Geruest - A Modern C++ Web Framework
Table of Contents
04.12.2025 - Framework Overview
After extensive experience building and maintaining my web server, I recognized the need for a reusable framework that could streamline web application development in C++. This led to the creation of Geruest, a comprehensive web framework designed to handle both frontend and backend requirements efficiently.
Frontend Capabilities:
Geruest excels at managing static resources with its intelligent file merging system. It can combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into optimized bundles, significantly reducing the number of HTTP requests per page. This not only improves loading times but also allows developers to maintain clean, modular code structures while delivering efficient, production-ready assets to clients.
One of Geruest's standout features is its automatic translation system. The framework uses template pages with placeholder links that are dynamically filled with the appropriate language content. When a user requests a page in a specific language, Geruest generates the translated version and caches it for future requests. This approach ensures fast response times while minimizing resource usage—pages that are never requested in certain languages simply aren't created, saving both processing time and disk space.
Backend Architecture:
On the server side, Geruest provides a clean and intuitive API for defining routes and handling requests. Developers can easily map URL endpoints like 'api/users' or 'api/data' to callback functions. Each callback receives an HTTPRequest object containing all the request data—URL parameters, JSON body content, and cookies—consolidated into a single, easy-to-use parameter map.
Response handling is equally straightforward. Callback functions return an HTTPResponse object, which is a wrapper around standard HTTP responses. This abstraction simplifies common tasks like setting headers, status codes, and response bodies, while still providing the flexibility needed for complex API endpoints.
Design Philosophy:
Geruest was built with practicality in mind, drawing from real-world experiences in web server development. It aims to eliminate boilerplate code and common pain points while maintaining the performance and control that C++ developers expect. The framework handles the repetitive aspects of web development—file serving, request parsing, response formatting—allowing developers to focus on building features and business logic.
Frontend Capabilities:
Geruest excels at managing static resources with its intelligent file merging system. It can combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into optimized bundles, significantly reducing the number of HTTP requests per page. This not only improves loading times but also allows developers to maintain clean, modular code structures while delivering efficient, production-ready assets to clients.
One of Geruest's standout features is its automatic translation system. The framework uses template pages with placeholder links that are dynamically filled with the appropriate language content. When a user requests a page in a specific language, Geruest generates the translated version and caches it for future requests. This approach ensures fast response times while minimizing resource usage—pages that are never requested in certain languages simply aren't created, saving both processing time and disk space.
Backend Architecture:
On the server side, Geruest provides a clean and intuitive API for defining routes and handling requests. Developers can easily map URL endpoints like 'api/users' or 'api/data' to callback functions. Each callback receives an HTTPRequest object containing all the request data—URL parameters, JSON body content, and cookies—consolidated into a single, easy-to-use parameter map.
Response handling is equally straightforward. Callback functions return an HTTPResponse object, which is a wrapper around standard HTTP responses. This abstraction simplifies common tasks like setting headers, status codes, and response bodies, while still providing the flexibility needed for complex API endpoints.
Design Philosophy:
Geruest was built with practicality in mind, drawing from real-world experiences in web server development. It aims to eliminate boilerplate code and common pain points while maintaining the performance and control that C++ developers expect. The framework handles the repetitive aspects of web development—file serving, request parsing, response formatting—allowing developers to focus on building features and business logic.