The Importance Of Selecting The Right Frontend Framework

The idea of creating a new product is exciting, but the foremost challenge lies in choosing the right frontend framework. In the steps of product requirements, there come many challenges. Frontend frameworks are widely used on the web as it makes the job of web developers and designers easy and offers a great development experience.

We all know the Javascript world is full of dozens of libraries, frameworks and tools. With lots of options comes a lot of confusion and thus creates a double-edged sword situation.

Though you get a lot of space for creativity and experimentation, you are sometimes unsure about what library or framework to choose.

In the long run, the frontend framework you choose makes or breaks the project.

Through this blog, we will look at some of the most popular Javascript frameworks and their significance. There is a wide array of frontend frameworks available for developers, and it is very tricky to choose the right one which meets the needs of the project. Here we share insights on how to select the right frontend framework. 

Why does choosing the right technology matter?

A lot of things have changed over the years when it comes to the frontend ecosystem. New ideas are emerging, and it helps to build web applications. In this competitive era, choosing the right technology stack is crucial and critical for the project's success. Some companies prefer one technology over the other while some prefer vertical stability; on the other hand, some might be looking for the development team's core strengths.

Here are the top reasons which reflect how choosing the right technology can make a difference.

The time required to code

Time taken in providing a solution to a problem is a crucial thing in choosing the right technology. If you want a solution in the next month, you start writing code now itself, and in this case, we suggest choose a technology that provides shortcuts to achieve results in less time. Some select technologies provide rapid development capabilities, while others may have steep learning curves with great functionality. The choice depends on the project timeline and team capabilities.

Maintenance of code

From a maintenance-of-code point of view, choosing the right technology leaves a significant impact on longevity. It is imperative to enhance, maintain and expand the code and if it is not possible, it may not prove helpful in the long-term.

Future support

If there is uncertainty regarding future support, then it is best to avoid it. Finding the right talent and availability of no state of art development tools will affect the code speed of project execution. Thus we suggest you choose a technology which is popular and well-recognised to avoid issues. 

Factors to consider while choosing the frontend framework

Server-side rendering

Server-side rendering provides the best experience to all its users, especially across mobile networks. This especially true where sites are driven by content and lack of it can lower search engine rankings. The first widely used frontend frameworks were Angular, which didn't support server-side rendering, but the recent version Angular2 extensively supports it.

Flexibility

The framework chosen should have a wide range of options for configuration and should be easy to customise as per requirements. E.g. Angular2 Offers a good option, as it is easy to run quickly and get it up. React, Vue, and Aurelia provide flexibility to swap components when required.

Mobile development support

Every application needs to take a mobile-first approach to meet the growing adoption of mobile devices. Businesses are finding mobile applications as widely used in comparison to web apps. Though some might be written in native iOS and Android apps, there are more new web frontend stacks that provide attractive opportunities and reuse skill in mobile development.

Productivity and performance

Overall performance plays a key role in choosing the right framework. Many updated versions offer good overall performance. Other factors, such as productivity, are also important. Achieve higher productivity through a more opinionated framework.

Future support for networks

Like Google and Facebook, both Angular and React have a solid backing of the brand powerhouse. The framework gets support from volunteers and a few people who work full time. Choose a framework with a more foreseeable future and, through research, find out how it is moving forward?

Top frontend frameworks of 2021

Let us take a quick look at top frontend frameworks.

React.js

React.js is an open-source front end library and a popular alternative to Angular. Being open-source, it has huge community support and plugins as compared to Angular. It can use JavaScript or Typescript and has an equal design standard framework called material UI. The web development framework offers similar benefits and tools like Angular and has the same usage and statistics. In 2021 this framework will be one of the top frontend frameworks and one of the best web development frameworks. Read about how to make React.js calendar with events.

Angular

Angular does not need any introduction, as it has been among the top JavaScript frontend frameworks. With React and Vue's growth, Angular seems to have lost its place as a top JavaScript frontend app. As per the state of JS 2020 survey, Angular holds its position as the second most used language for the fifth consecutive year. 

Angular enjoy a fresh start with new updates. The latest Angular version(11) comes with improved hot module replacement, TypeScript4.0 support. Apart from this, Angular includes features like two-way data binding, dependency injection, MVC architecture, Angular CLI, and directives where steep learning curve and limited SEO support stand out as major disadvantages.

Vue.js

It was first launched in 2014 and released in 2016. Vue means "intuitive, fast and integrable MVVM for creating interactive interfaces". It has gained attraction and been chosen by Alibaba, Nintendo, Expedia, and multiple other enterprise-level projects despite coming late. Vue.js' independent nature is viewed as a positive sign in the web development community. It resulted in a huge volunteer support community around Vue. Problems are responded pretty more quickly in comparison to big corporation backed frameworks such as Angular and React. What more benefits one can get is learning Vue.js is easier than other frameworks. If you are aware of JavaScript library, HTML and CSS, then building Vue apps will not be difficult.

Svelte

Just like Vue and React, the one who holds the top position in 2020 is Svelte. It helps developers to build more with less code. It helps build boilerplate-free components using programming languages like JavaScript, JavaScript library, HTML and CSS. Create an outstanding user interface using Svelte. There are a total of three versions, and the third one came in April 2020. It consists of the latest features and composition API.

Preact

Preact's goal as a JavaScript library offers strengths. Being a SPA tool, Preact weighs in at 3KB compared to React's 30 KB. Jason Miller created the library with the support of a group of contributors. Companies that use Preact are Uber, Lyft, Tencent, Groupon and Domino's. 

Recently released, Preact X  has cleaned the library's code even more and added new features and compatibility enhancements to support third-party libraries. Its size and speed are mostly suited for light mobile web apps and web widgets. Minimalist nature makes Preact considered for the smallest project, where performance is the topmost priority. 

Conclusion

For the success of a web project, choosing the right JavaScript framework is the most important step. Each detail plays a crucial role, like whether the project is small or large, whether you are working solo or in a team. Over time, the frameworks discussed in this article will evolve along with their popularity. This article gives you a general sense of where each framework works best.

Previously published at https://gkmit.co/blog/web-app-development/how-to-choose-the-best-frontend-framework