That's the only difference between a
  // display table and a particle system.
})

Built for AI-Assisted Development

Because WildflowerJS is standard HTML and JavaScript, AI code assistants already know how to write it. There's no custom syntax to hallucinate or compiler quirks to work around. The code an AI generates runs exactly as written, with no build step between generation and execution.

We go further. WildflowerJS ships an AI-optimized reference page with patterns, anti-patterns, and examples designed for code generation context windows. Our llms.txt file follows the llms.txt convention for machine-readable documentation.

And for structured app generation, our Universal App Manifest lets you describe an entire application as a JSON schema (components, state, computed properties, methods, templates) and have an AI generate the working code from the manifest, mediated through framework-specific idiom files.

You: "Build me a todo app with
WildflowerJS"

AI reads llms.txt or ai-assistant.html
     ↓
Generates standard HTML + JS
     ↓
<div data-component="todo-app">
  <input data-model="newItem">
  <button data-action="addItem">
    Add
  </button>
  <ul data-list="items">
    <template>
      <li data-bind="text"></li>
    </template>
  </ul>
</div>
     ↓
Open in your browser. It works, and you can read and understand the code.

Advanced SSR FULL

Server-side generation, computed properties, form handling, and nested data structures. For basic SSR setup, see Server-Side Rendering (SSR). For lifecycle, architecture, and troubleshooting, see SSR Internals.

Sandbox Examples: SSR examples run in isolated environments due to server-rendering requirements. Each example is a self-contained demonstration.

Server-Side Generation

To use SSR, your server needs to produce HTML that WildflowerJS can hydrate. The key rules are:

  • Add data-ssr="true" to the component root element
  • Include data-bind attributes on elements that map to state properties
  • Include a <template> inside each data-list for future client-side additions
  • Use data-type for non-string values (number, boolean, json)

Node.js / Express

function renderUserDashboard(userData) {
    return `
        <div data-component="user-dashboard" data-ssr="true">
            <h2 data-bind="name">${escapeHtml(userData.name)}</h2>
            <p data-bind="email">${escapeHtml(userData.email)}</p>

            <div data-list="notifications">
                <template>
                    <div class="notification">
                        <span data-bind="message"></span>
                        <time data-bind="timestamp"></time>
                    </div>
                </template>

                ${userData.notifications.map(notif => `
                    <div class="notification">
                        <span data-bind="message">${escapeHtml(notif.message)}</span>
                        <time data-bind="timestamp">${escapeHtml(notif.timestamp)}</time>
                    </div>
                `).join('')}
            </div>
        </div>
    `;
}

// Express route
app.get('/dashboard', async (req, res) => {
    const userData = await getUserData(req.user.id);
    const html = renderUserDashboard(userData);
    res.send(pageTemplate(html));
});

PHP

<?php
function renderProductCatalog($products) {
    $items = '';
    foreach ($products as $p) {
        $name = htmlspecialchars($p['name']);
        $price = number_format($p['price'], 2);
        $items .= "<div class=\"product\">
            <strong data-bind=\"name\">{$name}</strong>
            <span data-bind=\"price\" data-type=\"number\">\${$price}</span>
        </div>";
    }

    return '<div data-component="product-catalog" data-ssr="true">
        <h1 data-bind="title">Product Catalog</h1>
        <div data-list="products">
            <template>
                <div class="product">
                    <strong data-bind="name"></strong>
                    <span data-bind="price" data-type="number"></span>
                </div>
            </template>' . $items . '
        </div>
    </div>';
}
?>

Python / Django

# Django template (todos/templates/todo_list.html)
<div data-component="todo-list" data-ssr="true">
    <h2>My Todos</h2>
    <div data-list="todos">
        <template>
            <div class="todo-item">
                <input type="checkbox" data-model="completed" data-type="boolean">
                <span data-bind="text"></span>
            </div>
        </template>

        {% for todo in todos %}
        <div class="todo-item">
            <input type="checkbox"
                   data-model="completed"
                   data-type="boolean"
                   {% if todo.completed %}checked{% endif %}>
            <span data-bind="text">{{ todo.text }}</span>
        </div>
        {% endfor %}
    </div>
</div>
Important: Always HTML-escape user content on the server. The template syntax shown above (Django {{ }}, PHP htmlspecialchars()) is your server-side templating. WildflowerJS itself does not use template syntax.

