According to the 2023 Stack Overflow Survey findings, the continued hold of JavaScript as the most prevalent coding language amongst developers persists, with nearly 68% of participants using it consistently. Impressively, this marks a seventh consecutive year of domination for the language.
It’s only natural that much discussion has ensued regarding the most fitting JavaScript framework amongst the abundant options. It’s difficult to declare one as superior to the others, as different JavaScript developers will have varied, subjective opinions based on their unique experiences. Nonetheless, certain JavaScript frameworks have etched their place as the established standards within the field (or at least with Works‘ engineers).
As the usage of JavaScript continues to soar, it’s vital to be familiar with the most trustworthy and widely used frameworks at our disposal. Keeping that in mind, we’ll examine each framework’s pros and cons, allowing you to make an educated choice when selecting the most appropriate option for your project. But before we dive in, let’s take a moment to explore why JavaScript has gained widespread popularity and why there’s such high demand for skilled developers knowledgeable in the language.
What’s the Role of JavaScript Developers?
A JavaScript Developer is responsible for developing and altering software and applications utilising JavaScript, one of the most widely adopted programming languages available. The language provides a comprehensive range of features that is particularly advantageous for frontend development. The web pages engineered with JavaScript aim to provide optimal user experience and interactivity.
Dispelling the misconception, JavaScript isn’t solely reserved for frontend development. It can be employed to create back-end applications and entire projects, allowing developers to become full-stack JavaScript developers. In this article, we’ll concentrate on the libraries, rather than frameworks, that enable developers to access additional, useful features.
React
As per the Stack Overflow Survey, React has witnessed the highest user growth of any JavaScript framework since its introduction in 2013. Its adaptability to native programming has been a critical factor in its success. Facebook has helped to sustain React’s lead over rivals through its ongoing development and support that add new features and upgrades.
Thanks to its rapid data-fetching capabilities, React proves to be an excellent pick for developers and businesses who create user interfaces, single-page applications, and mobile apps.
Pros:
- React leverages virtual DOMs, a condensed and localised representation of the DOM, that facilitate efficient calculations on all web browsers.
- React’s self-contained modules and reusable components have the potential to simplify the development process, as these components contain code of varying complexity, and changes to one module do not affect the others.
- React’s downward data binding enables the manipulation of components directly, without the need to consider any effects on the parent structures. This results in greater stability of the entire codebase.
- Right from the outset, Facebook chose to open-source React, a decision that has been highly advantageous, leading to a vast community of developers working together to improve the framework and develop innovative applications and tools.
Cons:
- React uses JSX, an extension to the JavaScript syntax that allows the inclusion of HTML in JavaScript programmes. Although this is usually advantageous, especially from a security point of view, it can make it more challenging to comprehend the framework.
- In the software world, updates can be a valuable addition – but only up to a certain point. For React users, updates frequently bring improvements and new features, as well as frequent changes to the framework, which may necessitate the need to re-learn it regularly.
- React’s fast evolution and regular feature additions pose a challenge for developers looking to document the framework’s usage. Consequently, many available resources for learning React may seem fragmented or overly specific.
Angular
Angular, initially released in 2023 by Google, is a well-established framework and an excellent choice for front-end development. It flaunts features like MVC design, TypeScript support, and dependency injection, and flexibly integrates HTML into the application via data binding. Angular is an ideal choice for the prominent MEAN stack.
Angular enables the development of scalable architecture, single-page apps, and large-scale applications.
Pros:
- The Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework features two-way data binding technology, which instantly syncs changes made to the Model with the View. This bidirectional coupling removes the need for manual synchronisation of data between the View and the Model, and expedites the development process.
- Angular’s Dependency Injection functionality allows components to operate independently of their dependencies. Injectors are employed to specify dependencies as external elements, making it easier to manage, test, and reuse them.
- Angular is a renowned JavaScript framework, and its developer community serves as a valuable source of knowledge, guidance, and third-party solutions to bolster development efforts.
Cons:
- When working with Angular, especially for larger applications, it is crucial to exercise caution due to its susceptibility to exhibit poorer performance compared to other frameworks. Complex Angular apps may suffer from slow performance and other related issues.
