Ask HN: As fo 2018 – best framework for web forms entering data into SQL db?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18562158

by caycep • 8 years ago

3 1 8 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

This used to be the chat de-rigeur for HN, as a lot of early startups tried to figure out what was the best way to enter data into a database backend. The chatter seems to have settled down - has the industry settled into some standardized framework? Are there optimal, well maintained frameworks for a simple web forms/data collection type site?

programd• 8 years ago

I think the question is a bit too broad because every form entry application has many dimensions you need to think about.

On the one hand if all you need is a simple form which gets shoved into a DB then every web language/framework makes that very easy. Usually you can do it with just the standard library. Forms are trivial to deal with in JavaScript, Java, Rails, Python, Perl, Go, etc.

On the back end if you're allergic to writing your own SQL queries you have a myriad of ORMs which will shove the data into your DB schema with minimal fuss. Most of those are also language specific.

On the other hand there are also many commercial solutions which you can use that let you completely avoid re-inventing the wheel, e.g. WuFoo, Google forms and the like.

On the gripping hand [0] in real life any serious business application which takes form input and shoves it into a DB winds up becoming a custom, hand crafted, artisanal, locally-sourced, specially grown mushroom. Why?

Well, is data entry on phones/tablets or not? Web forms cover both cases, but the UI solutions would probably be fairly different. What's your back end for dealing with the forms? What kind of business logic validation do you need? What are your security requirements (tamper proofing forms, storing input securely a-la GDPR)? How do you ensure your form inputs are not lost in case of failures (reliability, availability)? What's your form acknowledgment infrastructure (e.g. email, SMS, error feedback, etc). What's your DB security, availability, and performance look like?

You get the idea. The app you're trying to create is somewhere on the spectrum between a standard language supported libraries, all the way up to the how your bank deals with forms. The framework answer will be somewhere on that spectrum also.

I suggest you narrow down your question and I'm sure HN will point you in some good directions for your particular application.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand

Ask HN: As fo 2018 – best framework for web forms entering data into SQL db?

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