Ask HN: Is it feasible to have just a REST API as a back end for web app?

#1

Post by 4k » Sat, Jan 20, 2018, 4:39 PM UTC

Read about this approach at a few places: Have only a REST API as a backend and do everything else in the frontend JS framework.

I don't know enough about web architectures to evaluate this approach. Is it possible to develop a site/app with this approach regardless of complexity of the app, or is this only suitable for certain scenarios?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Ask HN: Is it feasible to have just a REST API as a back end for web app?

#2

Post by yoz-y » Sat, Jan 20, 2018, 4:46 PM UTC

In our company that is what we do. We have a REST API in Flask and two frontends. One is an end user client Electron application and the other is a web portal. Both the application and the portal are React applications.

My question would be only REST as opposed to what? For example our client application also have native plugins to connect with hardware and also does lot of processing locally.

Re: Ask HN: Is it feasible to have just a REST API as a back end for web app?

#3

Post by fenwick67 » Sat, Jan 20, 2018, 4:48 PM UTC

Are you asking "is it okay to not use a html templating engine in the back end"?

Re: Ask HN: Is it feasible to have just a REST API as a back end for web app?

#4

Post by TomMarius » Sat, Jan 20, 2018, 5:24 PM UTC

Yes, it is entirely possible.