Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#1

Post by CoffeeDregs » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 2:44 AM UTC

I'm building a simple SaaS app and have been using Django+MongoDB for the server side bits, but my app is a very heavy JS RIA and I'd love to do the backend in JS, too. Wanted to see what HNers recommended for server-side JS. I'm a Rails guy, so am used to being spoon fed... Have a VPS with a number of PHP and Rails apps, so am comfy administering stuff.

* I'm wary of Node.js because it's so young, I'm a touch worried about it crashing and it requires a new set of JS-derived drivers/libs. But it has a huge range of frameworks that run on it and huge community.

* RingoJS seems like a very solid foundation and it gives access to a huge range of Java libs (of ever-varying quality). But I'm not in love with its programming model and it has a relatively small number of add-on frameworks and a small community.

Any other contenders I'm missing? Better to stick with Django?

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#2

Post by jashkenas » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 4:16 AM UTC

Just to get it out there, the current 800lb gorilla of Node.js webframeworks is Express:

http://expressjs.com/guide.html

That said, I think we're all still waiting for the real JS Application framework to appear. For better or for worse, Express is more or less a Sinatra clone for static pages. I'm hoping to see a true end-to-end JS system emerge sometime in 2011: one that provides models that can run on both the client and the server, live updating via Websockets as well as REST, views that can generate HTML on either end, with a built-in plan of attack for keeping common security holes in JS apps plugged.

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#3

Post by jmtulloss » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 4:21 AM UTC

node.js is mature enough for serious work, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's fast, has a great community, and is improving all the time. In my mind, it lives up to the hype.

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#4

Post by DTrejo » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 4:21 AM UTC

If you haven't already seen this list, make sure to check it out:

https://github.com/ry/node/wiki/modules

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#5

Post by jhrobert » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 4:52 AM UTC

I use Node.js -- but I don't use any framework. I don't need one.

When I need something, I dig, find something similar, read the code, and I re implement the thing, my style.

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#6

Post by CoffeeDregs » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 5:06 AM UTC

jashkenas wrote: post #2

Just to get it out there, the current 800lb gorilla of Node.js webframeworks is Express: http://expressjs.com/guide.html That said, I think we're all still waiting for the real JS Application framework to appear. For better or for worse, Express is more or less a Sinatra clone for static pages. I'm hoping to see a true end-to-end JS system emerge sometime in 2011: one that provides models that can run on both the cli…

J,

Hadn't really noticed that feeling of not-quite-there-yet, but you summed up my feelings about node.js frameworks pretty well. (This is where someone tells me to start developing it myself...)

I'll check into Express again and see if it's getting to the point where it's reasonable for a neophyte such as myself to invest in learning it and helping to develop it.

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#7

Post by CoffeeDregs » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 5:11 AM UTC

DTrejo wrote: post #4

If you haven't already seen this list, make sure to check it out: https://github.com/ry/node/wiki/modules

D,

Definitely had seen that, but, as with all things server-side-javascript, I'd been a bit confused both by the number of choices and by the number of defunct-ish projects. I'll dig into it again. Definitely is seeming as though I oughta look at node.js again...

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#8

Post by Klonoar » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 5:12 AM UTC

jhrobert wrote: post #5

I use Node.js -- but I don't use any framework. I don't need one. When I need something, I dig, find something similar, read the code, and I re implement the thing, my style.

Sup NIH, how you doin'?

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#9

Post by olegp » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 7:53 AM UTC

What don't you like about Ringo's programming model? I've found the community to be very helpful, despite it's relatively small size.

Re: Ask HN: Best server-side Javascript framework

#10

Post by monos » Fri, Dec 03, 2010, 9:03 AM UTC

Ringo is fine.

The number of add-on frameworks is probably so small because Ringo came bundled with a web-framework. But it will be removed from the core within the next releases.

And additional frameworks for Ringo are already appearing, like https://github.com/hns/stick or the proprietary http://erbix.com platform