This book provides a practical, architecture-focused guide to building modern full-stack web applications using a server-driven approach. It shows how Go, HTMX, SQLite, PocketBase, Tailwind, and template-based rendering work together to create fast, reliable, and maintainable systems without heavy frontend frameworks or complex build pipelines. The emphasis is on clarity, operational safety, predictable workflows, and a development model that favors simplicity while still supporting realtime interaction, collaboration, and scalable behavior.
Instead of treating tools as isolated technologies, the book explains how they form a cohesive stack. Each chapter moves from concepts into structured workflows, patterns, and real implementation detail. The material focuses on lifecycle thinking: how applications are built, how they evolve, how they are deployed, and how they remain reliable over time. The book includes a full end-to-end capstone project that demonstrates the stack in a realistic setting.
What Is Inside the Book
- Clear explanation of the server-driven development philosophy.
- Practical guidance for structuring Go projects and organizing workspaces.
- Patterns for handlers, routes, templates, layouts, and component reuse.
- HTMX interaction models including partial updates, workflows, and UX behavior.
- SQLite schema discipline, indexing strategy, migration safety, and reliability practices.
- PocketBase integration for authentication, collections, realtime events, and access control.
- UI workflow with Tailwind focused on layout, structure, iteration, and reuse.
- Data modeling, constraints, integrity guarantees, and operational safety habits.
- Development workflows, environment setup, and iteration rhythms.
- Testing approaches for domain logic, integration behavior, and end-to-end flows.
- Deployment patterns including single-binary packaging and embedded assets.
- Production-readiness topics such as monitoring, logging, resilience, and rollback strategy.
- Incident handling, failure recovery, and long-term maintenance planning.
- A complete capstone project that ties concepts into a working full-stack system.
- Reference appendix with commands, workflows, style conventions, and terminology.
Why This Book Was Written
- To provide an alternative to complexity-heavy frontend-centric stacks.
- To show how modern interaction is possible without large client frameworks.
- To promote architectural clarity, predictability, and operational discipline.
- To teach patterns that scale in practice, not only in theory.
- To help developers build systems they understand and can maintain long term.
- To highlight the strengths of Go as a full-stack backend foundation.
- To demonstrate how HTMX, SQLite, and PocketBase complement server logic.
- To bridge the gap between coding tutorials and real engineering workflows.
- To emphasize reliability, resilience, and lifecycle thinking from the start.
- To support builders who want simplicity without sacrificing capability.
Who This Book Is For
- Backend developers moving toward full-stack responsibility.
- Engineers who prefer straightforward architecture over tool-driven complexity.
- Developers building products, admin tools, dashboards, or internal systems.
- Teams adopting server-rendered applications with modern interaction patterns.
- Technical founders and indie builders seeking lean and maintainable stacks.
- Practitioners interested in SQLite-based deployment and single-binary delivery.
- Developers who value operational safety, testing, and reliability practices.
- Learners new to Go who want a structured and practical entry path.
- Experienced engineers exploring HTMX and server-driven workflows.
- Anyone looking for a cohesive approach to designing
