Ember.js: The Documentary
The history of the framework that grew from SproutCore 2.0 and focused on stability and productivity
Source
EmberCrate
Ember resource directory and documentary page
What is the film about?
The documentary explores why and how Ember.js came to be, and what decisions you have to make when you build an open source product. The story is told from the perspective of the framework's creators and key community members.
The focus is on Ember's origins, the evolution of the ecosystem, and the very choices that, over time, transform the library into a mature platform for large applications.
Key moments in history
1. SproutCore 2.0 → Amber.js
The team separated the new framework from SproutCore and gave it a new name to avoid confusion and focus on MVC architecture for applications.
2. Amber.js → Ember.js
After a conflict with Amber Smalltalk, the project was renamed Ember.js and a new brand was established.
3. Decisive elections in open source
The film details how key decisions impact the product, people and community.
4. Focus on the community
The story revolves around the creators of Ember and the active participants in the ecosystem who helped the framework become a mature platform.
Why Ember is good as a platform
Batteries included
Ember gives you the full stack out of the box, from routing to data to testing.
Ember CLI
Built-in build pipeline and generators save time and standardize the application structure.
Ember Data + Router
Powerful, natively designed solutions for data and navigation in large SPAs.
Glimmer
Glimmer-based rendering speeds up the interface, and many perf updates come with version updates.
Stability and control
Release train
New features go through beta for at least 6 weeks, and stable releases come out approximately once every 6 weeks.
LTS support
LTS branches receive bug fixes for 36 weeks and security updates for 54 weeks.
RFC process
Significant changes go through a public RFC, making development predictable.