GoForjUnreleased

Appearance

Frontend Integration ​

GoForj keeps frontend source inside the app that serves it. The frontend builds to static assets, and the Go binary embeds those assets for the normal deployment path.

Use Choose a Starter Kit when deciding between Vue, React, templ + htmx, or your own frontend. This page owns the integration model shared by those choices.

Source and Build Output ​

The default app uses:

text
cmd/app/frontend/       frontend source and package configuration
cmd/app/frontend/dist/  browser assets produced by the frontend build
cmd/app/main.go         embeds and registers the built assets before App launch

An additional app uses the same layout under cmd/<app>/frontend/. Each app owns its frontend lifecycle and embeds only its own dist directory. The framework-managed entrypoint performs this required registration before delegating startup to the App's Wire package; application routes and services still belong under app/ and internal/.

Development Lifecycle ​

Starter kits add an App-owned SPA build under dev.apps.<app>.spas. Run the normal Project loop:

bash
forj dev

The SPA build runs before the owning Go app is built. Successful frontend changes rebuild the assets, rebuild the binary, and replace the running app. See forj dev for watch ordering and failure behavior.

Run a framework-specific development server only when you need that tool's behavior. Vue and React use relative /api requests so a Vite proxy can reach the Go backend during that workflow.

Deployment ​

Build the frontend before the Go binary:

bash
npm --prefix cmd/app/frontend ci
npm --prefix cmd/app/frontend run build
forj build

Expected result: cmd/app/frontend/dist contains the production assets and bin/app contains the executable that serves them. The normal deployment does not require a separate static-file service.

Backend Boundary ​

Frontend code calls the app through its HTTP routes. Keep business behavior in Go services and keep server-only credentials out of FRONTEND_ variables, because frontend values become browser-visible build inputs.

Vue and React use the generated JSON API and cookie-based Auth routes. The templ + htmx kit owns server-rendered browser routes and calls the same app services from Go controllers.

Kit Guides ​