Computed Properties with SSR

The server can pre-render computed values so they appear instantly. When the client activates, computed properties take over and recalculate reactively.

SSR Example Order Summary with Computed Totals Open Full Example ↗
Server-Rendered Computed Values:
<div data-component="order-summary" data-ssr="true">
    <!-- Server pre-renders the computed totals -->
    <p>Subtotal: $<span data-bind="subtotal">223.94</span></p>
    <p>Tax: $<span data-bind="tax">22.39</span></p>
    <p>Total: $<span data-bind="total">246.33</span></p>
</div>
How it works: The server calculates and renders the totals. On hydration, computed properties are recalculated by the client. Adjust quantities to see reactivity take over. 
wildflower.component('order-summary', {
    state: {
        items: [
            { name: 'Wireless Headphones', price: 79.99, quantity: 2 },
            { name: 'USB-C Cable', price: 12.99, quantity: 3 },
            { name: 'Phone Case', price: 24.99, quantity: 1 }
        ],
        taxRate: 0.10
    },

    computed: {
        subtotal() {
            return this.items.reduce((sum, item) =>
                sum + (item.price * item.quantity), 0
            ).toFixed(2);
        },

        tax() {
            return (parseFloat(this.subtotal) * this.taxRate).toFixed(2);
        },

        total() {
            return (parseFloat(this.subtotal) + parseFloat(this.tax)).toFixed(2);
        }
    }
});

Form Handling

SSR forms require data-model (not data-bind) for inputs. Checkboxes need data-type="boolean" so the framework parses checked state correctly.

SSR Example Todo List with SSR Form State Open Full Example ↗
Server-Rendered Todo with Form State:
<div data-list="todos">
    <template>
        <div class="todo-item">
            <input type="checkbox" data-model="completed" data-type="boolean">
            <span data-bind="text"></span>
        </div>
    </template>

    <!-- Server-rendered with checkbox state -->
    <div class="todo-item">
        <input type="checkbox" data-model="completed"
               data-type="boolean" checked>
        <span data-bind="text">Set up SSR for landing page</span>
    </div>

    <div class="todo-item">
        <input type="checkbox" data-model="completed"
               data-type="boolean">
        <span data-bind="text">Write unit tests</span>
    </div>
</div>
Key detail: The checked attribute on the checkbox is parsed by the SSR system as completed: true. Use data-model for inputs and data-type="boolean" for checkboxes.

Form Rules

Input Type Attribute Server HTML Parsed State
Text input data-model <input data-model="name" value="John"> "John"
Checkbox data-model + data-type="boolean" <input type="checkbox" data-model="done" data-type="boolean" checked> true
Checkbox (unchecked) data-model + data-type="boolean" <input type="checkbox" data-model="done" data-type="boolean"> false
Select data-model <select data-model="color"><option selected>Blue</option></select> "Blue"
Common Mistake: Using data-bind instead of data-model on form inputs. In SSR mode, data-bind reads textContent, while data-model reads the input's value or checked property.

Nested Data Structures

For complex objects that can't easily be represented as flat DOM values, use a <script type="application/json" data-ssr-state> block:

<div data-component="user-card" data-ssr="true">
    <!-- Hidden JSON block for complex nested state -->
    <script type="application/json" data-ssr-state>
        {
            "user": {
                "id": 123,
                "profile": {
                    "name": "John Doe",
                    "avatar": "/avatars/john.jpg",
                    "preferences": {
                        "theme": "dark",
                        "notifications": true
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    </script>

    <!-- Visible content uses nested binding paths -->
    <img data-bind="user.profile.avatar" src="/avatars/john.jpg" alt="Avatar">
    <h3 data-bind="user.profile.name">John Doe</h3>
    <p>Theme: <span data-bind="user.profile.preferences.theme">dark</span></p>
</div>

The SSR system merges the JSON block into the component's state, giving you deep reactivity on nested properties.

When to Use Each Approach

Approach Use When Example
Inline data-bind Flat values visible in the DOM <span data-bind="name">John</span>
Nested path Shallow nesting, values visible <span data-bind="user.name">John</span>
data-ssr-state JSON Deep objects, config data, non-visible values Preferences, metadata, feature flags
Previous Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
Next SSR Internals