Now a day’s, speed, time and security plays the major role in building a website, however these things become a concerning issue due to the user satisfaction and privacy. You will not be pleased if you find your information being hacked due to poor maintenance, will you? I got your answer, it’s definitely a damn big NO!!
In this current era, you really don’t have to worry about building websites with that traditional and boring “Coding” methods. I know you are well known by this time regarding the most popular “Drag and Drop” approaches to build websites.
Keeping Security as well as this Simplification in mind, developers have been invented a great solution; “Static site generator.” Indeed its great!
Most of the sites on the web are either static or dynamic. But in recent time the popularity and the uses of static sites is increasing rapidly. Static site generator allows you to serve quickly with a great extent of simplicity as well as security benefits. There are tons of “Static Site Generators” available at the market for simplifying your life and works. OK, let’s know a bit more about them.
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| Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash |
Does the Static Site Generator make things more COMPLEX?
Static sites are the easiest way to create a basic website. Not at all like dynamic websites they don’t require any Web programming or database plan. This is basically an HTML site with a collection of some HTML pages who spat out an entirely static website. We can differentiate a static site generator between an employing hand-coded static sites over a full CMS site. Using raw data or user content, applying it over a template one can easily generate a static site through a static site generator.
Most of the websites are built upon both static and dynamic content but static sites offer several advantages. Mostly Static sites provide improved performance in comparison with the dynamic site. It can be served quickly with great simplicity to deploy. The setup of its server is much simpler which confirm the lowest security concern. There is no special requirement though.
Although having such advantages you need to worry about the real-time content issue. With a static site, the ability to have real-time content has been compromised. There is no possible solution to overcome this issue and that’s the major drawback of using static site generator. Taking a user generated comment for content or a blog is also challenging however there is no user input option available at all. Not only is that but for this instance there no admin UI options obtainable.
Moreover, a static site generator increases its admiration day by day. There are numerous choices to select from when selecting a static site generator for the next venture.
I have provided some of the best options you should consider among the list of static site generators below.
1. JEKYLL
Jekyll is considered to be the most popular static site generator so far. This was created by Tom Preston-Werner who was the co-founder of GitHub. Just because of its co interactivity with GITHUB people often use it for small projects and personal blogs. Jekyll basically built with Ruby.
Get begun with Jekyll at jekyllrb.com.
Pros
• Suitable for large scale application as well as websites.
• It’s easy to find any kind of help related Jekyll problem due to its large active community.
• It’s too easy to host your Jekyll site because it suits itself better with GITHUB pages.
• There are so many plugs in available to extend the functionality of Jekyll.
• Suitable for large scale application as well as websites.
• It’s easy to find any kind of help related Jekyll problem due to its large active community.
• It’s too easy to host your Jekyll site because it suits itself better with GITHUB pages.
• There are so many plugs in available to extend the functionality of Jekyll.
Cons
• In order to make sure the best use of Jekyll you need set up an environment of Ruby thus Jekyll is mainly based on Ruby.
• It looks complex at first and you need time to become a pro in Jekyll.
• In order to make sure the best use of Jekyll you need set up an environment of Ruby thus Jekyll is mainly based on Ruby.
• It looks complex at first and you need time to become a pro in Jekyll.
2. NEXT.JS
Next.js is also a popular static site generator after Jekyll. It is generally provided by a cloud computing based company called ZEIT. Based on React and Javascript Next.js become an open source framework for developing static React applications.
Get begun with Next.js at nextjs.org.
Pros
• Next.js rendered the server by default which ensures the performance.
• Setup is absolutely unnecessary because the code splitting automatically and make sure the page load faster.
• Customizable with configuration.
• Availability of enough official plugging.
• Next.js rendered the server by default which ensures the performance.
• Setup is absolutely unnecessary because the code splitting automatically and make sure the page load faster.
• Customizable with configuration.
• Availability of enough official plugging.
Cons
• React required.
• Integrated plugin system missing.
• React required.
• Integrated plugin system missing.
3. HUGO
Hugo is one of the well-known static site generator written in Googles own C based programming languages Go. Featuring over 165 contributors and a large number of users Hugo increases its fans in the market with a rapid rate. You can use the build in theme library of Hugo to build your own websites easily.
Get begun with Hugo at gohugo.io.
Pros
• The building process is too fast.
• Lots of built-in theme library.
• Contains “Watch Mode” to refresh web page while editing.
• No need for an additional plugin.
• The building process is too fast.
• Lots of built-in theme library.
• Contains “Watch Mode” to refresh web page while editing.
• No need for an additional plugin.
Cons
• Needs the broad plugin environment.
• Basic knowledge of understanding Go programming languages.
• Needs the broad plugin environment.
• Basic knowledge of understanding Go programming languages.
4. NUXT
NUXT is used for server rendered Vue application along with command line parameter based static HTML pages. NUXT definitely a good choice for them who are most familiar with VUE and want to developed server rendered Vue applications.
Get begun with NUXT at nuxtjs.org
Pros
• Using Vue.js code can generate a static web page.
• Easy to learn and implement.
• Easy to configure Vue based SPA.
• So many building options available.
• Using Vue.js code can generate a static web page.
• Easy to learn and implement.
• Easy to configure Vue based SPA.
• So many building options available.
Cons
• No limitation declared for static sites.
• Basic Vue.js Knowledge required.
• No limitation declared for static sites.
• Basic Vue.js Knowledge required.
5. GATSBY
Gatsby gained its popularity based on the under growing popularity of React. Gatsby is a React and GrphQL based static site generator for creating lightning-fast static websites. To make data available Gatsby simply use GrphQL. Gatsby is aimed for the fastest possible website making within time.
Get begun with Gatsby at gatsbyjs.org.
Pros
• It contains rich plugin systems.
• Easy for the React users.
• Can collect your data from wherever they exist and integrate them with GrphQL server.
• Produces very fast static HTML pages.
• It contains rich plugin systems.
• Easy for the React users.
• Can collect your data from wherever they exist and integrate them with GrphQL server.
• Produces very fast static HTML pages.
Cons
• Proper and solid knowledge of React, JS, GrphQL needed.
• Proper and solid knowledge of React, JS, GrphQL needed.
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| Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash |
My Word
Static site generator has the potential about reliability, stability and for the high traffic issue. So switching to a static site both saves your money as well as time. It could be one of most brilliant decision you have ever made.
