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 →

* 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.

Templating

WildflowerJS uses standard HTML <template> elements for list rendering, providing clean separation between layout structure and repeated content.

HTML Template Elements

Use standard HTML <template> elements for clean, semantic templating:

<div data-component="todo-template-demo">
    <h4>HTML Template Demo</h4>
    
    <div class="mb-3">
        <div class="d-flex gap-2">
            <input type="text"
                   class="form-control"
                   data-model="newTodo"
                   placeholder="Add a new todo..."
                   data-action="keyup:handleKeyup">
            <button class="btn btn-primary" data-action="addTodo">
                Add
            </button>
        </div>
    </div>
    
    <div class="mb-3">
        <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm me-2" data-action="addSampleTodos">
            Add Sample Todos
        </button>
        <button class="btn btn-warning btn-sm me-2" data-action="toggleAllComplete">
            Toggle All Complete
        </button>
        <button class="btn btn-danger btn-sm" data-action="clearCompleted">
            Clear Completed
        </button>
    </div>
    
    <div class="mb-3">
        <span class="badge bg-primary me-2">Total: <span data-bind="totalCount"></span></span>
        <span class="badge bg-success me-2">Completed: <span data-bind="completedCount"></span></span>
        <span class="badge bg-warning">Remaining: <span data-bind="remainingCount"></span></span>
    </div>
    
    <!-- HTML5 Template List -->
    <div data-list="todos" class="mt-3">
        <template>
            <div class="card mb-2" data-bind-class="completed ? 'bg-light' : ''">
                <div class="card-body d-flex align-items-center gap-2 py-2">
                        <input type="checkbox"
                               class="form-check-input flex-shrink-0"
                               data-model="completed">
                        <span class="flex-grow-1" data-bind="text"
                              data-bind-class="completed ? 'text-decoration-line-through text-muted' : ''"></span>
                        <small class="text-muted flex-shrink-0">#<span data-bind="number"></span></small>
                        <button class="btn btn-sm btn-danger flex-shrink-0" data-action="removeTodo">Delete</button>
                </div>
            </div>
        </template>
    </div>
    
    <div data-show="isEmpty" class="text-center text-muted py-4">
        No todos yet. Add one above to get started!
    </div>
</div>
wildflower.component('todo-template-demo', {
    state: {
        todos: [
            { text: 'Learn WildflowerJS templates', completed: false, number: 1 },
            { text: 'Build an awesome app', completed: false, number: 2 },
            { text: 'Deploy to production', completed: false, number: 3 }
        ],
        newTodo: ''
    },
    
    computed: {
        totalCount() {
            return this.todos.length
        },

        completedCount() {
            return this.todos.filter(todo => todo.completed).length
        },

        remainingCount() {
            return this.totalCount - this.completedCount
        },

        isEmpty() {
            return this.todos.length === 0
        }
    },
    
    addTodo() {
        const text = this.newTodo.trim()
        if (text) {
            this.todos.push({
                text: text,
                completed: false,
                number: this.todos.length + 1
            })
            this.newTodo = ''
        }
    },
    
    removeTodo(event, element, details) {
        // Use details.index from the framework's action context
        this.todos.splice(details.index, 1)
        // Renumber remaining todos
        this.todos.forEach((todo, i) => {
            todo.number = i + 1
        })
    },

    addSampleTodos() {
        const samples = [
            'Review code changes',
            'Update documentation',
            'Test new features',
            'Fix reported bugs',
            'Optimize performance'
        ]

        samples.forEach(text => {
            this.todos.push({
                text: text,
                completed: Math.random() > 0.7,
                number: this.todos.length + 1
            })
        })
    },

    toggleAllComplete() {
        const allCompleted = this.todos.every(todo => todo.completed)
        this.todos.forEach(todo => {
            todo.completed = !allCompleted
        })
    },

    clearCompleted() {
        this.todos = this.todos.filter(todo => !todo.completed)
    },

    handleKeyup(event) {
        if (event.key === 'Enter') {
            this.addTodo()
        }
    }
})
Live Preview

Nested Templates & Template Context

Templates can contain other lists and templates for complex nested structures, with full access to template context:

<div data-component="organization-demo">
    <h4>Nested Templates & Context Demo</h4>
    
    <div class="mb-3">
        <button class="btn btn-primary btn-sm me-2" data-action="addDepartment">
            Add Random Department
        </button>
        <button class="btn btn-success btn-sm me-2" data-action="addEmployeeToFirst">
            Add Employee to First Dept
        </button>
        <button class="btn btn-danger btn-sm" data-action="clearAll">
            Clear All
        </button>
    </div>
    
