What frontend-tools to use for a new CRM project? Shall I use Django OR switch to Meteor.js?

[ThomasTheDjangoFan]

Hi guys,

I have invested quite a lot of time & energy into learning django and I feel comfy using it. (I have studied the 2 Scoops, the Tdd book and got the boook "Scaling Django" and "lightweight Django" right here next to me).

It feels like I finally got the right tool, BUT:
I am about to implement my first big project - a customer relation management system. The userbase will be small - around 1 to 10 users.

During my planing I came accross javascript-framworks (like angular or meteor) and yes: my project definetly needs some javaside-tricks on the client-side.

So I used the last 7 days to stick my head into the javascript stuff and I am sooooooo overwhelmed by all the options out there (!!!!!!!). And it seems like there really is no good tutorial for the javascript-frontend stuff with django.

Now I am going crazy and thinking about dropping django completely and switching to Meteor. (By the way: The meteor-guys seem to be totally in love with react.js.)

Before making a stupid decision I feel like I need some guidance from the real experts.

Now my question to you is:
If you were about to implement a quite-complex crm system (starting from the ground up): what tool would you use?
Would you use Django (maybe in combination with React) or would you switch to Meteor?
If you would stick to Django - which js-framework can you recon? (I really need some good and clear tutorials to get me started)

I am really thankful for your tips

Kind regards
Thomas

[Gergely Polonkai]

Hello,

this all depends: if I'm a JS expert, I'd go with Meteor or another JS framework. If I'm a Python expert, I'd go with Django or another Python framework.

Meteor's strength is in the fact that (almost) the same code runs on the server and in the browser (wether it's good or not is another story, and opinions will change developer by developer). It is more than possible that your CRM's frontend will utilize JavaScript anyway, but for that, you may want to use different frameworks like Angular or Bootstrap (if you can call this latter a JS framework).

So I'm really sorry but I think no one will actually tell you what to do: you must decide based on the requirements.

Oh, and don't stick with JS just because "it's a small app with 10 users"; if you see potential in your app, make it scalable. Maybe you will be able to sell it latel to bigger corps. ;)

Best,
Gergely

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[ThomasTheDjangoFan]

Hi Gergely,

thanks a lot for the quick response.

Well... I am an Javascript Beginner and I need to start it from scratch.
The project definetly needs more Javascript-UI Compontents than what bootstrap gives us.
+ Interactive UI Elements that show the same content and update each others
+ Modal Forms that update the base-view after being closed
+ Filters
+ Sortable Tables
+ and much more

So I need to check out, React.js or something else and make it work with Django.

I guess that compared to Meteor.js Django (& React.js or something similar) is the better solution for putting out a website that consists of both an application part and an static website.

What do you guys think of Django in combination with React.js?
Are there good tutorials out there to make it work and get me started?
Or is there another framework you can recon?

Kind regards
Thomas

[Gergely Polonkai]

Hello,

I never used React.js before, only Angular, which already has some support:

https://github.com/jrief/django-angular

For react, it seems there’s only confusion yet, but I guess that’s mostly because React.js itself is pretty new.

Also, if you are already confortable with Python (and Django), you can start writing the backend, and learn about possible frontend libraries on the way.

Best,

Gergely

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[Tom Evans]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 11:12 PM, ThomasTheDjangoFan
<stefan.eich...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I have invested quite a lot of time & energy into learning django and I feel
> comfy using it. (I have studied the 2 Scoops, the Tdd book and got the boook
> "Scaling Django" and "lightweight Django" right here next to me).
>
> It feels like I finally got the right tool, BUT:
> I am about to implement my first big project - a customer relation
> management system. The userbase will be small - around 1 to 10 users.
>
> During my planing I came accross javascript-framworks (like angular or
> meteor) and yes: my project definetly needs some javaside-tricks on the
> client-side.
>
> So I used the last 7 days to stick my head into the javascript stuff and I
> am sooooooo overwhelmed by all the options out there (!!!!!!!). And it seems
> like there really is no good tutorial for the javascript-frontend stuff with
> django.

Django produces web responses, which can contain whatever you want in
it. As such, javascript is orthogonal to django.

Django can easily generate data in JSON format that is easily
consumable by any JS framework. Libraries exist for django to provide
REST-like frameworks for even easier access. This will give you a set
of API urls which you can consume from any JS framework.

