Complete Guide on JavaScript Frameworks for Frontend Development

Today’s Web Applications are quite different from those that were once dominant in app development. With the advent of JavaScript Framework, the entire dynamics of application development has changed. Websites are no longer static. They are now able to interact with other applications as well. The world of development is no longer limited to HTML and CSS only. Several technologies have started flourishing along with advanced languages. However, JavaScript Frameworks can be a little challenging.

What is JavaScript (JS)?

For beginners, you can understand JS frameworks as a collection of code libraries for JavaScript. The basic purpose of these frameworks is to provide developers with a JavaScript code that had been written earlier. The term framework literally means a platform that is used to build websites and web applications.

JavaScript has gained a great deal of popularity during the past few years. This is probably because frameworks give the users the ability to recreate their web pages in various designs. Moreover, it also allows users to add different functionalities to their real-time web applications. This is not the only reason as to why JS is gaining so much popularity. The frameworks offer a great deal of efficiency along with security. It is also comparatively cheaper to incorporate JavaScript codes into your programs in comparison to others.

Why do we need JavaScript?

Building a website is like building a house. You could even build your building materials from scratch.  However, doing this would be too time-consuming. Purchasing the materials would make more sense and save you time as well. Coding for a website is quite similar. You can code for every part of your website and make it customized according to your needs.

However, similar to how it can be an excruciating task to make materials for a building. It can be difficult to code every part of a website as well. Especially when some features are common to most websites. This can be thought of as purchasing a brick rather than making one to build a house.

In the world of the web, this is where JavaScript comes into action. JS frameworks are one of the most used frameworks by digital marketing services. This fact alone justifies the ease of use and efficiency that JS frameworks promise its users.

Why is this Guide Useful?

Since we have already addressed the need for JavaScript frameworks. Maybe we can come to the more pressing question at hand. What is the purpose of this guide? The answer is not as complicated as JavaScript may seem. It is quite simple. There is a JavaScript update now and then. It can be a daunting task to understand which JavaScript framework will be the right match for your project.

This is where this guide comes into play. This guide will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of every JavaScript framework up to date. Moreover, it will also be like a kick start for your project. Suppose there is a trending JavaScript framework and you are obliged to use it. But, what if it is not what your project needs and there is something more relevant to your project. To understand what your project needs, there is a requirement for you to study the frameworks in detail. A shortcut would be going through this guide and finding what suits you best.

A major problem that developers face is what framework to apply where. A large number of frameworks can cause more problems as compared to the solutions they provide if not correctly utilized. Our guide is focused on categorizing the frameworks to determine the best one for your program.

The Big Three

The web world has three very established JavaScript frameworks. These are by far the most commonly used frameworks. They have gained massive popularity due to the several reasons that we will discuss in the next section in detail. If you are a developer and have been in the web business, you must be familiar with “The Big Three”. Through several surveys; React, Angular, and Vue.js have proved to dominate the market. Our guide is based on a detailed analysis of these three JS frameworks. It is worth mentioning that there are many other frameworks but these are the ones that are dominating the current market trends.

1. React.JS

Introduced in 2013, React was originally written by Jordan Walke. The man was an engineer at Facebook! The framework has been backed by both Facebook as well as Instagram. It has become the topmost used framework in recent times and has over a thousand contributions presently on GitHub.

The advent of the virtual DOM has made it more popular than Angular.js. Another important factor that has led to its popularity is how the third party is held accountable for issues related to routing and data management. Developers who use React.js find it easy to break the code into fragments and use them freely. This enables the ease of handling real-time data. Let us try to understand React.js framework through a detailed explanation of its pros and cons below:

Pros

• It has been established that React.js has a simplicity to it. This is in terms of the syntax that it demonstrates. Contrary to Angular.js, React has an easier learning curve due to its similarities with HTML. This makes React one of the simplest JS libraries.
• It may come as a surprise to many developers that React is a JS library and not a framework. This gives React the ability to be integrated with other libraries. This makes React a great tool to bridge the gap between different frameworks.
• Did you know that React can be used as a way to separate the data layer and the presentation layer? It is highly preferred to be used for storage that lasts for a short period only.
• A true developer would know the pain that comes with DOM binding. React takes care of this by simply dividing the process over different areas.
• As mentioned earlier, React gives the ability to developers to breakdown the code and use it at any time. This saves a lot of precious time and makes the task time efficient as well.
• Another advantage that React gives its users is through the downward data binding structure. This feature makes sure that any changes made in the child structure do not affect the parent.