- While adaptability is commonly praised as a desirable trait in software, it can be challenging to attune. On the other hand, Angular’s multifaceted nature may prove overly complex in certain scenarios. As numerous methods exist to achieve identical outcomes, achieving proficiency with Angular can be demanding.
Vue
Vue, a forward-looking framework that has been gaining popularity over the last few years, is expected to maintain its success in 2023. Despite its relatively small size, Vue’s reusability and excellent performance have made it a popular choice since its inception in 2023.
Vue is extensively utilised for developing basic web applications, but when integrated with the Electron framework, it can also be leveraged to build desktop and mobile applications.
Pros:
- Vue is referred to as the “featherweight” among frameworks due to its smaller footprint. As a result, it improves both the application’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and User Experience (UX), in addition to enhancing accessibility for users.
- Vue has implemented Angular’s two-way binding capabilities but has improved it by making it reactive, allowing for easier data updates. Changes are quickly and efficiently applied, making it an excellent choice for applications requiring real-time updates.
- Vue’s encapsulated components enhance readability and comprehension while also providing the ability to be reused in other projects. Additionally, component encapsulation simplifies unit testing by allowing individual elements to be tested more easily.
- Vue offers a plethora of robust functionalities, such as end-to-end testing utilities, a plugin installation system, and a browser debugger, enabling you to have complete command of your projects from the start.
Cons:
- Despite the advantages of two-way data binding, it is necessary to be cautious of the reactivity system, which may occasionally cause errors while reading data. To avoid errors, it is critical to adhere to Vue’s standards and consider the intricacy of the process.
- Vue is a robust framework that includes various remarkable features. Nevertheless, it may not offer the same extensive capabilities as more extensive frameworks like React or Angular. Hence, it may constrain the scope of a Vue project.
Ember
Despite Ember not being as popular as other frameworks, its creators remain ardent supporters. Devotees who have been utilising Ember since its inception in 2023 sing its praises, particularly regarding its methodical programming approach. This approach often means there is only one way to achieve the intended result, minimizing the chances of making errors.
Ember, an Model-View-View-Model (MVVM) framework, facilitates the swift development of sophisticated web applications, as stated by our article on Java’s top 10 frameworks. While its primary objective is the development of web applications, it can also be harnessed for developing native desktop and mobile applications.
Pros:
- Ember promotes the use of naming conventions that allow for the automatic generation of code. Abiding by these guidelines can save time by eliminating the need to write a large amount of boilerplate code.
- Although it is a matter of debate, many believe that Ember CLI is the most excellent CLI among all available frameworks. Its ability to simplify the process of code writing and integrate it into the appropriate structure while considering required dependencies is celebrated.
- Ember Inspector is a groundbreaking debugger tool implemented as a browser plugin, allowing for real-time visualization and modification of Ember projects. This greatly assists in promptly identifying and resolving glitches and other concerns.
Cons:
- Compared to the lightweight Vue, Ember, being one of the largest JavaScript frameworks, possesses a considerably larger size. Therefore, it is more suitable for larger projects to avoid any avoidable complexity.
- Ember is frequently likened to Ruby on Rails, rather than being compared as a JavaScript framework. While this can be advantageous, it may lead to complications when unnecessary abstractions are employed, resulting in overly intricate projects.
- Ember is a potent instrument, but it can be difficult to learn because of its comprehensive features. Therefore, it may not be the most suitable option for novices or individuals who merely want to tackle small-scale projects, as outlined in our article on top 5 mistakes every recruiter should avoid.
Dynamic JavaScript Frameworks that are Constantly Evolving
As we stay updated with advances in JavaScript frameworks, it is apparent that these libraries still have potential for enhancement. This is a significant factor in their continued success and anticipated growth in popularity.
It is neither beneficial nor detrimental that there will be minimal modifications. Individuals seeking to take advantage of JavaScript’s full potential will be pleased to discover that React, Angular, Vue, and Ember frameworks are gaining prevalence due to their efficacy.
