This website is built using the Hugo framework, based itself on the Go programming language. With more than 64'000 ⭐ on its GitHub repository, Hugo is one of the most popular open-source static site generators.
Static Websites
Website generators are used to render content into HTML files, which is the main language supported by Web browsers.
Most of them are dynamic, meaning that the content of each page will be delivered and displayed dynamically, according to the user behaviour or from user-generated content. They are well suited for E-commerce websites, online forums, or web applications 🌍.
Static websites deliver stable content, where every user will see the exact same thing on each individiual page. Each page is stored as a single HTML file, and is delivered directly from the sever to the web browser as is.
Static websites are great for creating content intented for viewing / reading (such as this website). Some benefits are maximized performance, enhanced security, and ease-of-use.
Why Hugo?
Hugo is not the only static website generator. Many others exist, such as Jekyll, Gatsby, or Next.js.
So why did I choose Hugo? The main reasons are:
- Speed: creating a website is quick and build times are minimal
- Customizability: many themes exist, and it’s very to customize it
- Ease-of-use: Markdown is supported out of the box, which makes writing blog posts easy
- Community: there is a large community around Hugo with lots resources
- Ramp-up time: it is very easy to get started, while Gatsby has a much steeper learning curve (need to learn React, GraphQL, …)
Also, it was new for me, and I like to explore things 😃.
I want to get started!
As for every new project, I would suggest starting by exploring the official Hugo website, and taking a look at the Themes and Showcase pages to get some inspiration. Then, simply follow along the Quick Start guide and get rolling!