I’m always looking for technologies that allow students to quickly create interactive web applications while exposing them to architectural patterns used in real-world, enterprise-level systems. This year, my students and I have been thrilled to discover HTMX, a lightweight JavaScript library that has hit this sweet spot.

What is HTMX, and why is it used in the classroom?
In a nutshell, HTMX allows you to access AJAX, CSS transitions, WebSockets, and more directly in HTML, using attributes, so you can build interactive applications with far less code than with JavaScript frameworks like React or Angular. This simplicity is perfect for teaching – students can make proper functionality quickly without getting bogged down in complex syntax and concepts. We pair HTMX with Razor Pages in .NET for the backend, and students are amazed at how fast they can create working applications.

But beyond just simplicity for beginners, HTMX encourages some best practices that are very relevant for enterprise development.

---

Risk management when introducing new tech.
HTMX is not a vast framework or architecture you are locked into. It works with your existing HTML and server-side code, incrementally adding interactive features. If you later adopt a different front-end approach, migrating an HTMX app is far easier than migrating a heavyweight SPA.

Managing complexity and “unknown unknowns”.
Keeping most of the logic on the server and avoiding building a complex JavaScript front-end reduce the surface area for bugs and unpredictable behavior. Testing is also more straightforward. Things tend to fail in more evident and recoverable ways.

The importance of early adopters.
As a less well-known technology, finding experienced HTMX developers may be challenging. However, HTMX is easy to learn, especially for developers who are already proficient in HTML and a backend language. Students learning it now will be the early adopters ready to apply it in companies later.

Focus on user needs (jobs to be done).
HTMX’s attributes map well to user interface needs – things like “update this area when this button is clicked” or “toggle this section when this checkbox changes”. Students think in terms of the user interaction first, not framework mechanics.

---

So what’s the value in teaching with a niche tool like HTMX?
First, students get to build real things faster, which is highly motivating. But even more importantly, they gently absorb functional patterns – separation of concerns, progressive enhancement, and declarative vs imperative coding. The niche tool provides a more gradual ladder for professional web development proficiency.

For my classes, we continue to expand what we build with HTMX and Razor Pages. I encourage other educators and companies investing in early-career talent to give HTMX a serious look. It beautifully balances simplicity for beginners with concepts that scale to the enterprise.