Why I Chose Astro

Welcome to my new website!

Welcome to the first blog post on my new website! I wanted a space where I could express my thoughts on software, gaming, internet, or anything else that pops into my mind.

What is Astro

Astro is a web framework for “content-driven websites”. Its focus is reducing Javascript overhead and complexity when compared to other frameworks. It is a fast and approachable framework that I found easy to pick up and learn. It has a bunch of optimizations built-in.

Astro Experience

I primarily have worked with Angular and Vue.js when working in web development. Astro was an opportunity to take a new approach for a spin. I like that I can control how much Javascript I use, and that it’s framework agnostic. My plan is gradually adding react components to add interactivity and special features to the website. It’s really nice how fast this builds, and everything seems optimized.

One major difference I see in Astro compared to other frameworks is the concept of Island Architecture. I can keep most of my website as lightweight HTML and add Javascript when needed for specific components. This feels a lot more efficient than Angular where everything is Javascript driven.

Another major reason was how easy it was to set up a blog. I can just add markdown files as I write new posts and instantly commit them to git so they are published. The markdown support with frontmatter makes organizing my posts really easy, and I can tweak formatting to match my tastes.

What’s next

I want to expand the blog viewing experience by adding interactivity like emoji reactions. I also want to add a page to detail my other applications. Overall I am excited to see how my website and blog grow over time.