    <div class="mb-3">
        <span class="badge bg-primary me-2">Departments: <span data-bind="departmentCount"></span></span>
        <span class="badge bg-success me-2">Total Employees: <span data-bind="totalEmployees"></span></span>
        <span class="badge bg-info">Company Size: <span data-bind="companySize"></span></span>
    </div>
    
    <!-- Nested Template Structure -->
    <div data-list="departments">
        <template>
            <div class="card mb-4">
                <div class="card-header bg-light">
                    <div class="d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center">
                        <div>
                            <h5 class="mb-1"><span data-bind="name"></span> <small class="text-muted">(Dept #<span data-bind="number"></span>)</small></h5>
                            <small>Manager: <span data-bind="manager"></span> | Budget: $<span data-bind="budget"></span>k</small>
                        </div>
                        <div>
                            <button class="btn btn-sm btn-primary me-2" data-action="addEmployee">
                                Add Employee
                            </button>
                            <button class="btn btn-sm btn-danger" data-action="removeDepartment">
                                Remove Dept
                            </button>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </div>
                <div class="card-body">
                    <div class="row mb-2">
                        <div class="col-md-6">
                            <strong>Team Members (<span data-bind="employeeCount"></span>):</strong>
                        </div>
                        <div class="col-md-6 text-end">
                            <small class="text-muted">Avg Salary: $<span data-bind="averageSalary"></span>k</small>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                    
                    <!-- Nested Employee List -->
                    <div class="row" data-list="employees">
                        <template>
                            <div class="col-md-6 mb-3">
                                <div class="d-flex align-items-center p-2 border rounded bg-light">
                                    <div class="rounded-circle me-3 employee-avatar d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center text-white fw-bold"
                                         style="width:40px; height:40px; font-size:0.8rem;"
                                         data-bind-style="{ backgroundColor: color }">
                                        <span data-bind="initials"></span>
                                    </div>
                                    <div class="flex-grow-1">
                                        <div class="fw-bold"><span data-bind="name"></span></div>
                                        <small class="text-muted">
                                            <span data-bind="role"></span> |
                                            $<span data-bind="salary"></span>k
                                            <br>ID: EMP-<span data-bind="number"></span>
                                        </small>
                                    </div>
                                    <button class="btn btn-sm btn-danger" data-action="removeEmployee">
                                        ×
                                    </button>
                                </div>
                            </div>
                        </template>
                    </div>
                    
                    <div data-show="isEmpty" class="text-center text-muted py-3">
                        No employees in this department yet.
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </template>
    </div>
    
    <div data-show="noData" class="text-center text-muted py-4">
        No departments yet. Add one to see nested templates in action!
    </div>
</div>
wildflower.component('organization-demo', {
    state: {
        departments: [
            {
                name: 'Engineering',
                manager: 'Sarah Chen',
                budget: 500,
                number: 1,
                employees: [
                    { name: 'Alex Rodriguez', role: 'Senior Dev', salary: 120, initials: 'AR', color: '#4CAF50', number: 1 },
                    { name: 'Jamie Park', role: 'Frontend Dev', salary: 95, initials: 'JP', color: '#2196F3', number: 2 }
                ]
            },
            {
                name: 'Design',
                manager: 'Jordan Kim',
                budget: 300,
                number: 2,
                employees: [
                    { name: 'Casey Johnson', role: 'UX Designer', salary: 85, initials: 'CJ', color: '#FF9800', number: 1 }
                ]
            }
        ]
    },
    
    computed: {
        departmentCount() {
            return this.departments.length
        },

        totalEmployees() {
            return this.departments.reduce((sum, dept) => sum + dept.employees.length, 0)
        },

        companySize() {
            const total = this.totalEmployees
            if (total < 10) return 'Startup'
            if (total < 50) return 'Small'
            if (total < 200) return 'Medium'
            return 'Large'
        },
        
        noData() {
            return this.departments.length === 0
        },
        
        // Department-level computed properties (work within list item context)
        employeeCount() {
            // Use fallback for when this is called from component level
            const employees = this.employees || []
            return employees.length
        },
        
        averageSalary() {
            // Use fallback for when this is called from component level
            const employees = this.employees || []
            if (employees.length === 0) return '0'
            const total = employees.reduce((sum, emp) => sum + emp.salary, 0)
            return Math.round(total / employees.length)
        },
        
        isEmpty() {
            // Use fallback for when this is called from component level
            const employees = this.employees || []
            return employees.length === 0
        }
    },
    
    addDepartment() {
        const deptNames = ['Marketing', 'Sales', 'HR', 'Finance', 'Operations', 'Legal', 'Support']
        const managers = ['Alex Smith', 'Taylor Brown', 'Morgan Davis', 'Jordan Wilson', 'Casey Miller']
        const budgets = [200, 300, 400, 500, 600]
        
        const name = deptNames[Math.floor(Math.random() * deptNames.length)]
        const manager = managers[Math.floor(Math.random() * managers.length)]
        const budget = budgets[Math.floor(Math.random() * budgets.length)]
        
