// the find
totaljs/framework
Node.js framework
Total.js is a batteries-included Node.js web framework with its own view engine, embedded NoSQL database, WebSocket support, image processing, mailer, and schema system. It targets developers who want a monolithic full-stack framework rather than assembling Express middleware. This repo is the old v3 branch — the project has moved to framework4.
The embedded NoSQL database with its own crawler and worker process is genuinely useful for small apps that don't want an external DB dependency. Built-in JIT CSS/JS merging and compression means no Webpack config to maintain for simple projects. WebSocket support via RFC 6455 is first-class, not bolted on. The HMVC architecture and package system let you ship self-contained feature modules, which scales better than a flat Express app.
This repo is abandoned — last push March 2024, and the README itself tells you to go use framework4 instead. The codebase is pure JavaScript with no TypeScript, no type definitions, and no obvious path to adding them. The embedded NoSQL database is a liability in production: no ACID guarantees, no tooling ecosystem, and if you outgrow it you're rewriting data access from scratch. The global prototype extensions on String, Date, Number, and Array are the kind of thing that causes subtle, maddening bugs when third-party code makes different assumptions.