'cloud-stack' programming
over the last couple months, i've been experimenting with a "new"
development stack; what i call a "cloud stack." this development
environment consists of a set of independent, but complimentary
tools and services - all available via the Web. they make up a
"full stack" for web development that is, IMO, quite enjoyable
to work with. even better, i find it a very productive environment, too.
hello, cloud
i've noticed that, along with the rise of "the cloud" as an infrastructure model, there is also a corresponding development model. this model provides a cloud-based environment that includes editing, debugging, testing, source control, project mgmt, and deployment; all accessible from nothing more than a modern (i.e. HTML5-compliant) browser.
and, just as the process of virtualizing the hardware stack has acted as a distruptive technology for the back office, this emerging virtual programming environment will, i suspect, prove to be just as disruptive, too.
my current cloud stack of choice
here is my current toolkit for cloud-stack development:
- Cloud9
- i've really enjoyed using the Cloud9 browser-hosted code editor over the last few months. very similar (in some ways, related) to Mozilla's Bespin/Skywriter project, C9 is (for me at least) living up to the copy on it's home page: "Cloud9 is a state-of-the-art IDE that runs in your browser and lives in the cloud, allowing you to run, test, debug, and deploy applications from anywhere, anytime."
- Node.js
- i started using Node.js just about a year ago for a couple experiments; i've continued to enjoy working with it ever since. it's nice that Cloud9 supports runtime-debugging of Node.js, too. like the web site sez: "Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient, perfect for data-intensive real-time applications that run across distributed devices."
- CouchDB
- along w/ using Node.js, i've started using Apache CouchDB as a data store. from the site: "Apache CouchDB is a document-oriented database that can be queried and indexed using JavaScript in a MapReduce fashion." right now i am testing two CouchDB providers: Cloudant and IrisCouch; both seem very solid.
- Github
- i've used a number of git-based repos lately, but continue to rely on github as my "go-to" source control tool. it helps that the Cloud9 editor also uses git locally and will let you clone any project from github easily. forking and code review are another thing that make github very enjoyable to use.
- Heroku
- i've recently started using Heroku as a deployment target for my completed Node.js projects ("Agile deployment for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala."). again, it's easy since Cloud9 supports git-based deployment to Herkou directly from the editor interface. it took a bit of "tweaking" to get my git master properly 'prepped' for Heroku, but once that's done, incremental updates are a snap.
one of the nicer aspects of the above stack is that you can get started with each of them at no charge. IOW, it's essentially free to experiment. not bad at all.
the bigger picture
so far, this is the stack that works for me. there are a number of other products/services out there that i haven't yet tried, but basically it boils down to the same general programming set: editor/debugger, storage, source control, and deployment. i've left out things like testing and other helpers as i am just getting around to exploring those tools, too.
but, regardless of the details, i think the pattern is clear; there are quite a number of options for putting together your own 'cloud-stack' development environment. and i suspect this kind of environment will grow popular in time. along the way, i bet we'll see other (major) vendors make offerings in this space, too. when that happens i suspect the market for this kind of work will continue to grow and get even better.
have you assembled a 'cloud-stack' programming environment? if yes, let me know. i'd love to hear about other experiences.