I can't remember how many times I was bugged down by the issue of data storage. It seems like a relatively simple problem to solve: write data, read data: end of story. But ... not so fast. Turns out there's no simple way to solve this issue.

## The Issue

Working on a serious project requires at least two different database environments. Your local environment, and the server environment. For the most part, you have to keep both environments in sync: database schemas created on your dev environment have to be created on the server. Little Changes like updating the name of a table field will have to be done in two places. Many such micro-changes add up: and in no time it becomes burdensome.

## The solution: Cloud ... ?

The easiest solution would be to store your data on the cloud. This way you only need to set up one environment. But this introduces a few more issues of its own: if you can't set it up yourself, you would more than likely be paying for cloud services at some point. The thing is, most cloud storage services appear to create even more problems than they solve. I tried google and mongo atlas and soon ran out of my trial. Also ran out of patience dealing with those micro issues that all developers know too well. I tried contentful but ran into issues with my first account. The second account seems to be working ok: but I'm not going to put a lot of trust in it. Well, at least not until they come for my wallet.


## The real solution.

I found it strange that there wasn't one reliable cloud-based system that solved all my DB needs. That's why I created <a href="https://datasquirel.com" target="_blank">datasquirel</a>. With datasquirel, all my database needs are in one place. I use SQL and relational database software MYSQL: datasquirel uses direct SQL queries together with a simple REST API integration: designed to limit latency while delivering the same reliability SQL has been known for all these years. No need to bother learning a new way of interacting with a data store. Just learn the most used database querying language: if you already know it, this would be a breeze for you. In addition, <a href="https://datasquirel.com" target="_blank">datasquirel</a> provides a store for images: using NGINX to deliver static files as quickly as possible: together with a built-in image compressing algorithm which saves you bytes and speeds up your loading. Now, you can create a dozen projects and store data and files in one place, and retrieve them from any environment, at any time.


## Conclusion

Dealing with data in a project is a real hassle: <a href="https://datasquirel.com" target="_blank">datasquirel</a> might just be the real game-changer that takes that entire burden off your shoulders.

Solving the database hassle.

Web frameworks are a great way to get the best out of multiple technologies while keeping your development time short and reliability high. But just like it is with every aspect of web development, there's a dilemma of "Which framework should I go with".Different frameworks come with different structures and different selections of languages and packages. In truth, you don't necessarily need a framework: nearly all major programming languages can handle applications on their own: but as you build more projects, you run into repetitions and redundancy, and you end up abstracting those repetitions into reusable components: you now have a framework of your own. Now, this isn't bad at all: in fact, this is the end goal of a truly performant app: frameworks often come with a lot of packages you may not need: which end up bugging down your application: if you can develop a framework of your own, you can eliminate this downside: but, you have to be prepared to spend a lot of time on your project: if you have the time, then go for it: else, go for an existing framework. Haven said this, there are lots of frameworks you can choose from: depending on your time and budget: here are some great picks you should consider:

## 1. Next JS

<br />

<img src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*htbUdWgFQ3a94PMEvBr_hQ.png" alt="" width="1000" height="571" />

<br />

NextJS is slowly becoming the household name for web development frameworks: it features an immensely powerful and efficient paradigm, built on React JS. This framework enables server-side rendering as opposed to the traditional SPA(single page application) model React was created for. NextJS handles the heavy lifting of routing, APIs, frontend and backend components, module bundling, and linting, leaving you with a relatively easy platform to build your project. Next JS is growing very quickly and in no time, it will become the most used framework for enterprise applications

Find your perfect framework

The tech pool is an ever-growing trojan horse. JavaScript libraries are getting out of hand: we seem to be getting a new one every 6 months. Even I have a javascript library of my own. Trying to pick from this pool can easily turn into mission impossible: understandably so: there are just too many of them

The thing is, each of these libraries and frameworks end up doing essentially the same thing in their respective categories: react creates reusable javascript components: same with vue, same with angular, and svelte. And for the most part, you won't be using every single feature provided by these libraries: just the ones that suit your project.

When it comes down to it, the tech stack you choose doesn't mean much: you can get 10 different options that achieve the same goal. All that matters is the developer you pick: because a masterful developer can create great products using any stack of his/her choosing. If you're just starting off, perhaps the best step is to evaluate the stacks and get a recommendation from an expert in the field: you may be surprised to find out you don't need as many technologies as you think: you may even be surprised that using a traditional framework like ruby on rails is actually a lot easier than WordPress. <a href="https://tben.me/contact">Reach out</a> to find out more.

Tech Musings

Solving the database hassle.

Find your perfect framework

Choosing your Tech Stack