Server-Driven Web Apps with htmx: the HTML-First Approach (TT4005)

About This Course:

Build modern, interactive web applications without writing JavaScript. This course teaches you to create dynamic, server-driven interfaces using htmx, a lightweight library that extends HTML with powerful attributes for AJAX, WebSockets, and real-time updates. You'll learn to build responsive UIs that rival single-page applications, but with dramatically simpler architecture and better SEO. 

Master progressive enhancement, hypermedia-driven design, and server-side rendering patterns. Create interactivity such as auto-updating dashboards, infinite scroll feeds, modal dialogs, form validation, and live search without complex JavaScript frameworks. You'll work with Python/Flask backends to build applications that are faster to develop, easier to maintain, and more accessible than React or Vue equivalents. 

Find out when htmx excels (content-heavy sites, admin dashboards, CRUD applications) and when traditional SPAs might be better. Build real-world projects. 

Course Objectives: 

• Evaluate use cases where htmx provides advantages over JavaScript frameworks, including faster development cycles, improved SEO, reduced complexity, and better accessibility 

• Implement core htmx functionality using attributes like hx-get, hx-post, hx-target, hx-swap, and hx-trigger to create interactive web interfaces 

• Build dynamic forms with real-time validation, loading indicators, error handling, and server-side integration 

• Create server endpoints in Python/Flask that return HTML fragments for partial page updates 

• Implement real-time features using polling, server-sent events, and trigger-based updates for live dashboards and notifications 

• Build single-page application experiences using hx-boost, hx-push-url, and browser history management 

• Manage application state and data flow between client and server using hx-vals, hx-params, and htmx event hooks 

• Deploy production-ready htmx applications with optimized performance, accessibility, and SEO 

• Design architectures that maximize the benefits of hypermedia-driven development while understanding its trade-offs 

Audience:

• Backend developers who want to add modern interactivity without learning heavy JavaScript frameworks 

• Full-stack developers seeking simpler alternatives to React/Vue/Angular for dynamic UIs 

• Python/Django/Flask developers building interactive admin interfaces and dashboards 

• Frontend developers interested in server-driven architecture and progressive enhancement 

• Teams looking to reduce frontend complexity, maintenance burden, and build times 

• Developers building content-heavy sites where SEO and accessibility are critical priorities 

Prerequisites:

• Students should have solid HTML and CSS skills. Understanding of HTTP fundamental concepts (requests, responses, status codes) and familiarity with basic web development concepts like forms, the DOM, and client-server architecture is helpful.