201 | The Backend Dilemma: Laravel's Strengths in a JavaScript World
In this episode, Amy and Brad dive into the ongoing debate between Laravel and full stack JavaScript frameworks. They explore both ecosystems from their unique perspectives. Amy shares her real-world experience building a project in Laravel after working extensively with JavaScript frameworks, highlighting where each approach shines and struggles. From Laravel's backend prowess to the cognitive load of context switching between languages, this episode offers practical insights for developers weighing these technology choices.
In this episode, Amy and Brad dive into the ongoing debate between Laravel and full stack JavaScript frameworks. They explore both ecosystems from their unique perspectives. Amy shares her real-world experience building a project in Laravel after working extensively with JavaScript frameworks, highlighting where each approach shines and struggles. From Laravel's backend prowess to the cognitive load of context switching between languages, this episode offers practical insights for developers weighing these technology choices.
Show Notes
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Sponsorship: Sanity
01:59 - Origins of the Laravel vs JavaScript Discussion
03:59 - Amy's Experience Building a Project in Laravel
06:59 - PHP Development and Linting Experience
11:59 - Understanding MVC Architecture
15:00 - Challenges with JavaScript Backend Services
18:00 - Backend Strengths of Laravel
20:00 - Frontend Challenges in Laravel
23:00 - Comparing Laravel and JavaScript Ecosystem Solutions
26:59 - JavaScript Full Stack Frameworks Discussion
30:00 - Architectural Differences Between Frameworks
33:00 - Framework Choice Considerations
38:59 - Picks and Plugs: Newsletter and Cameras
42:00 - Picks and Plugs: Games and YouTube
Links and Resources
- Sanity.io (sponsor)
- Laravel
- Sam's podcast: Frontend First
- RedwoodJS
- Remix
- Next.js
- Astro
- Supabase
- Inngest
- Resend (email service)
- Postmark (email service)
- OpenAI
- Prisma
- PHP Storm
- Laravel Blade (templating language)
- Laravel Livewire
- Alpine.js
- Laravel Breeze
- Laravel Eloquent ORM
- Adonis/AdonisJS
- Episode 54: Why RedwoodJS is the App Framework for Startups, with David Price
- Vite
- Storybook
- Amy's newsletter: Broken Comb
- Insta360 X2 camera
- Insta360 Go 3 camera
- Stardew Valley (game)
- Brad's YouTube channel
- Cloudinary channel and Dev Hints series