I realized this thing that Static Site Generators are increasing in the community like Global Warming. Every day on Twitter, there must be a guy saying that he made a static site generator different than others. Static Site Generators do what???
generate Static Pages through their Templating Language. Is there any need for so many Static Site Generators here, or what are the problems with static site generators which are attracting the developers to make another static site generator. Is there anything we can do about it? JAMSTACK is the future, the headless era is coming.
I posted this almost a month ago But I think this can also help you understand the problem. Here is the link :
Top comments (17)
I think it stems from us (as tech nerds) constantly wanting to optimize and automate so we have more time for other things. Want to spin up a site? Just use the generator and put in a little bit of content into the template and boom website. Want to blog? Barely any set-up -- just use a generator and put the posts in the template and done. It takes all the configuration and tinkering of setting up a new project and boilerplates it, so all the end-user has to do is write copy and not worry about the rest.
Or maybe I'm just lazy and only tinker when I'm in a tinker mood ;)
I agree JAMStack is impressive. but the problem is there, I think Users are divided into so many groups there - Hugo - Jekyll and 50+ static site generator (You can check out the comments of my other post). People tried many Static Site Generators but they got stuck in many Problems and when they try to debug it(Google). What did they find? Just Official Docs(Crap for now!) What?? The Stats say that 60000 users are using this static site generator. So where are the response? Why No Good-Tutorials are available? Why Google is so much blank? Then they move to second SSG and then third SSG and then boom!
I know it's easy to create a website but Custom Theming, Plugins and many more. I think we must pivot! Improve the docs of the best solution for everyone and populate the community with it by writing articles and making YouTube videos. We can't handle so many Static Site Generators
I agree
As a tech nerd, I love optimizing my work. As far as setting up a repo on GitHub, I'm perfectly happy - my work can be available to the public, and it doesn't cost me $100-$200/year for hosting; instead, it costs nothing. So far, so good. So, how do I present my repo to the world? Well, the 'code' page for the repo works, but it's not pretty. I can either pay for hosting anyway, or I am forced to use Jekyll.
You see, I've already designed and developed everything in the repo to make it presentable for users. So, I push it with Jekyll, and I get what I pay for. The website generation is technically free, from a purely financial standpoint, but the cost in time (about 2 weeks) is astronomical in terms of 'optimizing' the automatic process by adding multiple hurdles surmounted only by way of the CLI and which adds mountains of excess, tangled code to the whole project.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought optimizing was supposed to be more about getting rid of cruft and bloat, not adding as much as possible. Now if only there was a way to just let people open the index page instead of seeing it as a file halfway down a list of files, but without the need for juggling in the CLI or the addition of additional code, like a pre-made custom theme that I had to choose and also create more code for in order to override and replace with the CSS files already included in the repo...
Aashir , the reason devs are getting excited because they find it useful, find something new to learn and upskill. When you will work in good enterprises, you will realize their requirements are a bit complex. They strive for faster, secure sites and ultimately better user experience; and static sites generators tick all the boxes.
Some SSGs generate PWAs out of the box (dev.to is a PWA). Did you ever wonder why did dev.to come up their own solution and not simply use an opensource forum software? If not think about it, research more about PWAs , read more about user experience and the case studies involving PWAs.
You should get your answer!
Your comment really sounds like a Professional briefing😁. Thanks, this is just a start of a long journey with PWAs and SSGs. I am definitely not stopping here
Sounds great! Key to growing up is to be open minded. You are young and are already on the right path, keep learning!! Try to get active in wpgraphql and Gatsby I am sure you will come to love and understand the benefits of SSGs and PWAs :)
Thanks, Mentor
I believe it's about easier configuration. Different people have different needs when they use a static site generator. Since it's really easy to write such a generator, and sometimes it may seem easier and more lightweight than using a full fledged general purpose generator, new site generators are going to blossom out of the ground like mushrooms. And it's not gonna stop. 😁
I don't want them to stop either
I know bro. Anyway, that's just why I think this is happening. I share your observation and have been thinking the same thing.
🙏 Thanks
I'm not sure to what degree the success of netlify is tied to the story. I think it's amazing how easy it is and for free to put the content there. I'm rolling my own SSG to finally have some site of my own.
Aah Netlify 🤔 Thanks, point Noted.
Not surprised. People like to own the reinvented wheel 👀
There are legitimate differences between SSGs and there are many reasons why people go on a create new ones but the final result is this landscape of infinite options eheh
The final Result is Fruitful! eheh, but I am curious about the motives behind creating the new one.
I know, right? Take a look at headlesscms.org/ and boggle at the number of things they list, too.
It's good, right? And bad, also, right?