Deeper Integration between XML and JS for more dynamic apps

One of the most fundamental parts of JourneyApps is the syntax used to build applications. To non-developers the specific syntax used on a development platform might sound like an inconsequential detail, but any developer knows the importance of syntax that is easy to read and understand.

Our developer syntax was designed with ease-of-understanding in mind. Using XML to describe the View layout and JavaScript to define app logic makes it simple for developers to quickly build complicated workflows without having to spend much time thinking about many of the technical intricacies that plague traditional development.

We have started to explore how we can combine the simplicity of our core syntax with more ways to make apps dynamic and cater for more sophisticated requirements in general.

Our solution was a tighter integration between the View XML and JS, allowing developers to dynamically control elements in the view using logic directly from the JS logic. For example, developers can control the state of sidebar items dynamically depending on the view the user is on, or update the contents of tables and lists depending on the language selected.

Combined with SharedJS and JavaScript features, it has given developers the power to extend apps beyond what they were able to build before; and app users have benefitted from superlative user experience from views being more dynamic and responding better to their exact inputs.

It bolsters JourneyApps to be even more suited to the custom needs our customers have, without taking the focus away from the core problems that need to be solved. It is also a rock-solid foundational block for many of the new features we're building for our customers.

We're very excited about the impact this feature is already having - please read more technical information here.