Mobile apps have become a significant part of a comfortable lifestyle. We can carry out various operations directly from our smartphones thanks to mobile applications; thus, this topic is also essential for mobile app developers. Many user-friendly frameworks have been built for JavaScript, which has become one of the most common programming languages for generating high-quality cross-platform mobile apps. Regardless of whether you choose to work as an AngularJS or VueJS developer, you are free to select the most suitable framework for all of your projects and tasks. In the article, we will talk about the best JS frameworks, their features, and drawbacks.
What Are JavaScript Frameworks Used For?
With the advancement of web technologies, the desire to simplify code writing to complete tasks more quickly has grown dramatically. Developers can benefit from JS frameworks
that enable more simple and efficient work with JavaScript. A framework is software created by a developer or development team that provides a set of methods and features to make web and mobile application development smoother, integrate structural components of large projects, adjust the specific configurations, and increase productivity and performance. The code becomes considerably shorter when using the JS framework, which has a favorable impact on development speed. Aside from their usefulness, JavaScript frameworks are also accessible and easy to comprehend.
Source: Mobilunity
Since there are so many frameworks, each with its unique set of features, we'd like to take a closer look at a few of them.
1. AngularJS
Created and supported by tech giant Google, AngularJS is an open-source framework extensively used in mobile and web apps development. This framework is based on the MVC and MVVM architectures, which facilitate testing and development.
Distinctive features of AngularJS:
- Simplified two-way data binding
- Wide selection of ready-made templates
- General-purpose framework, which may be used for creating any web or mobile app
- Well-organized code elements
Drawbacks:
- Wide range of structures, which makes learning more challenging
- Relatively slow performance
2. Vue JS
Based on the experience of other frameworks, the Vue JS framework was designed with the most helpful features. It borrowed two-way data binding from AngularJS and virtual DOM from ReactJS. Vue framework is perfect for developing complex one-page applications, as well as a variety of user interfaces. Vue JS website framework also stands out for its subtle reactivity system.
Distinctive features of Vue JS:
- High adaptability, enabling you to switch from other frameworks to Vue JS easily
- Availability of detailed documentation that facilitates the Vue JS development process
- Scalability: the ability to build vast reusable templates in a short period
Drawbacks:
- Lack of resources and plugins
- Lack of considerable project support
3. Meteor
Meteor is a framework for the development of modular, highly interactive applications. It enables you to combine existing technologies and create apps for any device.
Distinctive features of Meteor:
- Full-stack development using one language
- Reactive templates
- Simple integration with other frameworks
Drawbacks:
- No support for databases other than MongoDB
- Insufficient implementation of certain functions
4. Backbone.js
Backbone.js is a framework for developing MVP-based flexible web applications. It is well-known for its extensive functionality and relatively small size.
Distinctive features of Backbone.js:
- More than 100 extensions that allow sophisticated functions using less code;
- Easy-to-maintain code;
- Flexibility with a plethora of building blocks
Drawbacks:
- Memory leaking
- Inefficient performance, owing, in part, to a lack of two-way data binding
5. React Native
React Native is a popular open-source framework for developing mobile applications, built specifically for this purpose based on ReactJS. Since this framework supports cross-platform technology, offers a user-friendly interface, and reasonable speed, it has many followers.
Distinctive features of React Native:
- Single codebase for platforms like iOS and Android
- Similar to the Native, as it uses the native API
- Large library of components, which allows the faster creation of mobile applications
- A big community leads to the emergence of verified libraries, as well as the speed of bug fixes release
Drawbacks:
- Lacking memory management
- JavaScript security issues
- Slow implementation of modern features
6. Ember.js
Ember.js stands alongside other prominent MVC JavaScript frameworks. Having appeared in 2011 as open-source, it makes it reasonably easy to build scalable single-page web applications and provides two-way data binding.
Distinctive features of Ember.js:
- High performance and speed
- Clear and strict structure
- Enables for the creation of extended HTML tags
- Allows developers to build stable applications
Drawbacks:
- Rigid project structure
- No standard set of UI elements
7. Node.js
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that operates outside the browser. This framework enables you to create server-side code for dynamic web pages and web apps. Node.js is a platform that allows you to use JavaScript in backend development.
Distinctive features of Node.js:
- Exceptionally fast in terms of code performance
- Cross-platform technology
- Easy-to-learn
- Rapid request processing and an event-driven approach
Drawbacks:
- Callback dependency
- Low performance when working with complex computational tasks
AngularJS (or its mobile app dev version Mobile Angular UI) and React Native are the two most effective frameworks for generating high-quality mobile applications among the ones we've highlighted. In AngularJS, responsive media queries are separate from the bootstrap program, and you only have to choose the most suitable. All you need to create a mobile app are some AngularJS directives.
Developing mobile applications with React Native is a new level in building apps for smartphones, according to the trends in the growth of the IT sphere. Developing a React Native application requires creating a single shared project that uses the native features of each platform. As a result, a single team can share a single database to implement functionality for both iOS and Android. At the same time, the user experience will be fully compliant with Apple and Google's guidelines.
Conclusion
In terms of web and mobile development, JavaScript unquestionably remains at the pinnacle of demand. As a result of this popularity, there is a broad array of frameworks available, some of which we briefly described today. We hope that our information has assisted you in deciding on a particular framework for your project. After all, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to selecting the best one.