SPA - what use is the /about, /contact /products etc extention

Well who'd a thought you might bring that up 🙂

I explored Docker a year or so back as Php Storm, an editor which sometimes I use, has a similar reasonably automated way of getting a Docker environment up and running to that of Wappler, who I can see have just included it in their app yesterday.

I just really asked myself do I need any more complexities introduced into my stable workflow, which seemed to be having the unwanted effect of slowing production down on account I always seemed to be spending vast amounts of time keeping up with new workflows, than actually producing any work! Certainly I'd be earning about 10p per hour if I was to include all the unpaid for hours of experimentation/observing I was putting in.

The answer I eventually arrived at was no, not really as I don't think Docker is going to be of any benefit to my kind of production. I can see it might be beneficial if you're in a team environment where different developers are using different versions of php/mysql/node, whatever they are using and in the case of some Wappler users who might have difficulty in deploying a package such as MAMP, WAMP etc to get a server up and running.

As an independent developer, who at my age is unlikey to ever be offered a full-time position within the industy again, let alone want one, I feel the time spent continuously revising and testing is seriously sending me backwards rather than positively forwards. To that end I'm trying to isolate myself from this continuous non-sensical approach, which many small-websites developers seems to be treading the path towards by engaging in over-engineering and over-complicating the simplest of procedures. Its not really the path I desire to tread.

Since a few months back I've made a concerted effort to lessen any dependency on 'controversial workflows' which nearly always lead to a polarisation in opinions and for the few years I have left I plan to concentrate on a 'simple first' approach where possible and not be drawn into using niche workflows, which do not sit comfortably in with my philosophy. A 'simple first' appraoch would cover the majority of front end solution. It's unlikely that I will get involved with specialist app building which requires a more complex approach and would advise any cleint to seek a more experienced developer rather than attempting to produce something myself, which would be second best.

I'm not condeming Docker as that would be stupid of me but I have a workflow now that works well and I don't see my position changing or the kind of work that I produce changing. If I was at a certain age and had several years ahead of me in this field I may well feel more pressured into changing course. Unfortuantely I seem to keep reading that todays young developer are confused as to what they should be learning and following. I cant say I blame them.

But hey each to their own, we all have different approaches. I keep an open mind and never say never, just not at this particular time.

Enjoy Docker! 🙂

Thanks for marking Brads answer as correct, appreciated.

Can I make your life a touch harder? Have a look at https://itnext.io/dockerizing-modern-web-apps-cd9667eebf44

Even better, I've ditched the vue.js router approach and now have a vanilla javascript SPA workflow deployed. Pointless to introduce a framework library for just one aspect.

If I could mark an answer as correct it would be Brads - he banged me around the head and made me think outside the box in terms of the external links, which I wasn't doing!

Unfortunately can't supply a correct post number as the forum hasn't got around to assigning post numbers yet, which would be helpful to identify posts. At times in the new forum one has no idea who is talking to who and who is replying to who, hope it improves soon.

Yahhh! Vue router is working, including external/incoming links. I must revist the vanilla js angle when I have less time and see if I can get that functioning as it should, without jumping through too many hoops!

Thanks everyone for your input, completely obliterated the possiblity anyone would be linking to their website from my mind, which is quite stupid, because my clients probably do that all the time. Fortuneately all their websites are not SPAs BUT now I wont overlook that aspect again if I build anymore SPA solutions.

Looks like my last post disappeared. I've just tested vue.js router which does the job as expected internally but the external links don't work, so I guess I'm going to have to set the incoming links up to go to where they should go. Vanilla js was my prefered choice which would have been simple without the added complexity of taking external links into consideration but that may be a bit more complex now than I want to get into, considering this is a website of only a few pages. Half of it works, I guess that is a start.

This is less about aesthetics and more about usability and quick web access.

On a 1 page website, "you are here" indicators are helpful particularly if there is a lot of content on that page.  GetBootstrap documentation is a good example of this.  The right sidebar is a scrollspy with links to various IDs on the same page  -- #quick-start, #css, #js, #starter-template, etc...  Highlighting links gives users a clear indication of where they are in relation to other content on the same page.   The URLs are specific for bookmarking and sending direct links to social media.   Meanwhile, the top navigation bar shows where users are in relation to other pages in the website -- docs/4.3/ 

https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.3/getting-started/introduction/#quick-start

It's also a nice way to clean up the URL for bookmarking and any kind of tracking reports they may be using.

It's a whole lot simpler and meaningful to find /contact in a list of pages than it is /?123459772&=123.php

Personally I use it for linking directly to sub pages. If it didn't have  those in the URL,  you would not be able to link to specific subpages on Social Media or wherever.