About the Project

StratusTS is a TypeScript web framework that brings Django’s elegant architecture to the modern JavaScript ecosystem. This page tells the story of why and how it was built.

The Story Behind StratusTS

The Problem

As developers, we’ve all been there: starting a new Node.js project and facing the same questions:

• How should I organize my code?
• Where do routes go?
• How do I structure my database?
• What patterns should I follow?

Express and Fastify give you freedom but no structure. Every project becomes a blank canvas, and that freedom turns into decision fatigue. Teams end up with inconsistent codebases where everyone does things differently.

NestJS provides structure but brings heavy complexity. Decorators everywhere, dependency injection containers, Angular-like patterns—it’s powerful but overwhelming, especially for small to medium projects.

There was a gap: a framework with Django’s elegance but TypeScript’s type safety.

The Inspiration

Django got it right 20 years ago:

• App-based architecture keeps code organized
• Convention over configuration eliminates decision fatigue
• Batteries included means common tasks just work
• Clear patterns make code predictable and maintainable

Why not bring these principles to TypeScript?

The Birth of StratusTS

StratusTS started as a personal project to solve a frustration: "Why can't building TypeScript backends be as pleasant as Django?"

The goals were clear:

1. Django’s architecture for code organization
2. TypeScript’s type safety for reliability
3. Minimal boilerplate for rapid development
4. Easy learning curve for Beginners

Project Philosophy

1. Convention Over Configuration

You shouldn’t configure your framework before building your app.

Express approach:

app.{ts,js}

// Configure everything manually
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(cors());
app.use(helmet());
// ... 50 more lines of setup

StratusTS approach:

src/settings.ts

// Just add your apps and go
const APPS = ['users', 'blog'];

Sensible defaults work for 90% of use cases. Override only what you need.

2. App-Based Architecture

Large codebases are easier to manage when divided into focused modules.

users/      → Everything user-related
blog/       → Everything blog-related
api/        → Everything API-related

Each app is self-contained, reusable, and testable. This pattern scales from small projects to large teams.

3. Developer Experience First

Every decision prioritizes developer happiness:

• Clear error messages tell you exactly what went wrong
• TypeScript integration catches bugs at compile-time
• Automatic tools handle repetitive tasks
• Minimal magic keeps behavior predictable

If it’s frustrating to use, it need/time to change.

4. Simplicity Without Sacrificing Power

StratusTS doesn’t dumb things down—it removes unnecessary complexity.

You can build:

• Simple APIs in minutes
• Complex applications over time
• Production-ready services

All without fighting the framework.

What Makes StratusTS Different

vs Express

Express:

• ✅ Minimal and flexible
• ❌ No structure or conventions
• ❌ Every project starts from scratch
• ❌ No built-in ORM or migrations

StratusTS:

• ✅ Minimal where it matters
• ✅ Built-in structure and conventions
• ✅ Start productive immediately
• ✅ ORM and migrations included

vs Fastify

Fastify:

• ✅ Fast performance
• ❌ No structure
• ❌ Low-level abstractions
• ❌ Assembly required

StratusTS:

• ✅ Fast enough for most use cases
• ✅ High-level abstractions
• ✅ Batteries included
• ✅ Ready to use

vs NestJS

NestJS:

• ✅ Well-structured
• ✅ Enterprise-ready
• ❌ Steep learning curve
• ❌ Heavy with decorators and DI(Dependencies Injection)
• ❌ Overkill for small/medium projects

StratusTS:

• ✅ Well-structured
• ✅ Gentle learning curve
• ✅ Lightweight
• ✅ Right-sized for most projects

vs Django (Python)

Django:

• ✅ Excellent architecture
• ✅ Mature ecosystem
• ❌ Python (not JavaScript)
• ❌ No static typing (by default)

StratusTS:

• ✅ Django-inspired architecture
• ✅ TypeScript with static typing
• ✅ JavaScript ecosystem
• ⚠️ Younger ecosystem (growing)

Technology Stack

StratusTS is built on solid foundations:

Core:

• TypeScript - Type safety and modern JavaScript
• Node Http - HTTP server layer
• Custom Orm - Database ORM and migrations
• EJS - Template rendering

Development:

• Node.js - Runtime environment
• CLI tools - Project and app generation

Testing:

• Node.js test runner - Built-in testing (planned)

Project Status

Current Version: 0.5.1 (Early Development)

Stability:

• ✅ Core functionality working
• ✅ Safe for side projects
• ⚠️ Use with caution in production
• ⚠️ API may change before 1.0

Production Readiness:

• Core features are stable
• Some features still in development
• Breaking changes possible in minor versions (until 1.0)
• Battle-testing needed

Roadmap to 1.0:

• Complete dynamic routing
• Add middleware support
• Comprehensive testing
• Production deployments
• Community feedback

Open Source

StratusTS is free and open source under the MIT License.

