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Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#51

Post by 10ren »

tptacek wrote: post #27

Sinatra, Haml, Blueprint, Sass, jQ. I have a template that does login, tabs, and layout. I sketch in terms of "ghetto REST"; GET /foo, GET/POST /foo/new, GET /foo/1, GET/POST /foo/1/edit, POST /foo/1/delete. I write handlers before I write markup. I write the same %ul#foos // - @foos.each do |foo| markup for every feature I start. Ditto the edit form. Prune down, customize, work out page flows (which is easy once I h…

In what ways do you find AJAX brittle?

Also, could you explain (I think it's css/ruby/REST/psuedo code for an unordered list comprised of the foos - but how is that for a feature?):

   %ul#foos // - @foos.each do |foo|

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#52

Post by tptacek »

10ren wrote: post #51
tptacek wrote: post #27

Sinatra, Haml, Blueprint, Sass, jQ. I have a template that does login, tabs, and layout. I sketch in terms of "ghetto REST"; GET /foo, GET/POST /foo/new, GET /foo/1, GET/POST /foo/1/edit, POST /foo/1/delete. I write handlers before I write markup. I write the same %ul#foos // - @foos.each do |foo| markup for every feature I start. Ditto the edit form. Prune down, customize, work out page flows (which is easy once I h…

In what ways do you find AJAX brittle? Also, could you explain (I think it's css/ruby/REST/psuedo code for an unordered list comprised of the foos - but how is that for a feature?): %ul#foos // - @foos.each do |foo|

Sorry. I meant // as a line break. %whatever is a Haml tag that generates . - @foos.each do |foo| is "foreach foo in @foos".

I don't find Ajax brittle, I find my own designs when I set out from the beginning to make everything Ajaxy brittle. Brittle here meaning:

* Navigation is always funky

* I wind up with tangled messes of jQ callbacks

* I wind up with Sinatra methods that are laser-targeted for specific jQ interactions instead of general things I can use in multiple ways

Generally, the app just doesn't work as well. I think that's because it's slightly but deceptively harder to get a site driven mostly with JS working as well as a plain-ol-webapp.

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#53

Post by haily »

There's multiple point of entries! Just do it!

Define/Pick ONE core feature of your web application. Make that feature work, no one cares how you do it. Once you are finished with that core feature, use it as a base for all other new features.

An analogy, to create a sculpture of a head. First shape your clay into a ball, now you got your base feature.

Go get them Tiger!

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#54

Post by 10ren »

tptacek wrote: post #52
10ren wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what ways do you find AJAX brittle? Also, could you explain (I think it's css/ruby/REST/psuedo code for an unordered list comprised of the foos - but how is that for a feature?): %ul#foos // - @foos.each do |foo|

Sorry. I meant // as a line break. %whatever is a Haml tag that generates . - @foos.each do |foo| is "foreach foo in @foos". I don't find Ajax brittle, I find my own designs when I set out from the beginning to make everything Ajaxy brittle. Brittle here meaning: * Navigation is always funky * I wind up with tangled messes of jQ callbacks * I wind up with Sinatra methods that are laser-targeted for specific jQ intera…

thanks!

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#55

Post by mcxx »

vaksel wrote: post #48

for me #1 thing is to use google to see how many searches are there a month for relevant keywords. If you know that 18,100 people a month search for "website monitoring" you know that there is some market for it. Then of course you gotta check for other competition on that keyword to make sure there isn't someone doing the same exact thing you plan to do

That's funny, I checked that term just 2 days ago. Are you building some website monitoring tool?

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#56

Post by f1gm3nt »

I come from a business background so for me, the first step is to have an idea. Then I start a very basic and simple business plan to go with it.

The business plan outlines how users will interact with the site and here is where I set milestones and dates on when things should be complete.

By making a business plan it helps me see what I need to do and about how long things will take.

Next I start with coding and database, since everything has been put into my business plan it is very straight forward.

One thing to note is the plan can change, and it does often. Stay focused and always set goals and milestones to keep yourself on track.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#57

Post by vaksel »

mcxx wrote: post #55
vaksel wrote: post #48

for me #1 thing is to use google to see how many searches are there a month for relevant keywords. If you know that 18,100 people a month search for "website monitoring" you know that there is some market for it. Then of course you gotta check for other competition on that keyword to make sure there isn't someone doing the same exact thing you plan to do

That's funny, I checked that term just 2 days ago. Are you building some website monitoring tool?

nah, just wanted to give real stats instead of "make what people want - 15,000,000"

actually kinda funny "what people want" gets 1,300 searches a month

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#58

Post by ankurhere »

jackqu7 wrote: post #35

In terms of starting actual development, rather than the whole process from conception onwards: 1. Define DB schema 2. Define URLs. I find this is the best way to figure out what bits I actually need to write 3. Solve any difficult/tricky bits first, even if just as a proof of concept 4. Implement the rest

4.a) Implement REST

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#59

Post by decadentcactus »

vyrotek wrote: post #4

Personally, I dive right into the DB Schema. I use a modeling tool and just start with the basic relationships. For example, a User table and then as I think of features I think about how I will need to store them, how each entity relates to the other, etc. I'm a nut for normalization. At some point the schema is good enough to start coding some basic pages to login and do things. Of course, the schema never stays th…

Same here. I use django though so it's basically just typing up some quick models. If not, I'll write them in notepad in the form of:

  @Table:
  - fieldname char
  - field2 int

Re: Ask HN: How do you begin the process of developing a web application?

#60

Post by fuzzmeister »

Personally, I just write. I write pages and pages of stream-of-consciousness thinking about the application, everything from how it will look to how the backend will function to how it will make money. Once I'm done with that, I sleep on it (as it's usually 5am by that point), and the next day work on mockups and DB schemas if it still seems like a good idea.
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