JavaScript is still the most popular programming language, and JavaScript frameworks improve and speed up the process of making custom software projects while giving developers many opportunities. But it might be hard to make the right decision.
In this article, we’ll talk about the newest front-end trends and compare their major pros and cons.
Contents
JavaScript Frameworks and their Purpose
A JavaScript framework is a group of JS libraries that gives developers ready-made code for common programming features and tasks. Engineers can use these frameworks to get the basic building blocks they need to make JS-based software programs.
Web apps can be created without frameworks, but frameworks still make it easier to put common programming ideas into practice. It’s not necessary to start from scratch every time you want to add a new feature to an app. Instead, you could add to features that are already there.
With the help of frameworks, making complicated apps is easier, faster, and more productive. On the one hand, it improves the developer experience, while on the other, it shortens the time it takes to create the client’s ideal product. They give you access to tools like linting and testing so that you can send in code that is free of mistakes. JS frameworks can also make the process of installing, updating, and setting up tools, packages, and libraries much easier and less prone to mistakes as opposed to plain JS.
Popular JavaScript Frameworks
The ecosystem of JavaScript frameworks is always growing, and it works hard to make the creative process better.
#1 – React
One of the best front-end open-source JavaScript frameworks is React, which helps programmers design attractive and user-friendly interfaces. React, which was developed by Facebook, is a framework that utilizes functional, declarative, and component-based approaches. When it comes to web development, React’s virtual DOM guarantees lightning-fast rendering times. Also, React is a framework that is hard to learn, use, and understand for new developers, but it has a large community.
Pros
- Simple front and back-end integration
- Components that can be reused
- Allows to compare with other JavaScript libraries
Cons
- It is limited to the UI levels of an application.
- Intended for small and medium projects
#2 – Vue.js
Vue.js is a front-end JS framework that primarily focuses on creating simple-page apps and was designed to be quick, adaptable, and approachable (SPAs). Its main USP is that, unlike other frameworks that call for full adoption, it may be utilized progressively thanks to its incremental usage strategy. Additionally, it will allow you to create native applications using the cross-platform framework Weex.
Pros
- Convenient to learn and utilize
- Small in size
- Straightforward merging
Cons
- There are fewer plugins and component libraries
#3 – AngularJS
AngularJS is a free and open-source JavaScript-based web framework for constructing single-page apps that have been deprecated. It sought to ease both the building and testing of such apps by offering a framework for client-side MVC and MVVM architectures, as well as components typically used in web apps and dynamic web apps. AngularJS is very modular, which makes it easy to make modules and libraries that are specific to your needs.
With AngularJS, you can easily write code that is more clear, expressive, and straightforward to build by extending the HTML vocabulary with directives to add interactive features to your Angular-based software project. AngularJS also comes with many built-in features, like data binding and dependency injection, that make the development process even easier. Google will stop updating AngularJS on January 1, 2022, to address security, browser compatibility, or jQuery concerns.
Pros
- Angular is cross-platform
- Large pool of developers
- It automatically sets up testing frameworks
- Ahead-of-time compiler ensures faster load time
Cons
- Difficult to master
- Debugging is challenging
- Intended for medium and big projects
#4 – Ember.js
Ember.js is also great for developing software products and is one of the most usable front-end JavaScript frameworks. It is used by programmers to build sophisticated and extensible business software. Ember.js is an alternative to Vue.js that employs the same MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) design paradigm. Ember.js’s command-line interface tool is what sets it apart as a productivity powerhouse. Even though Ember.js is a legacy JavaScript framework, its handlebars templating language is extremely powerful.
Pros:
- Provides an excellent method for interacting with APIs
- Helpful documentation and a solid support network
- Allows two-way data binding
- Support for older software and hardware
Cons:
- Difficult for a beginner programmer to pick up
- Getting less and less popular over the last few years
- It’s not a good fit for low-volume projects
- Problems with the inability to reuse components
#5 – Svelte JS
SvelteJS is a free, Typescript-based, front-end development framework that relies on web components. Since it came out in 2016, programmers have heard a lot about Svelte JS. Svelte JS creates boilerplate code in HTML, CSS, and JS. Because of this, it can be used to build web apps in a revolutionary way, unlike Vue.js or React, which use a virtual DOM. One good thing about Svelte is that it doesn’t need a lot of processing power from the browser.
Pros
- Less code is necessary to construct a component structure
- A built-in compiler improves performance
- Style scoped or boolean attribute is applied to a specific element, i.e., a parent element or its child elements
- All of the code is written in HTML, CSS, and JS (or TS)
Cons
- A developing framework, hence, community support may be limited
- A possible scalability issue with a compiler-based strategy
- There is currently no separate App Security section
The Bottom Line
JavaScript is still the most widely used language for developing websites. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to using a certain JavaScript framework against another. Keep it in mind when you weigh your choices.
Before developing custom software projects, ensure your project’s needs are met by the framework you choose for your application. Each framework has its own set of advantages that might be useful during development. Consider not just the features, but also the level of complexity, the learning curve, the compatibility documentation, and the availability of user support. We prepared this list of the top JavaScript frameworks to help you make an informed decision about which one to choose for your project.
