Jamstack
The ‘JAM’ in Jamstack stands for a modern web development architecture based on client-side JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. It is a robust, cloud-native web development architecture that lets users deploy powerful websites and apps with the best practices.
It can be used to build any type of website and app — a large site for an e-commerce platform, a blog for your product, content-rich websites or your personal website. Well, all most any type of site except, were real time functionality is required or the shear number of pages (in the millions) would not permit a sensible build time.
The Benefits of using JAMstack Architecture
-
• Ultra fast: creating pre-rendered pages ready for serving is in itself a performance boost. Unlike frameworks like Wordpress which compose pages in real time and inevitably slower. Fast loading pages on the user’s browser is super important. It has been determined that every second delay in presenting a page causes user frustration and are unlikely to re-visit or continue browsing. It is considered that 4 seconds is the absolute maximum rendering time if visitors are to be satisfied.
-
• Sites generated in this way can be loaded onto a CDN (Content Delivery Network) (or any web server) ensuring speedy delivery.
-
• Complex server provisioning is avoided, along with security holes in site software such as Wordpress plugins.
-
• Lower costs of maintenance, static HTML websites are much cheaper to maintain, there is no consistent requirement to continually patch for security issue.
-
• Jamstack sites are naturally scalable, based on CDN delivery not having to ‘guess’ potential server loading.
-
• Re-building a site to take account of changes can be automated. Changes made to GIT versioning repository can trigger a new build. And because of versioning, any site can be rewound to any earlier build.
The Cons of using the Jamstack
-
• Beginner unfriendly: if you’re familiar with WordPress, you may already know that you don’t need to be tech-savy to use it. Jamstack, on the contrary, requires you to have some coding knowledge. For some people, it may be a big challenge and might require hiring professionals who can work in the Jamstack environment.
-
• Complex API: unlike traditional CMS, Jamstack infrastructure may require you to use many different APIs just for one project. The environment is largely API-dependent and you need to be aware of that.
-
• Not suitable for real-time data: if you want to create a platform with content that updates in real-time like social media platforms, you’ll need to find a different solution.
-
• Previously coding skills were required for content creation or updates: Jamstack is not as easy as WordPress. But, with recent developments in headless CMS’s (including Wordpress) not so much. Site owners can use known tools like text editors to update content.
The JAM - Javascript, API’s and Markup
Javascript
Javascript has the potential to convert a purely static site into an interactive one. Static site files have fixed content, it is Javascript which permits the access of public access points to deliver new content and user engagement.
API’s
API’s provide access to third party tools and services. There are no limits to the amount or type of external services that can be employed.
This move toward microservices has culminated in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda and the concept of cloud functions, whereby simple functions doing just one thing
Markup
At the core of the web is HTML. The HyperText Markup Language, known and understood by all browsers, defines how content should be structured and distributed.
Site Generators
Site content can reside on local files, local or external databases or services. Site generators collate data and format information and massage it into files that can be delivered in a hosting environment.
Site generators are numerous Astro, Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy, Nuxt, Next to name but a few and derived from just about every programming language.
References
Site Generators
Astro - Javascript
Hugo - Go
Eleventy - Javascript
Nuxt - Vue
Next - React