The HERN stack stands for HarperDB, Express, React, & Node, which are all written using JavaScript

New tech terms and lingo are constantly popping up in the development world. It’s hard to keep up! People also love to share and debate about their favorite tech stacks and tools and frameworks. That being said, there is no ultimate right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a tech stack because it really depends on the specific use case it’s meant to solve.

Today, let’s take a look at the HERN stack. Ever heard of it? It’s a new “buzz word” as they say, and I thought it might be helpful to provide some clarity. The HERN stack stands for HarperDB, Express, React, and Node — the four technologies that make up this particular stack. They’re all written using JavaScript. This is a full-stack solution that follows a common 3-tier architecture (front end, application, and database).

As mentioned earlier, there are numerous stacks out there and different factors play a role in the decision to choose a specific stack for your project. You have the freedom to choose and try different stacks! To make sure we’re all on the same page, Stackshare defines a tech stack as “the set of technologies an organization uses to build a web or mobile application. It is a combination of programming languages, frameworks, libraries, patterns, servers, UI/UX solutions, software, and tools used by its developers.” So as you can see, the combinations and possibilities are endless!

What Makes up the HERN Stack?

• HarperDB: Distributed SQL / NoSQL hybrid database accessed via a REST API
• Express.js: Open source, back end web application framework for Node.js, designed for building web applications and APIs
• React.js: Open source, front end, JavaScript library for building user interfaces or UI components
• Node.js: Open source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a web browser

There are several reasons that these technologies work well together and serve as a great full-stack solution for projects like app and web development. There are also variants of this stack that would work just as well, such as swapping out and incorporating frameworks like Vue, Angular, or Fastify. HEAN, HEVN, HFRN… the combinations are endless. Don’t be afraid to get creative and choose what technologies make the most sense for you!

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