Batteries Included vs. No Batteries: A Framework Conundrum

This article explores the trade-offs between 'batteries-included' and 'no-batteries' software frameworks. 'Batteries-included' frameworks, like Express, offer ease of use and high integration, but lack flexibility. 'No-batteries' frameworks, such as Flask, demand more configuration but provide greater control. The author argues that the ideal framework balances both approaches, offering core functionality with plugin extensibility to meet diverse needs. The example of Vim's lazyvim distribution highlights the potential downsides of excessive 'batteries-included' features, leading to bloat.