Astro: A Deep Dive

Astro has changed how I think about building websites. Here's why.

The Island Architecture

Astro's island architecture is brilliant. Instead of shipping JavaScript for your entire page, you only ship JavaScript for the interactive parts.

// Server-side code (runs at build time)
const posts = await getCollection('blog');

// In the template:
// <h1>My Blog</h1>
// <SearchWidget client:load /> -- Interactive island

Content Collections

Content collections provide type-safe frontmatter and a great developer experience:

• Schema validation with Zod
• Automatic TypeScript types
• Built-in content loading

Why I Chose Astro

1. Performance by default — No JavaScript unless you need it
2. Framework agnostic — Use React, Vue, Svelte, or nothing
3. Great DX — Hot reloading, TypeScript, and more

Astro isn't for every project, but for content-focused sites? It's hard to beat.