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Build custom, enterprise-grade Node.js apps with an MVC framework and real-time capabilities.

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TL;DR - Sails

  • MVC framework for Node.js with real-time capabilities.
  • Simplifies building data-driven APIs and scalable applications.
  • Features auto-generated REST APIs and flexible database integration.
Pricing: Paid only
Best for: Enterprises & pros

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Accelerates Node.js app development with MVC conventions
  • Unified JavaScript stack reduces context-switching
  • Powerful ORM supports diverse database types, including cross-database joins
  • Automates common API tasks, reducing boilerplate code
  • Seamlessly integrates WebSockets with existing routes

Cons

  • Learning curve for developers new to MVC or Node.js frameworks
  • Reliance on Grunt for asset pipeline might not suit all workflows
  • Community adapters for databases may vary in maturity compared to official ones

Key Features

100% JavaScript development for both front-end and back-endWaterline ORM for database agnosticism (MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis, etc.)Auto-generated REST APIs with blueprint actionsAutomatic WebSocket integration for real-time featuresDeclarative, reusable security policies (compatible with Express/Connect middleware)Front-end agnostic, compatible with any client-side technologyFlexible asset pipeline with Grunt integration (LESS, SASS, CoffeeScript, etc.)Built on Express for HTTP and Socket.io for WebSockets

Pricing Plans

Basic

$600/month

  • Designed for individual developers and smaller teams of up to 4
  • Support tickets answered by a core team member within 1 business day
  • Virtual office hours available

Commercial

$1200/month

  • For teams of up to 10
  • Support tickets answered by a core team member within 4 business hours
  • Priority office hours available
  • 1 code review included each month

Custom

Contact us

  • Don’t see exactly what you need? We can probably work something out.
  • Just drop us a note, and someone from our team will be in touch to discuss enterprise options.

What is Sails?

Editorial review
Sails is an open-source MVC (Model-View-Controller) framework for Node.js, designed to simplify the development of custom, enterprise-grade applications. It emulates familiar MVC patterns found in frameworks like Ruby on Rails but is tailored for modern, data-driven APIs and scalable, service-oriented architectures. The framework allows developers to build entire applications using JavaScript, from front-end to back-end, promoting consistency and productivity. Sails is particularly well-suited for developers and teams looking to rapidly build robust Node.js applications with built-in support for real-time features via WebSockets and flexible database integration. It includes a powerful ORM called Waterline, which provides a unified data access layer across various databases, including both SQL and NoSQL. The framework also offers features like auto-generated REST APIs and declarative security policies, significantly reducing the amount of boilerplate code required. Its front-end agnostic nature means it can be paired with any client-side technology, such as Angular, React, or mobile platforms. Sails aims to accelerate development cycles, enabling the creation of production-ready applications in weeks rather than months, and offers commercial support for businesses seeking accelerated development and best practices.

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Sails FAQ

How does Sails handle database interactions and support different database types?

Sails includes a powerful ORM called Waterline, which provides a unified data access layer. This allows developers to work with various databases through a consistent interface, including officially supported adapters for MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis, and local disk, as well as over 30 community adapters.

Can Sails integrate with both SQL and NoSQL databases simultaneously for data modeling?

Yes, Sails supports powerful associations that can span across different database types. It can implicitly and automatically join data between a MySQL table and a Mongo collection, for example, allowing for flexible data modeling across relational and NoSQL boundaries.

What is the functionality of the auto-generated REST APIs in Sails?

Sails provides blueprints that automatically generate REST APIs without requiring manual code. By running a command like sails generate api dentist, developers get an API with built-in functionalities for searching, pagination, sorting, filtering, creating, destroying, updating, and associating data, which also works with WebSockets and supported databases.

How does Sails simplify the integration of WebSockets into an application?

Sails's request interpreter automatically translates incoming socket messages, making them compatible with every route in a Sails app and any existing Express routes/middleware. This means the same code written for HTTP requests will also work for WebSockets without additional effort, handling parameter normalization, session management, and streaming interfaces.

What is the role of policies in Sails for security and access control?

Sails uses policies as declarative, reusable middleware functions that run before controllers and actions, providing basic security and role-based access control. These policies encourage encapsulation, simplify business logic, and are interchangeable with Express/Connect middleware, allowing integration with popular npm modules like Passport, and they work for both WebSockets and HTTP automatically.

How does Sails support front-end development and asset management?

Sails is front-end agnostic, compatible with any front-end framework like Angular or React, as well as mobile platforms. For browser-based applications, it includes Grunt for a customizable asset pipeline, supporting preprocessors like LESS, SASS, and CoffeeScript, and automatically minifies and gzips assets for production, with options for CDN deployment.

Source: sailsjs.com

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