Surely you have heard of Gatsby, Hugo, Jekyll, Next, ... All this new generation of platforms for the generation of web pages have one thing in common: JAMStack. JAMStack is the new trend in web development thanks to its multiple benefits (security, performance, cost, ...). The acronym JAM comes from adding JS + APIs + Markup = JAM.

A modern architecture for web development based on the use of JS in the client, reusable APIs and precalculated Markup. Unlike other well-known stacks such as LAMP and MEAN, JAM does not refer to specific products but rather to an architectural style.


In JAMStack, JavaScript is responsible for giving the necessary dynamism to the web page. There is no restriction on the style of the code or the JS library / framework that can be used. All data and business logic that the web requires must be accessible via APIs. A set of Markdown templates define how this data is to be displayed.

These Markdown templates are rendered when the web is deployed, not every time the user accesses it. This turns the web itself into a static resource that can be served without the need for any type of web server installed. For example, you can package the web and serve it through a CDN (content delivery network / content distribution network) from a node geographically close to the user.

JAMPStack is a Stack that uses Javascript, API's and Markdown in the words of the author of the term. "A modern web development architecture based on client-side JavaScript, reusable APIs, and predesigned Markdown" says Mathias Biilmann, CEO & Co-founder of Netlify.

This means that we will use Javascript as a language to create our site that will communicate with API's, our pages will be written in Markdown that will later be compiled to build our productive site.

As it says on the official JAMStack site: Fast and secure sites and applications delivered by pre-rendering files and serving them directly from a CDN, eliminating the requirement to manage or run web servers.
With the wonderful world of JAMstack growing, all the categories of services and tools that help you are as important as ever. There are static site generators, headless CMS, and static file hosts.

Stackbit

Stackbit is a website builder that allows us to build and manage websites in a very simple way, and that follows JAMStack. Stackbit is founded on the following four elements:
A Theme: determines the structure of the website interface.
A static content generator: the tool that is responsible for rebuilding our website every time its content changes.
A CMS: the content manager of our website (pages, menus, headers, blog post, etc.)

The Netlify Deployment tool: the services that monitor the content and launch the static content generation and version management processes.

Benefits of developing with JAM

Basically, the benefits are best Performance, greater security, cheap and with easy scalability and best Developer Experience. If you are a Front end programmer (especially JS) you will fall in love with this Stack. It just feels natural to create a Full Stack Web App or any Static Site with the use of tools you use daily. You can easily create dynamic content with other technologies as I will explain.

Now that you know it, let's talk about Front End. There are many front end technologies. Basically with react, npm and lottie we have everything we need to create an incredible Website or Web App.

Regarding back end, its setup is very simple, it includes only 2 of the best Hosting Platform on the market: Github and Netlify. If you are a developer you have probably heard of Github but I am amazed at how many people have never heard of Netlify.

These two forces of nature come together to form the best Back end I have been lucky enough to work with. And all you need is a free account on these two platforms and with just a few steps you have a live webpage in a matter of minutes. It is simply brilliant!

The services I use are: Github: Version control, Backup Code; and Netlify: Hosting, SSL, DNS Zone (new), Lamda Function (without AWS account - although it is good to always have one), Continius Deployments, Preview Commits, easy integration with CMS, and among others.

In conclusion, as you can see, this Stack is simple and Javascript Oriented. Which makes it super flexible for all types of work. For example, do you need an e-commerce? Use Moltin or Snipcart. Do you need a CMS for a blog or News Website? Use Netlify CMS (Free and Open Source). Do you need an app? React.js. Do you need a simple Static Blog? Use Hugo or Jekll. Or if you are a pro, use Gabsy.

The possibilities are endless. I personally adore this Stack because it allows me to make amazing Applications with less worry or headaches. All with the flexibility of Javascript.