A lightweight tool that makes static site building feel natural again
I have been using https://get-serve.com/ for client mockups and small websites and honestly it is a breath of fresh air. It is a Ruby based tool that lets you build sites using template languages like ERB, Haml, Markdown, and Textile, with full support for layouts and partials. No database, no complex build pipelines, just clean templates and a simple workflow. What I really like is the built in server, you can edit and preview your site on the fly, and when you are ready to deploy you can export to pure HTML or deploy the source on any Ruby friendly host. It also includes Sass and Compass out of the box, which keeps stylesheets manageable. The documentation is clear and the mailing list is active if you run into questions. If you are a developer who wants to build static sites or prototypes without the bloat of modern frameworks, this is definitely worth a look. I have already used it for a few projects and it saves me a ton of time. Give it a try.