Learn MITHRIL-JS with Real Code Examples

Mithril uses a virtual DOM for efficient rendering.

It emphasizes simplicity and minimal API surface.

Built-in routing and XHR utilities make SPAs easier to manage.

m() - hyperscript function for creating virtual DOM nodes

Components - reusable JS objects or classes with view methods

m.route - client-side routing

m.request - AJAX/XHR abstraction

Lifecycle methods - oninit, oncreate, onupdate, onremove

Components encapsulate view and logic

m() creates virtual DOM elements

m.route handles routing

m.request handles AJAX requests

Lifecycle hooks manage initialization and updates

components/ - Mithril components

index.js - entry point

routes/ - routing definitions

services/ - data fetching and utilities

assets/ - CSS & static files

Define components with view() and optional lifecycle methods

Use m() to create virtual DOM nodes

Mount components to DOM

Set up client-side routing

Fetch data using m.request as needed

Beginner: simple components and rendering

Intermediate: client-side routing

Advanced: data-driven dashboards

Expert: highly modular SPA architectures

Community: integrating third-party libraries manually

Lighter than React or Angular

Smaller ecosystem than Vue

Faster virtual DOM than most frameworks

No built-in state management like Redux

Good for performance-critical apps

2011 – Initial release by Leo Horie

2012–2015 – Early adoption and growth

2016 – Stable API with virtual DOM

2018 – Modern ES module support

2025 – Continued maintenance with small updates

Component: JS object/class with a view() method

Virtual DOM: Lightweight representation of UI

m(): Function to create virtual nodes

Lifecycle hooks: oninit, oncreate, onupdate, onremove

m.request: AJAX utility