Acorn VS Gatsby

Why do we then have other JavaScript parsers like babel parser, swc parser, acorn, espree and the likes since JavaScript engines have their own internal parsers?

If you're trying to determine if a string is valid Javascript then your best bet is to use a JS parser like Acorn. Trying to DIY parsing with just regex is a good way to end up incredibly frustrated.

To render UI I use Svelte. To parse JS files I use Acorn JS in Web Worker.

Behind Babel is created by an Australian developer Sebastian McKenzie and now consists a small team of contributors. Babel also makes uses a polyfill library called core-js, which in turn uses a JavaScript parser, acorn.

At line 3, we import parseScript from meriyah which is a JavaScript parser (could have been babel, acorn, swc, etc doesn't matter for our use case as long as they correctly implement the spec).

A simple starting point is Acorn with estree-walker. Not sure if you'll need more advanced functionality but that pair has worked well for my usage. It's also the combo that Svelte uses internally.

https://github.com/acornjs/acorn For parsing the tree

The first time I started building static websites is when I discovered Gatsby. I built several projects using Gatsby and hosted it on Netlify free tier. It felt like a really robust architecture and I loved that it was free.

A Gatsby site uses Gatsby, which leverages React and GraphQL to create fast and optimized web experiences. Gatsby is often used for building static websites, progressive web apps (PWAs), and even full-blown dynamic web applications.

While Next.js is a powerful framework for building server-rendered React applications, it's not the only option for developers looking to create high-performance websites. One notable alternative is Gatsby, a static site generator that leverages React and GraphQL.

The other piece of important information to acknowledge here is that when we say RSCs need a framework, “framework” effectively just means “Next.js.” There are some smaller frameworks (like Waku) that support RSCs. There are also some larger and more established frameworks (like Redwood) that have plans to support RSCs or (like Gatsby) only support RSCs in beta. We will likely see this change once we get React 19 and RSCs are part of the Stable version. However, for now, Next.js is currently the only framework recommended in the official React docs that supports server components.

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Babel plugins are everywhere. From being used to remove unwanted exports from files in Gatsby to being used to disallow users from doing re-exports in Nextjs.

In terms of GitHub stars, SSGs like Next.js, Hugo, Gatsby, Docusaurus, Nuxt.js, and Jekyll top the list. Some popular SSGs even host conferences and workshops, providing resources and networking opportunities for those looking to explore more advanced topics in depth.

Flexibility : Developers have complete control over the frontend so they can use their preferred tools and frameworks like React, Next.js, Gatsby, or Remix.