JAVASCRIPT FRAMEWORKS
There are many JS frameworks out there. Which JavaScript framework is the best? No one can tell because each JS framework is a good fit for one set of challenges and not the best one for another.
This article is an overview of JavaScript frameworks, where we’ll talk about what is JavaScript in general, and what are the pros and cons of various frameworks.
WHAT IS JAVASCRIPT?
JavaScript is one of the numerous programming languages out there, used primarily for web (certain JS frameworks help with native mobile development). It is thanks to JS that the websites you visit have more action going than just displaying static information to look at. For example, this includes real-time content updates, interactive maps, graphics, and videos. Among the standard web technologies, there are three: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
According to StackOverflow, JavaScript is the top leader of the programming languages worldwide. 69% of professional developers prefer JS for development.
WHAT IS A JAVASCRIPT FRAMEWORK AND SHOULD YOU USE ONE?
The process of building websites and web apps is like building a home. Technically, you can create all construction materials from scratch (after all, that’s how people did it for millennia). But why bother, when you can purchase ready-made materials (for example, bricks) and save time, assembling them according to the blueprint you’ve drawn up (or had an architect draw for you)?
Project development is similar to that, and that’s how JavaScript frameworks work. You can write all the code from scratch for each aspect of your site. Why reinvent the wheel when people have already created ready-made solutions for common features that don’t differ that much from website to website? What do JavaScript frameworks do is they provide these building blocks in the form of pre-written code.
You might ask, “Why should I use a JavaScript framework?” Well, again, it saves time and money and the nervous systems of everyone involved. It also brings more drive into the development process because instead of creating a solution to something basic, you can focus on solving a more serious technical challenge that would be more stimulating for your brain that a photo carousel.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY JAVASCRIPT FRAMEWORKS
In case you’re wondering how many JavaScript frameworks are there, according to Wikipedia (which isn’t the most trusty source, but hey), there are at least 24 JS frameworks and around 83 libraries.
Why so many? A simple answer to that is that people are rarely completely satisfied with the available instruments - either the tools don’t do the job “just right,” or they think they can create a better framework.
Even among the developers, there are many opinions, which one is the best. Check out this statistic from Stack Overflow Research 2019 - Angular and React are among the leaders, with Vue in the top 10 frameworks:
WHAT IS JAVASCRIPT MVC FRAMEWORK VS. MVVM VS. MVP?
In the list of JS frameworks, you’ll see the abbreviations such as MVC, MVVM, and MVP. These stand for the design patterns that show how the architecture of the project is built.
MVC stands for Model-View-Controller.
- Model - data of the application.
- View - the user interface of the app.
- Controller - handles all input (for example, clicks or browser events)
MVVM stands for Model-View-ViewModel.
- Model - data of the application.
- View - the user interface of the app.
- ViewModel - similar to a Controller, but acts as a data converter because it passes commands from the View to the Model.
MVP stands for Model-View-Presenter.
- Model - data of the application.
- View - the user interface of the app.
- Presenter - responsible for the logic of widgets’ functionality (for example, data storage and loading, app events, data manipulation, etc.)