Daniele Minatto

Posted on Jan 13

How the Wrong Stack Can Destroy Your Dreams

#webdev #programming #productivity #learning

In the vast toolkit available to any developer, programming languages are just one of many tools. When used wisely, they can help you achieve your goals efficiently and effectively.

The Beginner's Dilemma

Recently, I answered a beginner's question in a community about which programming language was used for building web applications. This person had no idea about what he should use.

This might seem like a simple, even innocent question for those who have been in the field for some time. But have you ever stopped to reflect on the multitude of possibilities that the answer brings?

Beyond the Hype

When discussing a new project, most people tend to gravitate towards the trending language of the moment. For many, that might be Node.js for backend and React for frontend.

But let's pause and ask ourselves some crucial questions:

What is the real necessity for these choices?
Are they truly suitable for your specific needs?
Will you be able to utilize all the tooling that the language provides?
What tangible benefits will these technologies bring to your project?

Case Study: The E-commerce Platform Dilemma

Let's analyze a real-world scenario that many developers face.

The Project Requirements

A small business owner needs an e-commerce platform with the following requirements:

Product catalog with 100 items
Basic payment processing
Simple inventory management
Email notifications
Expected traffic: 1,000 visitors per month

The Trendy Approach

// Complex React Component Example
const ProductList = () => {
  const [products, setProducts] = useState([]);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState(null);
  const dispatch = useDispatch();

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchProducts = async () => {
      try {
        const response = await axios.get('/api/products');
        dispatch(setProducts(response.data));
        setLoading(false);
      } catch (err) {
        setError(err.message);
        setLoading(false);
      }
    };
    fetchProducts();
  }, [dispatch]);

  // Additional complex state management...
}

// Backend API with unnecessary complexity
const express = require('express');
const router = express.Router();

router.get('/products', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const products = await Product.aggregate([
      { $lookup: { ... } },  // Complex MongoDB aggregation
      { $unwind: '$categories' },
      { $sort: { createdAt: -1 } }
    ]);
    await redis.set('products', JSON.stringify(products));
    res.json(products);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send(error);
  }
});

A Better Solution

// Simple PHP/Laravel Solution
class ProductController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        $products = Product::with('category')
            ->orderBy('created_at', 'desc')
            ->paginate(20);

        return view('products.index', compact('products'));
    }
}

// Simple Blade Template
@foreach($products as $product)
    <div class="product-card">
        <h2>{{ $product->name }}</h2>
        <p>{{ $product->description }}</p>
        <span>{{ $product->price }}</span>
    </div>
@endforeach

Technical Comparison

Trendy Stack Architecture:

Frontend:
- React + Next.js
- Redux for state management
- Material-UI components
- Webpack configuration
- Jest + React Testing Library
Backend:
- Node.js with Express
- MongoDB with complex schemas
- Redis caching layer
- JWT authentication
- Microservices architecture
Infrastructure:
- AWS ECS for containers
- ElasticSearch cluster
- Load balancers
- Multiple environments

Simplified Stack Architecture:

Frontend:
- HTML/CSS/JavaScript
- Alpine.js for interactivity
- Tailwind CSS for styling
- Simple asset bundling
Backend:
- PHP/Laravel
- MySQL
- Built-in caching
- Session authentication
- Monolithic architecture
Infrastructure:
- Single VPS
- Nginx web server
- Simple deployment with Git

Performance Metrics

Trendy Stack:

Initial Load Time: 2-3s
Time to Interactive: 4-5s
Bundle Size: 500KB+ (gzipped)
Memory Usage: 512MB+ RAM

Simple Stack:

Initial Load Time: 0.5-1s
Time to Interactive: 1-2s
Bundle Size: 100KB (gzipped)
Memory Usage: 128MB RAM

The Consequences of Wrong Technology Choices

Selecting an inappropriate stack can result in:

Technical Debt
- Complex state management for simple data flow
- Overengineered solutions for basic CRUD operations
- Unnecessary abstraction layers
Resource Constraints
- Higher server costs due to multiple services
- Increased memory usage from Node.js/MongoDB
- Complex caching requirements
Team Challenges
- Need for specialized developers
- Longer onboarding time
- Higher maintenance complexity

Making the Right Choice

When selecting your technology stack, consider:

Project Requirements
- Actual user base size
- Real performance needs
- Genuine scalability requirements
Team Capabilities
- Available expertise
- Maintenance capacity
- Learning curve impact
Long-term Viability
- Community support
- Documentation quality
- Maintenance costs

Conclusion

The right technology stack should align with your project's actual needs, not just current trends. Before jumping into development:

Analyze your specific requirements
Research available options
Consider long-term implications
Evaluate team capabilities

Remember: The most popular solution isn't always the right solution. Your technology choices should serve your project goals, not complicate them.

Obs: all these amazing images are found at unsplash

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