This document discusses a high productivity web development workflow. It recommends setting up pre-configured boilerplate code to minimize project setup time. Changes are automatically built, tested and deployed through continuous integration. Test cases should be written alongside code. Reusable components improve code quality. Servers should be thin with thick clients to improve workflow. Buildbot is introduced as an automation tool to continuously build, test and deploy code changes.

1. WEB DEVELOPMENT
WORKFLOW

2. HIGH PRODUCTIVITY
WEB DEVELOPMENT WORKFLOW
Vu Nguyen
will.vn, liti.ws
Mar 18th, 2014

3. AGENDA
I. Introduction
What are our problems?
II. The Workflow
III. Demo & code
IV. Best Practice
V. Buildbot

4. INTRODUCTION

5. WHAT ARE OUR PROBLEMS ?
We are startup. We provide IT solutions for business.
We have to:
- Building many [similar] web applications in a few weeks.
- Make a prototype quickly.
- Deliver product frequently for both testing &
production environment.
- We want to focus on writting better code(
*)
NOT to waste time on setting up project, deployment &
repeated tasks. They are time-consuming.
(
*)
Better code: well documented, well tested, well structured,
easy to read & understand, easy to collaborate with others,
contain independent & resuable modules.

6. HOW DO WE ADDRESS THEM ?
(1) Get focus.
(2) Pre-config boilerplate code.
(3) Continuous integration.
(4) Write testcases side by side with code.
(5) Reusable components.
(6) Thin server. Thick client.
(7) Switch from NodeJS to Golang.

7. THE WORKFLOW

8. THE WORKFLOW
1. Setup new project
2. Continuous development
Write code
3a. Deploy to testing environment
3b. Deploy to production environment
Write testcases
Build & test
(1) Minimal setup commands
Ready to code in under 10 mins
(3) Simply push to the repository
See product live in under 5 mins
(2) Ctrl + S to auto build, reload, test
See your changes immediately
Just a couple of commands to compile

9. THE STACKS
Web stack (NodeJS)
Bootstrap, LESS
AngularJS
NodeJS
Express / SailJS
MongoDB
Web stack (Golang)
Bootstrap, LESS
AngularJS
Go
REST server
MongoDB
Development & Deployment
Grunt
Minify, Source map
Karma, Mocha
Buildbot
Nginx, forever.js, nohup, etc.
Gruntfile.js
- forked from ng-boilerplate
~ 1000 line of code

10. THE WORKSPACE

11. DEMO & CODE

12. DEMO & CODE
Clone demo source code at:
http://github.com/litiws/ng-express-boilerplate
http://github.com/ng-vu/ng-go-boilerplate
http://github.com/ng-vu/wquery

13. DEMO & CODE (NodeJS)
Development
git clone http://github.com/litiws/ng-express-boilerplate
npm install -g gruntcli karma bower mocha
npm install
bower install
grunt watch
Then open another terminal and
grunt watchtest
Handy commands
grunt clean
grunt build
grunt dist
grunt compile
grunt test
Debug
grunt inspector
grunt theseus

14. DEMO & CODE (Golang)
Development
git clone http://github.com/ng-vu/ng-go-boilerplate
npm install -g gruntcli karma bower
npm install
bower install
grunt watch
Then open another terminal and
grunt watchtest
Build & start server
export GOPATH=$PWD
go build server
./server -dir=build/public -port=80

15. DEMO & CODE: REFERENCES
Ctrl + S on:
app/**/*.tpl.html
Compile to templates-0.0.1.js
Reload browser
less/**/*.less
Compile to main-0.0.1.css
Reload browser
less/vendor.less
Compile to vendor-0.0.1.css
Reload browser
appviews/*.html
Compile to view
Reload browser
app/**/*.js
server/**/*.js
Reload browser (client)
Restart server (server)
app/**/*.coffee
server/**/*.coffee
Compile Coffee to JS
Reload browser or server
app/**/*.spec.js
app/**/*.spec.coffee Run Karma test
server/**/*.spec.js
server/**/*.spec.coffee Run Mocha test

16. DEMO & CODE: HOW TO
Clean project grunt clean
Build project grunt build
Distribution
(without compiling)
grunt build
grunt dist
Compile project
grunt build
grunt compile
Work with node-inspector
(without restarting server)
grunt inspector
Work with node-theseus
(with some configuration)
grunt theseus
Continuous test
grunt build
grunt test
Continuous development
grunt watch
grunt watchtest (on other terminal)

