Transitional App Builder (TAB)
Transitional App Builder, also referred to as A Transitional App Builder (atab), is a modern reimagining of how a framework can be used to build and manage web based projects: web applications and websites. This means multi-page applications (MPA), single-page applications (SPA), and progressive web applications (PWA). You should consider using TAB if:
Installation & Usage
Pre-Installation
TAB is a Node based application that is installed through the Node Package Manager (NPM) instead of with an application package or executable. You will need a minimum Node version of 14.18.1
for TAB to install and operate correctly on your machine. Node version 16.13.0
or greater is preferred.
Installation
TAB can be installed globally (recommended) or locally to a specific project. For a global install run the following command from your terminal:
npm install atab -g
For a local install you should setup your projects directory first and then add TAB as a development dependency. Open a terminal at your projects location and run the following commands:
npm init
npm install atab --save-dev
Usage
TAB should always be run with npx
– the Node Package Execute binary – from your projects root directory. Open a terminal at your projects root to run the following commands:
Print the Manual
npx atab man
// or
npx atab --help
Initialize a new TAB Project
npx atab init
or
npm atab install
NOTE: New installations of TAB start with a few demo files. Use the next command to see TAB in action.
Start the TAB Server / Auto Compiler
npx atab watch
// or
npx atab serve
Compile (Build) Your Project
// This does a one time compile and does not start the TAB server or auto compiler.
npx atab compile
// or
npx atab build
Release a new Version of Your Project
(Coming Soon)
This will run compile
and then package the build in a zip folder for you.
The TAB Manifesto
TAB was created because I saw a need for a simple lightweight framework that could do three things:
- Encourage rising developers to learn more about languages and less about tooling.
- Improve development time and morale for small teams or solo developers.
- Encourage using the best tool instead of a familiar tool for a given project.
Please read the full manifesto if you would like to know more – I have a lot to say – and visit the documentation website for a live demonstration of TAB. (Coming Soon)
Changelog
The current changelog is here. All other changelogs are here.
Contributions
TAB is an open source community supported project, if you would like to help please consider tackling an issue or making a donation to keep the project alive.