>
> Now I am going crazy and thinking about dropping django completely and
> switching to Meteor. (By the way: The meteor-guys seem to be totally in love
> with react.js.)
>
> Before making a stupid decision I feel like I need some guidance from the
> real experts.
>
> Now my question to you is:
> If you were about to implement a quite-complex crm system (starting from the
> ground up): what tool would you use?
> Would you use Django (maybe in combination with React) or would you switch
> to Meteor?

You are asking on the django mailing list whether we would use django
or a server side JS framework.... at best we will be quite biased
(guess what we like to run server side!), at worst we will be unable
to give you a comparison.

You say you want to drop django and go with meteor - why? What problem
does it solve for you that Django does not?

What it really comes down to is if you want to write your server side
code in Python, use django. If you want to write it in Javascript, use
something else!

> If you would stick to Django - which js-framework can you recon? (I really
> need some good and clear tutorials to get me started)

We have (different!) django projects using react, backbone and
angular. Use the frontend framework that allows you to develop your
project most efficiently.

TBH, if you haven't implemented a reasonable sized project in
django/python then it will be hard for you to make a decision between
two unknowns. Reading books is not the same as doing.

I would factor this in to your project - evaluate your two options by
doing things with them. Spend a week putting together it in Django,
spend a week doing the same in Meteor, see which one allows you to
build the most functionality in the shortest amount of time (and don't
disregard the code quality, if it looks like spaghetti after 1 week
working on it, imagine how it will look after a year or two.)

Cheers

Tom

[Javier Guerra Giraldez]

On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 9:32 AM, 'Tom Evans' via Django users
<django...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
> We have (different!) django projects using react, backbone and
> angular.

and lots more! i've found riot.js a very refreshing foundation for
those of us that hate JS.

--
Javier

[ThomasTheDjangoFan]

Yeah, I definetly hate to write Javascript and I really do NOT want to write server code in it.

The parts where I really need a javascript framework in my app are complex forms:
A page might consist of multiple forms bundled with formsets, inline-forms and so on.

The question is:
Which js-framework has the best form support for django? It would be cool if I would just have to write server-side model-variation and the client would adopt it.
Which js-framework has the best tutorial to get myself started?

I checked out www.djangopackages.com - it seems like I have the following options:
Angular.js: made by Google (6 django-pakets on www.djangopackages.com)
JQuery.js: (4 django-pakets on www.djangopackages.com)
Ember.js: (3 django-pakets on www.djangopackages.com)
React.js: made by facebook (0 django-pakets on www.djangopackages.com)
riot.js: (0 django-pakets on www.djangopackages.com)

Any suggestions?

Kind regards
Thomas

[Gergely Polonkai]

Hello,

this is a bit off topic here, and highly opinion based, but here are my two cents: I got along very well with both Bootstrap and Angular, but never tried React before. However, a quick Google search shows that React is barely supported yet (in terms of available Django apps).

Best,
Gergely

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[Mario Gudelj]

+1 angular. Stack overflow is your friend and there's a lot of angular on it. You can do a lot with it with basic knowledge as well. And template syntax will make sense going to it from django

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[Jani Tiainen]

I've been developing with Dojotoolkit and ExtJS. Both integrate with Django as well as any other JS framework.

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[ThomasTheDjangoFan]

Hi guys,

on my journey to picking my js-framework I am now trying out React.js and I opened this thread in search for good tutorials https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/django-users/NxDOYhqqQJw .
I guess I'll also have a look at the angular stuff.

This really is about having good tutorials - I need a good tutorial to get me started.
It's a real pity that there seems to be nothing available for React.js ...

Thanks a lot for your help so far!

Kind regards
Thomas

[ThomasTheDjangoFan]

Hi guys,

I started checking out angular.js - it looks really good. It seems like it has a lot of great tools build in - just like you have said.

In search for more advanded and detailed angular-tutorials I opened this new topic: https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!topic/django-users/zH90eCGbDbQ

Thanks a lot for your help so far!

Kind regards
Thomas

[Mulianto]

For me better way is on server side use django with API output, which the client will be the frontend, can be using only html+ javascript.

On javascript i tried angularjs. There will be many options for the js frontend.

Choose the most support available in the community and which one more efficient as you go. 

Sent from my Mini Ipad 

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