        // Immutable update: create new departments array with new department
        const newDepartment = {
            name: name,
            manager: manager,
            budget: budget,
            employees: [],
            number: this.departments.length + 1
        }
        
        this.departments = [...this.departments, newDepartment]
    },
    
    addEmployee(event, element, details) {
        // Use details.index for the department index from the framework's action context
        this.addEmployeeToDepartment(details.index)
    },

    addEmployeeToFirst() {
        if (this.departments.length > 0) {
            this.addEmployeeToDepartment(0)
        }
    },

    addEmployeeToDepartment(deptIndex) {
        const names = ['Riley Johnson', 'Avery Williams', 'Quinn Brown', 'Dakota Smith', 'River Jones']
        const roles = ['Developer', 'Designer', 'Analyst', 'Manager', 'Specialist', 'Coordinator']
        const colors = ['E91E63', '9C27B0', 'FF5722', '795548', '607D8B']

        const name = names[Math.floor(Math.random() * names.length)]
        const role = roles[Math.floor(Math.random() * roles.length)]
        const color = colors[Math.floor(Math.random() * colors.length)]
        const salary = Math.floor(Math.random() * 80) + 60
        const initials = name.split(' ').map(n => n[0]).join('')

        // Create new employee
        const newEmployee = {
            name: name,
            role: role,
            salary: salary,
            initials: initials,
            color: '#' + color,
            number: this.departments[deptIndex].employees.length + 1
        }

        // Immutable update: create new employees array for specific department
        const currentEmployees = this.departments[deptIndex].employees
        const newEmployees = [...currentEmployees, newEmployee]

        // Update the specific department with new employees array
        this.departments = [
            ...this.departments.slice(0, deptIndex),
            { ...this.departments[deptIndex], employees: newEmployees },
            ...this.departments.slice(deptIndex + 1)
        ]
    },

    removeEmployee(event, element, details) {
        // Use details.index for employee index and details.parent.index for department
        const empIndex = details.index
        const deptIndex = details.parent.index

        // Create new employees array with employee removed and renumbered
        const currentEmployees = this.departments[deptIndex].employees
        const newEmployees = currentEmployees
            .filter((_, eIndex) => eIndex !== empIndex)
            .map((employee, i) => ({ ...employee, number: i + 1 }))

        // Update the specific department with new employees array
        this.departments = [
            ...this.departments.slice(0, deptIndex),
            { ...this.departments[deptIndex], employees: newEmployees },
            ...this.departments.slice(deptIndex + 1)
        ]
    },

    removeDepartment(event, element, details) {
        // Use details.index from the framework's action context
        const deptIndex = details.index
        // Immutable update: create new departments array with department removed and renumbered
        this.departments = this.departments
            .filter((_, index) => index !== deptIndex)
            .map((dept, i) => ({ ...dept, number: i + 1 }))
    },

    clearAll() {
        // Immutable update: replace with new empty array
        this.departments = []
    }
})
Live Preview

Template Context Reference

Within templates, you have access to both the list item data and list context variables:

Context Access Method Description
List Item Data data-bind="propertyName" Direct access to current item properties
Item Index data-bind="_index" Zero-based index of current item
List Length data-bind="_length" Total number of items in the list
First Item _first Boolean: true if this is the first item
Last Item _last Boolean: true if this is the last item
Component Computed data-bind="propName" Computed properties resolve by name (computed: prefix optional)
Tip: Use _first and _last in expressions like data-bind-class="_first ? 'disabled' : ''" to style boundary items. For action handlers, use details.index, details.first, details.last instead.

Template Performance

✅ Performance Features:
  • Templates are cloned efficiently using DocumentFragment
  • Template content is parsed once and reused
  • Only changed list items are re-rendered
  • Keyed reconciliation minimizes DOM operations

Large List Optimization

WildflowerJS automatically optimizes rendering for large lists:

// For very large datasets, consider using computed properties for filtering/sorting
computed: {
    visibleItems() {
        const start = this.currentPage * this.pageSize
        const end = start + this.pageSize
        return this.allItems.slice(start, end)
    }
}