Every time I start a new project the easiest way seems to be a node.js backend, and then by default of course I use Javascript on the frontend.
How do I avoid falling into this trap and never learning anything new?
Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
1–10 of 24 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#2Is this a problem? If you are trying to launch a prototype or even a first version of a product and you want to be as productive as possible use what you know. I love Node.js (and React for front end) and don’t see how I would benefit from switching to other frameworks I’ve used in the past. It’s not like it’s hard to learn something else, as long as you understand the fundamentals of server/web/client it’s the same stuff done slightly differently.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#3Is this a problem? If you are trying to launch a prototype or even a first version of a product and you want to be as productive as possible use what you know. I love Node.js (and React for front end) and don’t see how I would benefit from switching to other frameworks I’ve used in the past. It’s not like it’s hard to learn something else, as long as you understand the fundamentals of server/web/client it’s the same…
That's true, it just seems like there might be downsides to only working in one language. Even though the upsides of Node and React are great.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#4Figure out what's more important, learning something new or building a project.
I think there's a point where you're experienced enough for it not to be a trap. Concepts, patterns, and structures repeat and once you've started to accumulate enough experience, learning a new language or framework is just implementing things you've seen elsewhere. Then it becomes a choice of productivity and what does the project benefit from most.
If you're not there in your career yet, focus on learning something new. I promise it'll be a level up one way or another. For your project, it might delay it a little, but it'll help your resume and round you out as a developer.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#5i think you’re fine. if you’re worried about not learning anything new, than i would suggest learning an entirely new stack. otherwise, i would suggest you try to create a product and see how easy that is. odds are, you will learn a lot from that.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#6Is this a problem? If you are trying to launch a prototype or even a first version of a product and you want to be as productive as possible use what you know. I love Node.js (and React for front end) and don’t see how I would benefit from switching to other frameworks I’ve used in the past. It’s not like it’s hard to learn something else, as long as you understand the fundamentals of server/web/client it’s the same…
That's true, it just seems like there might be downsides to only working in one language. Even though the upsides of Node and React are great.
It's good to know other platforms and languages so you can adequately answer, for example, whether or not those upsides of Node and React are worth the downsides. If you have nothing to compare to then what do you base your opinions on?
But, that being said, there are downsides to trying to work in more than one language/platform. The main one is that you only have so much brain capacity. You simply can't be an expert in every platform out there all at the same time. So if you have a language/platform that you know really well and is suited to task you're doing then you really aren't doing it wrong.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#7Your entire backend doesn't need to be all Node
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#8Pick a different type of project. If you keeping doing projects where node and js are the best solutions, it will feel unnatural to use something else.
Try embedded systems, or real time audio processing or something interesting like that.
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#9Try TypeScript or ReasonML or ScalaJS. They all compile to JS and have dead-easy FFI so you can still use the ecosystem stuff you're used to, but you learn something new. In the case of ReasonML and Scala you get to use them later with different backend ecosystems too.
TS will give you a nice balance between learning new stuff (types) and sticking to what you know (most JS patterns are supported), whereas ReasonML and ScalaJS would be a bit more adventurous.
Also try playing with dotnet languages (F# maybe?) via EdgeJS: https://github.com/tjanczuk/edge (but I don't know if thats production-stable)
Re: Ask HN: How to avoid getting sucked in too deep by Node.js?
#10Get outside the JavaScript bubble ASAP. Learn some other languages, preferably ones that are statically typed, and/or at least have sane ecosystems with a robust standard library.
Do something as a hobby project that's way outside your normal groove. Play with some 3D graphics with OpenGl or DirectX or Vulkan, or try building a native app.