Software engineer Luca Palmieri discusses the development of Pavex, a Rust framework for professionals, Rustdoc JSON, lessons from maintaining open-source projects, Pavex's closed beta stage, plans for production readiness, potential pricing models, and more in a captivating podcast conversation.
Pavex is designed as a professional-grade Rust framework focusing on ease of use, correctness, and sustainability.
Offering Pavex on a commercial basis under Apache 2 license ensures sustainable open-source development and support.
Implementing a closed beta testing phase for Pavex allows for iterative refinement and efficient feedback gathering.
Deep dives
Luca Pomeri's Background and Career Progression
Luca Pomeri is a well-known software engineer with significant expertise in the REST community. He authored 'Zero to Production Rest,' a popular book for REST development. Previously working at TrueLayer and AWS, Luca now consults at MayMather as a principal engineering consultant. During his time at AWS, he was part of the REST platform team, contributing to server generators from the Meaty interface definition language.
Building Parvix: A Web Framework for Professionals
Parvix, Luca's latest project, aims to be a sustainable web framework for professional use. It operates on a commercial model, offering a generous free tier for individual usage while requiring payment for support and commercial team usage. Parvix is designed to provide a powerful engine with batteries included, emphasizing ease of use, correctness, and sustainability.
Sustainable Business Model and Licensing Approach
Luca's decision to offer Parvix on a commercial basis is based on the need for sustainability and the recognition that open source projects often face challenges with ongoing maintenance. Parvix is licensed under the Apache 2 license, allowing for open source usage while ensuring revenue streams for sustained development and support. This approach aims to strike a balance between open source availability and sustainable maintenance.
Engaging in a Close Beta Process for Iteration and Testing
Luca's choice to conduct a close beta for Parvix highlights the importance of iterative development and active user feedback. By limiting initial users, Luca can focus on refining the framework in a controlled environment, reducing cost and effort for all parties involved. This strategy allows for quicker iteration, smoother feature implementation, and ultimately aims to provide a well-tested and optimized product for broader use.
Benefits of Close Beta Testing for Framework Development
Engaging in a close beta testing process for framework development allows for a structured approach in gathering feedback and refining the framework efficiently. By gradually granting access to a selected group of users in stages, fresh perspectives are gained with each iteration, leading to quick identification and resolution of issues. This iterative process ensures that users interact with an evolving and improved version of the framework, resulting in a more stable product release, supported by a consistent user experience. While this strategy may limit the user base initially and reduce third-party contributions, the focus remains on enhancing framework quality before a wider public launch.
Strategic Framework Development and Roadmap Towards a 1.0 Release
Striving for a solid framework foundation, the aim is to create a versatile tool that supports complex development tasks, particularly emphasizing REST service creation in its initial stages. By prioritizing essential features like authentication, cookie management, potential background tasks, and caching mechanisms, the goal is to offer a comprehensive solution for multi-developer projects. The strategy involves a gradual evolution towards feature parity with existing frameworks in the REST ecosystem, setting realistic milestones to address specific user needs effectively. This iterative approach not only ensures competitive framework positioning but also allows strategic focus on continuous improvement based on user feedback and industry trends.
Allen Wyma talks with Luca Palmieri about Pavex, a new API-focused web framework for Rust.
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