You can do this directly in the browser* without JS—in exactly the way shown by the example I just gave: by using a browser that is capable of editing and sharing docs (directly).

* If someone really wanted to be a stickler, they could point out that that you've set up Google Docs to fail your own rubric, since it involves indirect editing. The browser itself has no direct role in the editing process. It only manages to do so by fetching and executing the minified bundle on the Docs site.

So your solution is to write a browser so you don't have to write JS?

Supposing I just want to create an internal tool that allows me to collaborate in realtime with my colleagues on a document (multiple cursors, everyone editing at once) and I have to do it in an existing browser because I don't write C++ and only have a few weeks to deliver - how would I do this without JS? Also, it needs to work on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS in FF, Chrome, and Safari.

> So your solution is to write a browser

First, you're moving the goal posts...

> so you don't have to write JS

... and attacking a strawman. (No, I'm not worried that I might "have" to write JS. I've written a lot of JS. And I put a lot of effort making sure there was high quality documentation about the language in the early days of developer.mozilla.org—so that other people could have a nice time when they write JS.)

Secondly, you are aware—I'm certain of it—that the company behind Google Docs actually does have a browser.

> You can do this directly in the browser without JS—in exactly the way shown by the example I just gave: by using a browser that is capable of editing and sharing docs (directly).

So your users will need a specific browser to use your Web app?

This goes against a primary advantage of Web apps... They work on many different browsers/devices*

> So your users will need a specific browser to use your Web app?

No. For the use case mentioned (editing and sharing docs in Google Docs), no one would be using a Web app, because there isn't one anymore. With the browser itself able to do directly what Google Docs is being used for, there's nothing left.

<contenteditable

Sure. And now you need thousands of lines of JS to make it cooperative in real time.

That's not a requirement for most people, versions and locking is fine.

There are certainly refinements that can be added with JS, but JS is not a requirement, and certainly is not for rendering an editable page.

We're talking about programming apps such as Google docs. It is a hard requirement. Your reply is completely useless from technical perspective. Sorry-not-sorry to be so blunt but I have no sympathy for "yeah you can do it without any JS if you remove all features". Let's just go a little further and throw away our computers - we can send carrier pigeons to each other, right? And what's this paper stuff? Useless! Stone tablets 4ever!

And as a user, it is a hard requirement for me too. I never want to go back to locking and versions, that's absolutely terrible and completely kills the workflow I have with my colleagues. Collaborative docs editing is single most awesome development of the modern web and users are choosing the otherwise not-so-good Google Docs solely based on this feature. Perhaps not every user needs it - but there are countless users that do. If I wanted to edit without collaboration I'd use Word - much better UX and document editing capabilities... Sadly no truly working collaboration - it's too much like locking/versions, so it's not an option. I'd rather use collaborative raw text editor than the best of the best locking/versioned WYSIWYGs.