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Ask HN: Which API framework for rapid application development?

by psankar on 10/17/21, 6:08 AM with 8 comments

I want to start a hobby project which needs to have as less development time as possible. I would want social media login (sign up via email, fb, google accounts, etc.), user management, connecting to a posgres (or even sqlite) db, deployments (perhaps to a paas like cloudrun, heroku, aws beanstalk etc.), db migrations etc. all already automated. If there is some automation for the API body and parameter validation from a openapi spec that would be even better.

I just want to write the core business logic for the API handlers and leave everything else to the framework. I do not mind (and actually would prefer) if the framework is opinionated and works well for its intended goals.

I prefer Typescript/JS, Golang, Kotlin in that order. If no other option, then python3 would be an acceptable choice.

Any recommendations ?

tldr: I want a batteries-included API framework with users management, session management, db management, openapi integration. Help ?

  • by lastofus on 10/17/21, 7:51 PM

    I work on exactly this at work using Python/Django along with:

    - Python Social Auth: handles social login

    - Django Rest Framework: does all the heavy lifting for API dev

    Django takes care of all of your other requirements such as user management, DB migrations, interaction with both PG and SQLite via both the ORM and raw SQL.

    This app runs on Heroku and is quite easy to deploy.

    You mention wanting to generate the API from OpenAPI spec, but this is not needed with DRF. Instead, the API is generated from your models + sterilizer + view code which in turn generates an OpenAPI spec for documentation purposes.

    I've worked in a number of other languages/frameworks and I can't imagine anything that does more heavy lifting for you than this stack, which in turn lets you focus on the business logic.

    More importantly, this stack is battle tested, and very well documented (except for perhaps Python Social Auth, which could use some doc love).

  • by johncoltrane on 10/17/21, 8:12 AM

    Those questions read a lot like questions I would ask myself in order to postpone actual work on my hobby project.

    Use whatever you are already fluent with.

  • by thecupisblue on 10/17/21, 12:28 PM

    You could check out supabase.io, lately they seem to me like the perfect kickstarting framework for rapid development.

  • by crate_barre on 10/17/21, 10:26 AM

    This, of course:

    https://kentcdodds.com/blog/how-i-built-a-modern-website-in-...

    /sarcasm <—— have to add this for the clueless children.

    But seriously:

    As others have mentioned, Rails, Django, Laravel, Firebase.

  • by speedgoose on 10/17/21, 6:39 AM

    Ruby on Rails or Django with a few plug-ins perhaps?

    Hasura is also nice but it's not doing everything you want.

  • by k0t0n0 on 10/20/21, 3:45 AM

    Stick with something you already know very well.

  • by pelagicAustral on 10/18/21, 5:58 PM

    I would go with Rails.

    Authentication via Devise including social login, other social/gamey aspects can me quickly implemented with gems.

    MVP withing a week for sure.