Cons

• Similar to any JS library or framework, there are certain cons that React users face. The number one disadvantage is that this library is excessively dynamic. The codes are evolving all the time. This leaves a certain responsibility on the developers to stay updated with the latest trends if they wish to succeed.
• React heavily relies on JSX, which includes a complex syntax. JSX can be difficult to learn even for the finest developers.
• There have been speculations regarding certain SEO issues that occur with the use of React. Although these have not been justified there is a popular opinion that this could lead to a greater issue in the future.

1. Angular

The Angular framework is a fully featured design that allows developers to fetch data, manage state, develop, and build apps. The Angular framework is a successor of the famous Angular.JS framework. There have been notable improvements in the structure of the framework in the past and it has greatly evolved over the years.  The framework has been developed and is being maintained by Google as well. Angular has new revisions added to it after every 6 months that focus on efficiency and better performance. Contrary to the earlier versions, Angular is easier to learn now.

So, what makes Angular stand out so much? The reason is pretty simple to most developers. The use of Typescript helps developers to understand it better since it has its origins from traditional languages like C++ and JAVA. Angular gives developers a powerful platform to exercise any possibility they opt for. A detailed review of its pros and cons will help you decide about this framework in a better way.

Pros

• The detailed documentation that comes with most versions of Angular makes it a great option for developers. It is easy to understand the code and more importantly apply it. Moreover, the newer versions have even more detailed documents that the previous ones.
• The integration of Progressive Web Application has made the framework an even more popular choice.
• Did you know that you can use the Build Optimizer in Angular5 to separate and remove irrelevant run-time code? This makes the app faster and reduces the size as well.
• The framework allows the engagement through two way data binding. This reducesthe possibility of coming across errors, greatly. Moreover, with the help of Model View Model capability, the developers can work independently on the same section of the application using the same data.

Cons

• Even though the latest versions of Angular are less complicated, they are still more difficult than other frameworks. The link with Typescript makes it slightly less challenging but it is still quite complex.
• Since there are new versions of Angular coming out every 6 months, it can be a tedious job to shift it from the older versions.
• Angular framework is known to have the highest level of churn. This is probably due to the complexity that encircles it.

 

III.    Vue.JS

Although, recognized only last year as a popular GitHub project. Vue has been around since 2013. The framework is exceptionally light as compared to Angular and is serving as a great alternative to it. Vue is loved by developers due to many reasons. Most importantly, it can easily be integrated via the script tag. Moreover, it is the least complex out of the big three which makes it widely popular.

Unlike the other two, Angular and React, Vue is not backed by any major company. Instead, it is funded through donations on an individual as well as a corporate level. The framework of Vue overlaps with Angular and React in many ways. It is also believed that Vue picks up the best features out of the other frameworks. However, it is widely known for its simplicity and its lightweight. Looking at the pros and cons of Vue will help us understand this framework in a much better way!

Pros

• Probably the winning feature of Vue is the size. The framework is extremely lightweight and has all the features intact as well! Not just that, the entire set-up that surrounds Vue is lightweight as well.
• The framework provides the arguable the greatest capabilities in terms of integration. It can be used to build extraordinary applications. Moreover, Vue can be integrated with other frameworks as well.
• Vue can be used as a library as well as a framework. This is a dream come true for developers who are constantly looking for versatility in their designs.
• Unlike other frameworks, which make switching from one version to another extremely difficult. Vue offers ease in this department as well!
• The framework is easy to understand for developers due to the readily available functions.

Cons

• The pros make the Vue framework seem like the clear winner here. However, the reality is not quite the same. The lack of resources has made Vue an unfavorable option.
• Due to being a relatively new project, Vue has little support from the community. This has made the framework less popular as compared to Angular and React.

 

Conclusion

Many other JavaScript frameworks are also being used these days such as Node.js, Backbone.js, and Ember.js, etc. However, the real game-changers are the big three. If you want to make a real breakthrough, it is suggested to use any of the three mentioned above.

Choosing the right framework can be a difficult job, especially for a beginner. A training course or a boot camp could help you in the long run in understanding what framework you prefer. If you are new to the world of coding,then instead of hitting trial and error it would be better for you to gain an ample amount of knowledge before you step into the big world of JS frameworks.