Why PERN?
Before I embraced the all-in-one approach of Next.js for my portfolio, my Dev Diaries blog and portfolio website was built using the PERN stack. This combination of PostgreSQL, Express.js, React, and Node.js offered a robust and scalable solution for a project that required a strong, relational database.
A Breakdown of the Stack
- PostgreSQL: This was the primary reason for choosing PERN. As a relational database, PostgreSQL is incredibly powerful for handling structured data. For a blog and portfolio, where there are clear relationships between users, blog posts, and comments, a relational database was a much better fit than a NoSQL alternative. PostgreSQL's reliability, data integrity, and advanced features were a major plus.
- Express.js & Node.js: These formed the backbone of my backend. Express is a minimalist, flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for building web and mobile applications. It allowed me to easily create a REST API to handle all the data operations for my blog posts and projects. This included fetching articles, handling comments, and managing contact form submissions.
- React: On the frontend, I used React to build a dynamic and interactive user interface. React's component-based architecture made it easy to manage different parts of the website, from the project gallery to the individual blog post pages. The separation of the frontend and backend allowed me to develop and iterate on the user interface independently of the backend logic.
Working with the PERN stack taught me the importance of a well-defined separation of concerns. The frontend and backend communicate through an API, which made it easier to manage and debug each part of the application. It also demonstrated the power of using the right tool for the job. While I've now shifted to using Next.js's integrated backend for a more cohesive development experience, my time with the PERN stack was essential. It gave me a deep appreciation for relational databases and solidified my understanding of how to build and maintain a professional full-stack application.