What this means:

• ✅ Use it for free
• ✅ Modify it however you want
• ✅ Use it commercially
• ✅ No strings attached

View the code: github.com/rahulroy0322/structure-ts

Community

StratusTS is built by developers, for developers.

Current Community:

• Growing user base
• Active development
• Welcoming to contributors
• Open to feedback

Ways to Connect:

• GitHub Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
• GitHub Discussions - Questions and ideas
• Discord (planned) - Real-time chat
• X early Twitter (if available) - Updates and news

The Team

Rahul Roy - Creator & Maintainer

StratusTS is created and maintained by Rahul Roy, with contributions from the community.

Important note: Rahul is transparent about being a learner. This project grows with him, shaped by real-world use and community feedback. See Contributing for the full story.

Acknowledgments

StratusTS stands on the shoulders of giants:

Inspired by:

• Django - For proving that structure and simplicity can coexist
• Ruby on Rails - For convention over configuration
• Express - For showing that simple can be powerful

Built with:

• TypeScript team - For bringing types to JavaScript
• Fastify team - For a fast, modern HTTP framework
• TypeORM team - For excellent database tooling
• The Node.js community - For the incredible ecosystem

Special thanks to:

• Early adopters providing feedback
• Contributors improving the codebase
• Everyone who stars the repo
• The open source community

Support the Project

StratusTS is free and will always be free. Here’s how you can help:

Star on GitHub ⭐

Show your support:

https://github.com/rahulroy0322/StratusTS

One click, huge encouragement!

Use It and Share Feedback

• Build projects with StratusTS
• Report bugs and issues
• Request features
• Share what works (and what doesn’t)

Contribute

• Fix bugs
• Add features
• Improve documentation
• Help other users

See Contributing for details.

Spread the Word

• Blog about your experience
• Share on social media
• Recommend to colleagues
• Write tutorials

Sponsor (Future)

Sponsorship options may be added in the future to support:

• Full-time development
• Hosting and infrastructure
• Community resources

Project Goals

see Plan page for this

Design Principles

These principles guide every decision:

1. Developers First
If it’s annoying or confusing, fix it. Developer experience matters more than clever code.

2. Simple by Default, Powerful When Needed
Common cases should be trivial. Complex cases should be possible.

3. Convention Over Configuration
Smart defaults eliminate decisions. Override only when necessary.

4. Explicit Over Implicit
Code should be obvious. No magic that surprises developers.

5. Learn Once, Use Everywhere
Patterns should be consistent across the framework.

Future Vision

Where is StratusTS heading?

Technical Vision:

• Complete, stable 1.0 release
• Rich plugin ecosystem
• Production-proven reliability
• Performance on par with competitors
• Comprehensive tooling

Community Vision:

• Thriving community of users
• Active contributor base
• Real-world success stories
• Educational resources
• Welcoming culture

Impact Vision:

• Reduce time to build web apps
• Make TypeScript backends more accessible
• Prove structure and simplicity can coexist
• Inspire other frameworks

Get Involved

StratusTS is a community project. Your involvement makes it better.

Start Here:

1. Try building something with StratusTS
2. Share your experience (good or bad)
3. Report issues or request features
4. Help others in discussions
5. Contribute code or docs

Every contribution matters, no matter how small.

Stay Updated

Follow the project:

• GitHub: rahulroy0322/structure-ts
• Releases: Watch for new versions
• Discussions: Join conversations
• Roadmap: Check Future Plans

Contact

Questions, feedback, or just want to say hi?

• GitHub Issues: Bug reports and features
• GitHub Discussions: General questions

We’d love to hear from you!

---

Thank you for being interested in StratusTS. Whether you’re just exploring or building your next project, we’re glad you’re here. Let’s build something great together! 🚀