technology.md

Technology/Stack Options

Static Prerendered

Essentially you precompile the entire app into static javascript, html and css, which is just fetched by the client. No server required, although needs to be hosted somewhere.

Advantages

• Quick to get going
  • Can quickly show a prototype
  • Can deliver and test simple functionality, UX
• Very agile as we can strap on a lot of the frontend to a backend later if need be
• Technology agnostic

Disadvantages

• Doesn't allow for extended functionality
• No application state
• Too simple

Basic Server Side Rendered

This is the traditional web application setup. Basically request comes in from user, then render a page based on passed in parameters. Backend in charge of everything, client just displays the page.

Advantages

• Simple overall architecture
  • Familiar to most
• Fulfills full brief. Can do everything required through this structure
• Technology agnostic, (Django, Rust, node.js all options..)

Disadvantages

• Slightly poorer UX, because requires full rerender for updates to application state.

REST API + Single Page Application or REST App Server Rendererd

This is the a twist on the traditional web application setup. Rather than rendering routes directly we use the RESTful structure. And communicate with a richer client side application. The client (ie the browser) then gets all relevant data it needs once it's loaded, and makes API requests to make changes.

Advantages

• Simple overall architecture
• Mixed technology stack, better UX, sort of jack of all trades approach
• Still fairly technology agnostic although does require a more involved frontend architecture (ie a js framework).

Disadvantages

• Have to wire up API to frontend which adds complexity.
• Have to manage frontend state which adds complexity.
• Slightly slower first render as application must load assets on client.

Server Side Rendered, Client Side Hydrated

Modern server side rendering (with integration of a dynamic frontend framework) works like each of the below:

Highest order of application complexity but also closest to real world scenario. This is quite opinionated about technology, you basically need a node server OR a server able to spawn a node process to run the server side render, then send what's called 'hydrating' data to the client.

Summary

One thing about all of these is there is plenty of decent boiler-plate out there so initial setup and what not isn't that complex, necessarily. That said mindful of everyone feeling comfortable and able to contribute.