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Jekyll vs Middleman: What are the differences?
Introduction: Jekyll and Middleman are both static site generators that help in creating and managing websites. While they serve a similar purpose, there are key differences between the two.
Installation and Configuration: Jekyll requires Ruby to be installed on the system as it is written in Ruby. It also requires some additional setup steps, such as installing specific gems and configuring the project. On the other hand, Middleman, also built with Ruby, has a simpler installation process and requires fewer configuration steps.
Templates and Layouts: Jekyll uses Liquid as its default templating language, allowing developers to specify reusable templates and layouts. Liquid offers a wide range of functionality and flexibility for creating dynamic content within static pages. Middleman, on the other hand, uses ERB (Embedded Ruby) as its default templating language. ERB is a powerful and widely used templating language that seamlessly integrates with Ruby code.
Extensions and Plugins: Jekyll has a strong community support with numerous extensions and plugins available. These extensions and plugins enhance Jekyll's functionality and allow developers to add features like pagination, SEO optimization, and image processing. Middleman, while also having a variety of extensions and plugins, has a smaller community compared to Jekyll. However, Middleman does offer some unique plugins that are not available in Jekyll, such as asset compression and sitemap generation.
Live Reloading and Development Server: Jekyll provides a built-in development server and live reloading feature, which automatically refreshes the browser whenever a change is made to the source files. This makes the development process efficient and allows for quick feedback on changes. Middleman also has a development server, but the live reloading feature requires an additional gem to be installed.
Asset Pipeline and Build Process: Jekyll has a simple asset pipeline, which allows developers to manage and optimize their assets, such as CSS and JavaScript, during the build process. Middleman, on the other hand, has a more extensive asset pipeline with features like asset concatenation, minification, and fingerprinting. This enables better performance and optimization for the final website.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve: Jekyll follows a convention-over-configuration approach, making it easy to get started for beginners. It has a relatively simple folder structure that is familiar to many developers. Middleman, on the other hand, provides more customization options and allows for a greater degree of control over the project structure. While this offers flexibility, it also introduces a steeper learning curve for new users.
In summary, Jekyll and Middleman differ in their installation and configuration process, default templating languages, availability of extensions and plugins, live reloading and development server capabilities, asset pipeline and build process, as well as the level of ease of use and learning curve. These differences should be considered when choosing between the two static site generators.
As a Frontend Developer I wanted something simple to generate static websites with technology I am familiar with. GatsbyJS was in the stack I am familiar with, does not need any other languages / package managers and allows quick content deployment in pure HTML
or Markdown
(what you prefer for a project). It also does not require you to understand a theming engine if you need a custom design.
Pros of Jekyll
- Github pages integration74
- Open source54
- It's slick, customisable and hackerish37
- Easy to deploy24
- Straightforward cms for the hacker mindset23
- Gitlab pages integration7
- Best for blogging5
- Low maintenance2
- Easy to integrate localization2
- Huge plugins ecosystem1
- Authoring freedom and simplicity1
Pros of Middleman
- Rails for static sites20
- Erb, haml, slim18
- Live reload17
- Easy setup7
- Emacs org-mode integration by middleman-org3
- Make front-end easy and rock solid again1
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Cons of Jekyll
- Build time increases exponentially as site grows4
- Lack of developments lately2
- Og doesn't work with postings dynamically1