Getting Started with Astro: A Modern Web Framework

Introduction

Astro is a modern static site generator that focuses on performance and developer experience. In this tutorial, we’ll explore why Astro is gaining popularity and how to get started.

Why Choose Astro?

Astro offers several compelling advantages:

1. Zero JavaScript by Default: Ships only the JavaScript you need
2. Framework Agnostic: Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework
3. Content Collections: Type-safe content management
4. Island Architecture: Partial hydration for optimal performance

Installation

Getting started with Astro is simple:

npm create astro@latest my-project
cd my-project
npm install
npm run dev

Your First Component

Create a simple component in Astro:

---
const greeting = "Hello, Astro!";
---


{greeting}
Welcome to your first Astro component.



.card {
padding: 2rem;
background: #f0f0f0;
border-radius: 8px;
}

Content Collections

One of Astro’s best features is Content Collections:

import { defineCollection, z } from 'astro:content';

const blog = defineCollection({
schema: z.object({
title: z.string(),
description: z.string(),
pubDate: z.date(),
})
});

Conclusion

Astro provides an excellent foundation for building fast, content-focused websites. Its innovative approach to partial hydration and framework flexibility makes it a great choice for modern web development.

Happy coding!