The Bad of Libraries

Libraries can cause just as much frustration as they shield you from if you let them. Just like everything in life, JavaScript libraries are not 100% good. There are probably just as many reasons to not use them as there are to use them. In this section we’re going to get negative with hopes of appealing to the pessimist in you about libraries. It’s important to not only know the good about libraries, but also the bad before you start on your journey.

When libraries are used in a responsible manner, they can do amazing things, but unfortunately, because the barrier to entry for JavaScript has been lowered so much by some libraries, they mask the actual language and can prevent developers and designers from writing efficient front-end code. I say “front-end code” instead of “JavaScript” because while using libraries, many people fall into the trap I’ve been mentioning: using JavaScript in various places where CSS may be a better option. This issue is often amplified when using a library. There are also a few other downsides to library usage.