HN Explorer

Which is the stack you usually use to start your side projects?

16 points by ocebe ↗ HN
I've been thinking about starting a project on my own for a long time and I was wondering which stack is usually used.

I've been developing micro service applications for a long time and the best option I can think of is to use the MERN stack.

What is the best option for you?

20 comments

[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 48.5 ms ] thread
gxespino
Whatever stack you’re most comfortable in and will allow you to get up and running sooner than later.
codegeek
This is always the right answer.
dividedbyzero
Is it, though? Side projects can be a fantastic opportunity to try something new. I wouldn't have any of my current go-to stack without such experimentation.
andarleen
Good point - so if the goal of the side project is to learn a new skillset then this is the wrong answer, but if the goal is to build an MVP then it is right - use whatever gets you there quicker.
sterlind
If your project is unlike your normal work it can make sense to use something new.

I was doing some niche amateur cryptography. I started with numpy, but I needed high performance and support for custom fields (e.g. cyclotomic polynomial rings) so I switched to Julia.

The learning curve was worth the expressiveness and conciseness of the new language. It's important that your code matches the abstraction of your problem domain.

ocebe
the idea was to get inputs about what you guys do. Many times you feel influenced by your environment and there are probably better options you can work with. But thank you for your honest answer
muazzam
I would love to use assembly x86 on baremetal (i.e., no code that's not written by me executes) as I used to do years ago but I will be needing an infinite time and that would be, career-wise, a complete waste of energy.
Raed667
For a long time, it used to be PHP + MySQL + JQuery. Now its more like React + Next + Firebase.

Just pick what seems fun and what seems productive to you.

dividedbyzero
It totally depends on the project, there is so much that can be a side project (even a commercial one). For CLI tools and other utilities, mostly Go. APIs and backends, Scala and Akka HTTP. For storage, usually MySQL, sometimes Kafka. For web frontends either Scala.js, Vue or vanilla JS. For infra, plain Docker or one of my k3s clusters. For IoT/electronics, Arduino and a suitable µC. For parts design and printing usually OpenSCAD and a Prusa Mini. For woodworking, a small Metabo drill, a Dremel and a set of hand tools. For illustrations and the like, an iPad Pro with Pencil and Procreate.
ocebe
Thank you very much for your answer, it has taught me things I didn't know
makeee
I generally use Next.js, Bulma, Firebase Auth, and Firestore. For more complex apps, will move Firestore behind a REST API and use react-query for data fetching/caching.
gitgud
> will move Firestore behind a REST API

How do you do that? Do you spin up your own server?

makeee
With Next.js it's just a matter of dropping a file in the src/pages/api directory. So I'd create API files like create-user.js, update-user.js, etc.
valerij
vue.js and svg. i do FUI stuff as side projects

unreal engine for interactive stuff

c++/ swift for code oriented stuff

darepublic
It certainly depends but for websites bulma and nextjs and strapi for backend
roland35
Django! I am not good with front end JavaScript though, so it is hard for me to create anything too dynamic.
rocketpastsix
Usually PHP. I grab Laravel, Tailwind CSS, Vue and the needed libraries like VueRouter, Vuex and a few PHP libs and see what happens.

The correct answer is mostly what others have said: whatever you know best. But I would caveat that with this: if this is a project just for fun and learning, pick anything you want and the most important part is have fun. If you are trying to do RAD and get something in a market, grab what you know best and go from there.

m33k44
Wt/C++ for the backend and templating, jQuery+Bootstrap* for the frontend and PostgresQL for database.

* https://www.webtoolkit.eu With Wt there is no requirement for Bootstrap and/or jQuery though.

blodkorv
i use php + jquery + mysql. I can make pretty much whatever i can think of and there is not much overhead. I have made tonnes of various tools for work using this by just creating a php file and started to code with no bs from stopping me implement the idea i have in my head.