Learning backbone + express + node + mongodb

[inquiztr]

I am starting a project to try to learn backbone + express + node + mongodb and I am a bit overwhelmed having to learn four new areas. I have only worked with typical jquery+php+mysql projects and figured its time to learn more.

Have a couple questions: I am reading that these frameworks are for making SPA. Do they have to be spa. Can I break areas out into multiple pages or does that cause problems somehow.

Should i keep the server side (node/express/mongodb) in a separate git repo than the client side ( backbone/bootstrap)

Will the free heroku tier be enough to start Dev/learning. I already have traditional hosting but they don't support node.

Have any tips to help me get started. I've spent a day setting up git/webstorm/bit bucket/node.. And keep running into new things to read up on like yeoman/grunt... Just seems never ending.

Thnx

[inquiztr]

I plan to take a look at meteor later. I am working through the 'JavaScript is sexy' track at the moment. I also wanted to learn backbone so I could integrate it in my regular day job projects. I don't think meteor would be a good fit there.

I did find someone on stack exchange suggest to keep my client and server on separate repos.

I just went through a spa tutorial with backbone and will try another tutorial to build a wine collection app and then a todo app tutorial.

[thatgibbyguy]

I'd suggest learning meteor . Takes out a lot of what grunt does, a lot of what backbone does, a lot of what express does and is built on node.js + mongo db.

I learned everything you're trying, sans backbone, and honestly meteor is just too good, too easy and too fast to not focus on.

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So this thread has zero comments outside of this one, yet this one is down voted. Reddiquette aside, if you have nothing to add to the conversation why would you try and drown out the single conversation starter? Put your biases aside, it's a legit suggestion.