The minimal framework.
WHAT IT PROVIDES
Routing Request and response handling Templating Little else
WHAT THAT MEANS
You choose everything: data access, validation, authentication, structure.
WHAT IT SUITS
Small services Applications with unusual requirements Teams wanting control
WHAT IT DOES NOT SUIT
Large applications, without imposing structure yourself.
WHAT TO ADD FIRST
A validation library A database layer Configuration handling Error handling Logging
WHAT THE APPLICATION FACTORY PATTERN PROVIDES
Creating the application in a function, configured per environment.
WHY IT MATTERS
It makes testing straightforward and avoids import-time side effects.
WHAT BLUEPRINTS PROVIDE
Grouping routes into modules.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Global state, which behaves unexpectedly across requests The development server, which must never serve production traffic Growing beyond what your structure supports
WHAT TO RUN IN PRODUCTION
A production server, behind a reverse proxy.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH EARLY
A structure, before the application grows.
