Hey HN, author here. Kretes is a tool for building full-stack applications in TypeScript and PostgreSQL with a goal to provide an integrated, battery-included and open-source solution for web development. It combines a web framework - similar to Rails, Django or Laravel - with a UI being built on top of the VS Code editor. It comes with a (eventually large) standard library of built-in modules that are developed in a coherent way e.g. authentication, authorization, admin panel [1] etc.

This project explores the ideas introduced by the Self programming language and aims to bring them to the current age. The ultimate goal is to create a semi-visual tool for building web apps in a more intuitive way using just one programming language - TypeScript - on the client & on the server, and without the accidental complexity.

The project started as a way to arrange my knowledge around JavaScript. Inspired by the past, I decided to replicate to some extend what Sun Microsystems did in ’95 with the Self programming language (a project I find underrated and ahead of its time), but using modern, popular tools such as JavaScript/TypeScript, VS Code, WebAssembly, PostgreSQL, etc.

The project is in early alpha stage with the bus factor of (strong) 1. :)

Happy to answer any questions here or at oh@zaiste.net*

PS. I’m creating a todo app using Kretes on YouTube [2] to explain the bigger picture of building full-stack applications. IMHO it’s good to have a general understanding of how web applications work before* specializing in front-end or back-end - that’s the goal for this video series, and for Kretes.

[1] not yet public

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLAElFkRrWI&list=PLhXZp00uXB...