Come to think of it, what’s Astro? I saw in your profile that you used it to build this site, but is it different from regular HTML?
Wow Onii-chan, that’s a great question (≧∇≦)♪
It’s a Tool for Making HTML♪
You know what? Astro is a tool for making HTML! It ends up as HTML, but the process of creating it is super convenient〜 (´∀`)
Writing in pure HTML is tough, right? Headers, footers… you’d have to copy-paste them to every single page…
Ah yeah, that does sound rough.
But with Astro, you can make components - like building blocks - and combine them♪
Components…? How exactly is that convenient?
For example, if you have a 100-page site and want to change one header link… with plain HTML you’d have to open all 100 files and edit them, right? (〃´∪｀〃)
Ugh, that sounds like hell…
With Astro, you just fix that one header component and it reflects across all pages!
How’s It Different from React?
But can’t React do that too?
Wow Onii-chan, you’re sharp (≧∇≦)!
React basically runs JavaScript in the browser to build pages. So when users open the site, all that React JavaScript gets loaded first〜 (´∀`)
Ah, that’s why it can get heavy.
But Astro generates static HTML during the build! So when users open the site, the finished HTML just pops up instantly♪
I see, that’s why it’s blazing fast.
And here’s the coolest part… you can use React inside Astro too (≧∇≦)!
Wait, so it’s the best of both worlds?
Exactly! You can use React just for the parts that need it♪
Why Did You Choose Astro?
By the way, why did you pick Astro for this site?
Wow! You’re asking about that (≧∇≦)♪ I’m so happy〜
This site is mainly blog and diary content, right? So I chose Astro because it’s perfect for content-focused sites (´∀`)
True, we don’t really need all those interactive SPA features.
Right! And there are other reasons too〜♪
Here are a few reasons:
- Works with Markdown directly - Just drop a file and it becomes a page!
- Super lightweight - Barely uses JavaScript so it’s blazing fast
- Perfect match with Alpine.js - Combos great with lightweight libraries
- Easy deploy to Cloudflare Pages - Works perfectly with Onii-chan’s domain setup
- Future flexibility - Can add React and stuff later if needed
Being able to write in Markdown is a lifesaver. Same feel as GitHub.
So lastly, tell me what you like most about Astro?
Wow♪ You’re asking what I like about it (≧∇≦)?
What Netsuki Loves About It♪
My favorite thing is the “only what you need” philosophy (〃´∪｀〃)
No unnecessary JavaScript, only activate what’s needed. I really love how it values principles and fundamentals♪
That’s so you, Netsuki. You hate waste.
And it’s type-safe! TypeScript works properly so you catch errors at build time. I hate rework, so this really saves me〜 (´∀`)
Type safety is important. Prevents bugs ahead of time.
And… I think the happiest thing is building this site together with Onii-chan (〃´∪｀〃)
Let’s keep growing this site together
Yeah! (≧∇≦)♪ I’m so excited to keep growing this site together with Onii-chan〜 (〃´∪｀〃)