17. SAMPLE PROJECTS
1. Quickly prototyping with AngularJS
& REST server
2. Building a simple CMS website

18. BEST PRACTICE

19. BEST PRACTICE
(1) Get focus
- DO NOT leave your workspace.
+ Do everything on editor and command line.
+ Try to NOT Alt-Tab everytime. Use watch & livereload.
+ A second monitor for previewing website.
+ Only worry about writing code & testcases.
Let the system handle everything else.
- Learning will slow you down.
+ During code, try to finish thing on your own with minimal
searching & reading. Only read reference & question/answer.
+ You can always read documents & articles later.

20. BEST PRACTICE (2)
(2) Pre-config boilerplate code
- Grab pre-config code to create new project:
+ Quickly setup dependencies.
+ All the automation are included.
+ Ready to code in under 10 mins.
- Powerful toys in your hands:
+ Return to work with grunt watch & grunt watchtest.
+ Compile whole project with grunt compile.
+ Automation test with grunt test.
+ Debug with node-inspector & node-theseus.
+ Live edit in browser with Source map.

21. BEST PRACTICE (3)
(3) Continuous Integration
- Automation testing and deploying:
+ Use automation scripts (already in boilerplate code).
+ When you are ready to deploy to testing & production
environment, simply push changes to the repository.
- Buildbot will handle all the rest:
+ Watch repository for changes.
+ Pull source code.
+ Run scripts for building, testing & deploying.
+ Report on web interface.

22. BEST PRACTICE (4)
(4) Write testcases side by side with code
- Every file needs test:
+ Put test files right under tested files.
.spec.js, .spec.coffee, _test.go
+ Code in left-side and testcases in right-side.
+ Ctrl+S to run test files.
- What to test?
+ Unit-test for client: Karma + Mocha.
+ Unit-test for server: Grunt + Mocha.
+ End-to-end test for client: Karma + Angular Protractor.
+ Continuous testing: Buildbot + Grunt + Karma + PhantomJS.

23. BEST PRACTICE (5)
(5) Reusable components
- Write code for future use:
+ Quickly assemble new webapp from pre-built components.
+ Independent, well-tested components. Less bugs.
+ Use third-party code when posible.
+ Write code as if you plan to open source them.
(Even that you do not)
+ Separate application-specific code.
- Long-term:
+ Improve framework, libraries, performance... as we grow.
+ Open-source some of your works.

24. BEST PRACTICE (6)
(6) Thin server. Thick client.
- Improve your workflow:
+ Server is for dumping data, user authenticating
& important logic.
+ Put almost all logic on client side.
+ Use RESTful API. It works nice with others.
+ Angular Resource.
- Result:
+ Server: less testcases to worry about.
+ Just a few lines of code for both server & client.
+ Can finish a website in a few days.

25. BEST PRACTICE (7)
(7) Switch from NodeJS to Golang
npm install go get
Have to test almost everything.
Lots of code just for type checking.
Only write needed testcases.
Easy to write buggy code.
Compiler will complain about everything.
Even unused vars or assign int64 to int32.
Asynchronize API. Callback hell.
Synchronize API with beautiful code.
Goroutine.
Hundreds of dependency files under
node_modules.
They are in standard libraries.
Just include what you need.
Do not need web framework.
Go itself is a framework.
Server may crash anytime.
We need forever.js
Simply catch unexpected things.

26. BUILDBOT

27. INTRODUCTION
What is Buildbot?
1. Automated Build, Test, and Release
2. Written in Python.
3. Easy to setup & get start.
Grow with your workflow.
4. Once setup, forget it.

28. BUILDBOT WORKFLOW

29. BUILDBOT IN ACTION: CHROMIUM

30. BUILDBOT IN ACTION: CHROMIUM (2)

31. CONCLUSION

32. KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER
(1) Get focus.
(2) Pre-config boilerplate code.
(3) Continuous integration.
(4) Write testcases side by side with code.
(5) Reusable components.
(6) Thin server. Thick client.
(7) Switch from NodeJS to Golang.

33. THANK YOU
Q & A