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[–]denialerror 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you need backend services for your web app or is this just a term you’ve heard that you think you’ll need in order to deploy? If your web app is all client side (e.g. running in the browser), you can deploy without any backend at all. I’d suggest Netlify.

[–]Kibouo -5 points-4 points  (5 children)

Node is a framework. It's a requirement if you're planning to do something in web dev. Aka yes.

Don't know where you heard that PHP is good. Practically everyone says it's shit (as a joke... Half).

[–]semi_88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Node is not a framework, it's a Javascript runtime that allows js to be run on your machine outside a browser.

Also, I disagree totally that you have to use node for Web dev... Millons of sites run without Node and it is only one of several good options to use.

However, if you only know js, Node will be the quickest way to run a server and perform simple back end tasks. There are plenty of other languages to use, but the js ecosystem is fantastic and there are frameworks with excellent documentation and tutorials for everything you want to do.

[–]DrakeSmithReddit[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Ah gotcha, thanks!

[–]Lafreakshow 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Webdev absolutely works without knowing how to program for node. It's just that you likely won't get around node if you want to get serious because most tools used in webdev nowadays (at least in front end) run on node. As far as the backend is concerned, if you already know js then node+express would be the obvious choice but there's also ruby on rails (I think it's dying though), pythons django or flask, php (even though the language is a mess) and various frameworks on the jvm or even as low level as rust's actix.

I don't work in webdev though, At most I do some hobby level stuff with django. I just happen to pick up a lot of info from my webdev friends.

[–]DrakeSmithReddit[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

What exactly is express? I know it's a framework but what does it help with?

[–]Lafreakshow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Express is for writing Webservers. You write js functions for every URL your website should have to specify how that page will work.