Fullstack environment for returning hobby developer

Question

I've not done web development for some years (my last project was Symfony, Twig, minimal javascript). I'm returning now and wow has the world changed.

I'm thinking about starting completely new with one of those fullstack framework, where client and server are all in one and you don't even have to explicitly implement the API between them.

I'm looking for pointers to a good framework to use. Someone pointed out Meteor, for example. My background is in C, PHP and SQL databases, but I'm not against learning NoSQL.

My focus is on the project, not on the technology. My main goal is to have something where I can produce some initial results fast, and then later dig in deeper to improve.

I do need user registration and management, and having a REST or GraphQL API available to other clients to consume is a must. I have a webserver for development and I prefer hosting myself over any cloud solution.

Answer 1

If You do not restrict languages, I would suggest Django. It is a web framework for python, that in My opinion meets Your needs:

• Allows You to write code and see results really fast
• Client and server are in one place, allowing You to use template languages like Jinja
• Allows You to expose REST api (DRF toolkit)

This will require You to learn basics of python, but there are many tutorials on Udemy or other e-learning platforms. You can also start here.

If You have any further questions ask.

Answer 2

Vaadin

Vaadin Framework

The Vaadin Framework (Vaadin 8) lets you write in pure Java to declare a layout with widgets (buttons, fields, labels, images, etc.). No templates, no special languages, just Java.

That code executes server-side in a fast secure Java Servlet container. At runtime your layout is automatically rendered using standard web technology (HTML, CSS, DOM, JavaScript, AJAX, WebSocket, etc. ) in the user’s web browser. No need for you to write, or even know about, the web technologies. So your development is very rapid, getting much done with little coding.

See this interactive Sampler of the Vaadin widgets. And this older demo.

The web app runs as a “single-page application”, meaning the user’s interactions happen instantly without any reloading of the page. Ditto for your programmatic changes to the layout and widgets, all happening instantly with no page reload.

Vaadin is great for business-oriented data-driven apps, but not flashy magazine or brochure type sites.

Vaadin Flow

Vaadin Flow (Vaadin 10) is a major re-implementation of Vaadin technology to leverage the emerging Web Components standards.

The basic idea remains the same, a Java framework runs your app on the server-side while auto-magically rendering in standard web technology in the user’s web browser. But now the widgets can be crafted on top of Web Components rather than being Vaadin-specific. Those widgets can be used without the Java framework, included manually in other Web Comonents-based projects by other web developers. And other such widgets will be easier to build or adapt for use within Vaadin as well.

Currently in beta release.