Technical discovery on replacing DTL with a modern FE framework

[abroddrick]

Issue description

We currently use the Django Template Language (DTL) with vanilla JS, rather than any particular JS framework for the front-end (including the /admin interface front-end). We'd like to explore supplementing or replacing this to support the following:

• Faster development (including improved/faster debugging and review processes)
• Faster onboarding for new engineers/staff
• Improved Design/Dev collaboration on front-end experiences
• Extensibility for future features and updates
• Better standardization for accessibility patterns/templates

The technical discovery in this ticket should help answer the questions of what options there are (ie, React, Vue, other?), and propose a path for iterative development to implement a new framework. The front-end JS framework may ultimately co-exist with DTL, or may totally replace it.

Acceptance criteria

• use the discovery template to help facilitate discovery for adding a new FE
• as part of technical discovery, propose options for handling this along side your suggested approach
  • Consider at least the following during discovery:
    • determine how we could add in a FE into our system, but still have DTL templates working
    • how long would this take for a piece of our system vs the whole system?
    • which FE framework is most compatible for this iterative approach
    • impacts of replacing DTL on the analyst side vs the Registrar user facing side first
    • impacts for in-progress features
    • potential impact on design system and integration with existing design tools
• confer with other engineers as needed and get feedback from a dev lead
• share and go over the proposed options with product/program team
• visual representation of the proposed plan and architecture impacts

Additional context

No response

Links to other issues

No response

[katypies]

@abroddrick and @lizpearl - we (Product) updated the description here a bit to make a problem statement, and indicate that we're really looking for the proposed solution here. Please feel free to review and let us know if there are any questions or clarification needed.

[abroddrick]

Just fyi @katypies the FE framework wouldn't necessarily help with Faster development (including improved/faster debugging and review processes) and Faster onboarding for new engineers/staff. There will likely be a slow down as soon as we switch to framework as people will have to learn the ins and out of the framework, just like learning js. (Though now they will need to know JS AND a framework). The same caveate applies to onboarding new engineers, the framework may be more complex to take on then vanilla js, if they have never touched that framework before (or worse, never used any framework). All the other changes look good!