JavaScript is the most widely used programming language in the world. There are countless JavaScript frameworks available to Web Developers to help simplify and speed up the programming process, but how do you know which ones are worth learning? To help you choose, here’s a guide to seven of the most popular JavaScript frameworks.
Most Popular JavaScript Frameworks: Front End
JavaScript is used in front end web development to program the behavior of web pages, making them more dynamic and interactive to engage the user. For example, JavaScript can be used to play audio or video, display animations, progress through a slideshow of various pictures, and alter a button’s colors when a mouse hovers over it. Vue.js, Angular.js, and Svelte are the most common JavaScript frameworks used in front end web development.
Angular.js
Angular.js is a powerful, efficient, open-source framework that’s used on the front end to create single-page applications (SPAs). Angular.js lets developers use HTML as their template language, extend its syntax into the application, and interpret the attributes to perform data binding. Angular.js has become popular with Web Developers because the data binding and dependency injection decreases the amount of coding that needs to be done which speeds up the development process. It also helps keep the code cleaner and easier to understand so common errors can be detected and eliminated more readily.
Vue.js
Vue.js is an open-source progressive framework that’s used to build single-page applications and user interfaces. As a progressive framework, Vue.js has an incrementally adoptable design that allows for easy customization and integration with various frameworks and libraries—something other, less flexible JavaScript frameworks are unable to do. This level of customization and flexibility is one of the reasons Vue.js has become a popular choice among Web Developers; they also like that it’s powerful, lightweight, and offers a variety of features.
Svelte
Svelte is a tool used by Web Developers to create fast, streamlined web applications. The creators of Svelte developed the framework to make it easy to build user interfaces that are sleek and dynamic without sacrificing performance. It’s possible to build an entire app using Svelte or you can choose to add it incrementally to an already-existing codebase. You can also deliver components as packages that will work anywhere without having to depend on a framework. This kind of speed. flexibility, and performance have made Svelte a favorite among developers; in fact, Svelte was selected as the most loved framework in Stack Overflow’s 2021 survey of Web Developers.
Most Popular JavaScript Frameworks: Back End
While JavaScript is primarily used in front end web development, it can also be used on the back end thanks to a JavaScript Runtime Environment (RTE) called Node.js. Back End Developers use Node.js to handle updates from the client side of the website and build expandable network applications capable of processing multiple user requests simultaneously. Node.js has become a popular tool for the back end because it’s fast, efficient, lightweight, and capable of managing heavy workloads. Two of the most popular JavaScript frameworks used on the server side through Node.js are Express.js and Nest.js.
Express.js
Express.js is a back end framework that works inside Node.js to help design and build single-page, multiple-page, and hybrid web applications. It’s also one of the core components of the highly popular MEAN and MERN stacks. Web Developers like Express.js because its powerful application programming interface (API) makes routing easy; the framework also helps organize web applications on the server side into the more manageable model-view-controller (MVC) architecture while remaining fast and lightweight. And since Express.js only requires the use of JavaScript, it’s possible to build web applications and API with very little effort.
Nest.js
Nest.js is a back end framework used for building reliable, scalable server-side applications that are easy to maintain. Though the framework allows developers to code in pure JavaScript, it’s built with and fully supports TypeScript. Developers enjoy working with Nest.js because it provides an out-of-the-box architecture that reduces coding and makes it possible to create back end applications quickly and efficiently. They also like that Nest is extensible and versatile; with its modular architecture, Nest can work with practically any library and provide structure for a wide range of server-side applications.
Most Popular JavaScript Frameworks: Full Stack
Though JavaScript is primarily known as a front programming language, it’s possible to code both the client and server sides of a website using JavaScript through Node.js. Though there’s some debate among developers about the pros and cons of using JavaScript from back to front, the practice has steadily been gaining in popularity in recent years. Two of the most commonly used full stack JavaScript frameworks are Meteor.js and Next.js.
Meteor.js
Meteor is a flexible full stack JavaScript framework that makes it easy for developers to quickly prototype applications. By using Meteor, Web Developers are able to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) in just three to four weeks—much faster than what you could accomplish using other frameworks or coding from scratch. Developers also like using Meteor because it easily integrates with other frameworks and libraries plus it includes a wide variety of code packages that help them save time when adding features. This reduction in coding also means fewer bugs to contend with, which results in a higher-quality end product with improved stability.
Next.js
Next.js is a JavaScript framework built on top of the React library that allows developers to quickly create server-side rendered React applications and fast static websites that behave like they’re dynamic. It’s considered one of the best tools for creating universal JavaScript applications that can run on any server or device. Web Developers like Next because it allows for the development of complex applications with minimal coding required, which speeds up time to market. The framework also offers greater flexibility in building user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) and performs better than many other frameworks. Plus it doesn’t hurt that Next has the backing of several major companies; it’s been used to create websites for Netflix, Uber, Ticketmaster, Hulu, Audible, Nike, Hilton, and DoorDash.
Honorable Mentions: Popular JavaScript Libraries
If you ask developers to name their favorite JavaScript frameworks, you’ll often receive responses that include React and jQuery. There’s just one problem with this, though: React and jQuery aren’t actually frameworks—they’re libraries. The error is understandable; both are bundles of reusable code that provide solutions to some of the most common problems developers face, but there’s a key difference between them: the amount of control the developer has over the flow of the application. With a library, the developer gets to choose how to structure the application but with frameworks, that structure is already built-in. So even though they’re not frameworks, let’s take a closer look at two of the most popular JavaScript libraries, React and jQuery.
React
React is a JavaScript library that’s used to build user interface (UI) components on single-page applications. The library was originally created by a software engineer at Facebook to streamline the company’s app, improve its performance, and simplify code maintenance; it was released to the public under an open-source license in 2013 and has steadily gained in popularity ever since. In fact, React is now the most popular JavaScript library in use today with more than 40% of Web Developers surveyed by Stack Overflow reporting extensive use in the past year. Developers prefer React over other frameworks because its modular format allows them to make changes to single components without having to update the entire page, which speeds up development time and simplifies maintenance.
jQuery
JQuery is a fast, lightweight, feature-rich library that simplifies a variety of processes associated with front end development including event handling, HTML document traversal and manipulation, animation, and asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX). JQuery also includes an easy-to-use application programming interface (API) that works across multiple browsers, cutting back on the need for extensive cross-testing. Web Developers especially like using jQuery because the library makes it easier to add interactive elements to a website while reducing the amount of coding required and improving site performance. It’s also highly extensible and versatile with plug-ins available for a variety of tasks.
How to Learn JavaScript
If you’re interested in learning JavaScript and its most popular libraries and frameworks, the fastest, most efficient route is to enroll in web development classes in your area or online. Though it is possible to learn programming languages on your own, it requires a lot more time and self-discipline compared to taking web development classes. Taking classes provides you with built-in structure and accountability to keep you on track. Plus with their in-depth curriculum, you’ll receive a comprehensive education instead of trying to piece together a study plan on your own from various sources. You can even take web development classes live online if you prefer learning from home.
Another way to learn JavaScript is to enroll in a web development bootcamp. With their compressed schedules and broad skills-based curriculum, bootcamps are the best choice for those who want to pursue a career in front end, back end, full stack, or JavaScript development. If you’re particularly interested in JavaScript, your best choice would be a JavaScript bootcamp that will teach you everything you need to know about JavaScript programming in a short amount of time.