What if JavaScript Libraries were Star Wars Characters
As a web developer, there are few things as good as the plethora of JavaScript libraries and frameworks available for us to dive into. This post is derived from a shower thought, because what’s better than thinking about JavaScript and Star Wars in the shower?
Methodology
Although, I would like to say that popularity of a particular framework doesn’t influence this list, it would seem entirely too weird to cast somethingyouneverheardof.js in the role of Luke Skywalker. That being said, I will not pretend to know your favorite framework and character.
jQuery — Yoda
When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.
Longevity and relevance make this an easy comparison. jQuery, first released in 2006, is ancient in the front-end world. As one of the libraries that provided amazing help for cross-browser compatibility, it was the coolest kid on the block for a long time. While it seems to be falling out of favor due to increased interest in declarative and functional libraries that provide other sets of features, it remains as an out-of-the-box dependency for well-known libraries, such as Twitter’s Bootstrap and Zurb’s Foundation libraries.
AngularJS — Darth Vader
Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed
The popularity of AngularJS made “two-way data-binding” and “dependency injection” household terms. Two-way data-binding is the first thing that made me say, “ooh neat”, and the behavior has been used in several libraries since then. The force-choke that AngularJS put on front-end developers made it impossible to avoid the “dark side”. AngularJS also contributed to the popularity of component-based front-end development through the usage of custom directives. It’s not clear if AngularJS brought balance to the force, but it taught me to look at front-end development in a different way.
React — Luke Skywalker
If there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from.
Although this protagonist does not come from humble origins, React is a hero for many. With an inexplicable ability to talk to a variety of machines, React finds itself having success in mobile development with React Native. Recent news suggesting people are reexamining their usage of React in light of the Apache Software Foundation’s ban seems a bit hyperbolic. React will have many padawans for years to come.
VueJS — Han Solo
Great, kid! Don’t get cocky.
Although Luke is the central character, many fans adored Han Solo. VueJS shares the idea of declarative language from AngularJS with an API that is not dissimilar from React.
EmberJS — Chewbacca
Let him have it. It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.
EmberJS is an opinionated framework. Much like Chewie, it will tear your arms off if you try to go about doing things in a way that is inconsistent with its philosophy. Paired with its large size, it gives developers a powerful ally that it rarely lets down.
Lodash-R2D2
That little droid and I have been through a lot together.
R2D2 has fixed ships, stopped trash compactors, cut open nets, found Luke, and a ton of other things throughout the saga. Similarly, Lodash has been a great sidekick along with many of the other names in this list. Although many people are pointing out the improved functionality in ES6 in regards to functional programming support, Lodash remains a staple in lot of config files.
BabelJS-C3PO
I do believe that they think I am some sort of god.
Sounds like an insulting comparison, but give it a chance! Do you need to speak to primitive browsers or Ewoks? Is your name Luke? Then you’re not going to get by without C3PO. BabelJS is the top translator of ES6+ -> ES5 and allows developers to utilize JSX. Hate him or love him, just make sure to pay homage via .BabelRC.
Flux-Princess Leia
You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.
Call her Redux, Vuex, Her Royal Highness. A little state management brings a sense of stability in areas that Luke (React) and Han (Vue) seem to be able to do on their own. Some folks complain that she can be a bit verbose at times, but she’s a key member of a lot of team compositions.
ImmutableJS — Boba Fett
What if he doesn’t survive? He’s worth a lot to me.
Boba Fett makes a living as the most popular bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe. Similarly, ImmutableJS is out there to snatch developers that attempt to mutate state. This library pairs well with functional programming loving Luke Skywalker fans.
D3 — Lando Calrissian
We’ll last longer than we will against that Death Star!
Lando ran a city and played a pivotal role in the destruction of the second death star, but he also has the role of the flashiest character in the series. D3 can be used in a variety of ways but seems to be best known for it’s usage in charts. Many popular SVG based charting libraries are dependent on D3.
Do you have a better match for another library? I want to know! Leave your comments below and I may add or change some of these. Thanks for reading!
