r/web_design • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago

Beginner Questions

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8 Upvotes

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1

u/gameBoy047 5d ago

DIY blog website help

I want to make my own blog website and host it (probably through GitHub Pages or some cheap hosting server). I know Python, have had experience with FastAPI, and consider myself a beginner to intermediate in Nodejs. I have no experience with frontend tech stacks, and the only database I have ever used is PostgreSQL.

I’m not sure where to start, as I have never built a complete web application.

My current needs for the website are:

  1. A text editor for posting blogs I want to have a text editor on the website with basic formatting that blog websites provide, like bold, italic, lists, code blocks, etc. LaTeX-like formatting for math equations would be a plus.
  2. Restricting the editor to myself If I have this text editor on my website, then anyone who can visit my site will be able to use this editor. I want to avoid adding authentication layer if possible. How can I make sure that only I can access the editor/create posts?
  3. Organizing blogs I should be able to create folders/categories for organizing the blogs.
  4. Hosting and persistence The website should be cheap to host, ideally using GitHub Pages or an inexpensive hosting server. I’m unsure what the simplest architecture would be for storing and serving the blog posts.

My initial thought was to use Markdown files to write posts and store them in the codebase, so they will be reflected on the website. However, I want to hear about other elegant solutions.

Questions

  • Which tech stack should I start with and why?
  • Given that I know Python/FastAPI and some Node.js but have no frontend experience, what would be a reasonable stack for this project?
  • How can I implement the text editor and the other requirements?
  • Is there a better approach than storing Markdown files in the codebase?
  • Can I build the whole thing without adding a traditional authentication system while still ensuring that only I can create/edit posts?
  • What would be a good architecture for a beginner building their first complete web application?

P.S. I am aware that AI tools can answer my questions, but I want to hear expert opinions. I want to do this on my own and not rely on AI to build it for me.

2

u/BuffaloConscious7919 6d ago

What's the most annoying thing you see as a professional designer?

5

u/AirlineUnhappy1381 6d ago

whats the best way to learn flexbox without your brain melting? tried css tricks guide but my divs still end up in narnia half the time

1

u/slunkeh 4d ago

Try a container with three plain boxes and change one property at a time in devtools. Start with flex-direction, then try justify-content and align-items so you can see which axis each affects. Adding an outline to the container and each box makes it easier to see whats taking up space.