Gram Blog Engine

Gram is a lightweight personal blog engine designed for speed and efficiency, utilizing the power of Java. This blog platform offers exceptional functionality and robust features, making it an optimal choice for individuals looking to establish an online presence. Gram is notably used to power theandrewbailey.com.

Key Features

• RSS Feed Support: Gram serves comprehensive RSS feeds for all articles, category-specific articles, and per-article comments. The RSS feeds can also be utilized for backing up and restoring articles and comments.

• Site Export Functionality: Export your entire site as a convenient zip file for easy restoration. Gram also provides a static site generator, allowing users to export a zip containing a static version of the site.

• Markdown Blog Post Creation: Create blog posts effortlessly in Markdown format with a preview feature available for review before posting. The first paragraph and image are automatically integrated into a link and summary displayed on the homepage.

• Multiple Blog Hosting: Host multiple blogs from a single server, with each blog requiring a unique hostname.

• Enhanced Search Capabilities: Utilizing Postgres' full-text search, the search box features custom spellcheck and autocomplete functionalities, ensuring easy article discovery.

Performance Optimization

Gram is crafted for optimal page load speeds:

• Preloading Components: Internal links are preloaded when visible, allowing for quick swapping when clicked.
• Efficient Caching: Up to 100 pages are stored in an internal cache, automatically removed when not accessed for a period.
• Lazy Loading of Images: Images are lazily loaded to improve initial load times while ensuring efficient bandwidth usage.
• Compression Techniques: All pages and files benefit from gzip, Brotli, and zstandard (zstd) compression for faster transmission.
• Managed Cache Control: HTTP cache headers are configured to enhance performance, with unique URLs for delivered content based on upload timestamps.

Security Measures

Gram prioritizes security, supporting multiple protective measures:

• Secure Headers: Comprehensive support for various security headers, including Content Security Policy and Subresource Integrity, ensuring a fortified environment.
• Password Hashing: All passwords are hashed using the Argon2 algorithm for enhanced security.

Architectural Overview

Built on a monolithic architecture, Gram operates on Java, Payara, Postgres, and Linux (Debian).

Conclusion

Gram Blog Engine stands out as a powerful solution for users wanting a scalable, efficient, and secure blogging platform built on Java. With its suite of features and optimizations, it simplifies the blogging experience while providing essential tools for personal blogging.