When we are considering which framework to use for new web projects, we tend to prefer the tools we know regardless of how suitable they are. So I tried the opposite. With every new opportunity, I tried a new technology. What did I learn throughout this experiment, and why is Next.js my default choice of SSG now?
In this article, Iʼll show you my journey over the various web technologies and my experience with them. Iʼll share my way into Jamstack, explain how to choose the right tool suitable for you and your project, and why it is Next.js for me.
Where I am coming from
My first web development experience started with PHP and MySQL and transformed into .NET during university studies. I really liked the type safety, MVC model, and debugging possibilities. Thatʼs right, no more echos, “Iʼm here.” I kept working with .NET during my development and consulting jobs but slowly transferred into JavaScript with early versions of Angular.
About two years ago, I almost fully converted to Jamstack. I chose to get familiar with Vue.js as it felt like the most friendly among JavaScript frameworks. I built my personal site using Nuxt.js, a static site generator that is now called the intuitive Vue.js framework. When I finished it, my colleagues at DevRel were just releasing the first version of a source plugin for Gatsby, an SSG or web framework for React. So I used it for the next project, which was Kentico Advantage, a simple site supporting web agencies. That was my first experience with React, and I hated it. It was so complicated to do just tiny bits of functionality.
The next project was my own wedding site. I gave Gatsby and React another chance only to end up with Gridsome two days later. At that time, Gridsome was just gaining popularity and I was stumbling upon it everywhere. I was able to get the base site up and running in three hours. I was amazed. More points for Vue.js.
Then Sourcebit came. Itʼs a plugin between a headless CMS and an SSG that normalizes data so that switching between CMSs and SSGs is easier. The only JavaScript related supported SSG was Next.js, so I learned the basics and used it also for one other project.
#next #gatsby #gridsome #nuxt #web-development
