My First Foray into Using Astro

So this is my first real foray into using Astro. I chose Astro because I wanted a static site that was easy to get up and running. I had looked at Hugo, but I’m not familiar with Go. Previously, I was using an old version of Vue that wasn’t fun to maintain. I only wrote one article before giving up. Astro provides the flexibility I need, allowing me to quickly write in Markdown and, if necessary, use HTML, React, or other frontend frameworks. This flexibility should help me get things just the way I want them.

The setup process has been smooth, and having a good basic blog template made it easy to get started. I didn’t have to do much to get things ready.

Astro’s ability to write in Markdown or MDX and easily add HTML/React code is impressive. The fact that it builds and serves content without requiring a fancy web server is amazing. I’m looking forward to integrating it with backend systems for content retrieval.

I’m excited to explore Astro’s frontend island architecture and its integration with a headless CMS. There’s also a good documentation template site I want to explore for work projects. Additionally, I’d like to integrate Tailwind into the blog.

Astro balances simplicity and flexibility well. You can use a markdown file or MDX, and create custom React components for extra flair if needed.

The learning curve has been minimal because Astro builds on familiar technologies and methods. Getting this blog up and running was quick and straightforward.

For beginners, my tip is to dive in and break things. That’s always my advice for anyone new to software. Most of the time, what you’re working with can easily be reset to a working condition. Break things to learn how they work. That’s how I do it. I’m not great at reading documentation.

I’m starting with this blog but may use Astro for future consulting gigs. I occasionally get requests to build sites, and Astro would be my go-to choice now.

My experience so far has been excellent. My creativity and writing have been boosted by using ChatGPT as an editor and idea-bouncer. I’m not the best long-form writer, but this helps a lot.

If you’re considering using Astro, my advice is: it depends. :)

I’m looking forward to using Astro more and learning through hands-on experience.