Top-5 of the Best JavaScript Frameworks Relevant Today

JavaScript keeps picking up speed in gaining popularity among developers and startup owners. It occupies a rightful place among the most exciting and lucrative programming languages, according to TIOBE index. JavaScript frameworks are extensively used for the creation of web applications, and there are plenty of reasons for that. They facilitate the programming and testing processes, enhance the operability and cut development costs. Besides, they help to add numerous useful features to the applications, update web pages in the online mode, and a host of other things. We have selected five JavaScript (JS) frameworks, which we think are the best choices in 2017.

AngularJS

This one has been one of the frontmost frameworks utilized for the creation of one-page web applications. Angular is subject to MVW (Model-View-Whatever) pattern. Using this framework allows reducing the amount of JavaScript required to make web applications functional. AngularJS is often utilized for the collection of user data by means of customizing applications’ HTML, which contains additional customized attributes. It can offer you many fruitful features, which we want to mention below.

Benefits of AngularJS:

• Writing less code. A bidirectional data binding releases programmers from the need of putting the data manually in the view. Because directives are separated from app code, the development can be done in parallel, and the adjustments in the backend are instantly get rendered in the UI.
• Highly testable products. The abovementioned two-way binding allows keeping the view and model synched, which decreases the DOM’s significance and enhances testability.
• A declarative user interface. The implication of HTML in defining of user interfaces makes it more intuitive and less complicated as compared to JavaScript-defined interfaces.
• Strong support. Being developed by Google, supported by a huge global programming community, and constantly updated with new plugins, it becomes a powerful instrument in capable hands.

Some of the well-known websites that use AngularJS: Google Checkout, YouTube, Vevo, Domino’s Pizza, iTunes Connect, PayPal.

ReactJS

In fact, this is a JavaScript-based library rather than a framework, but it has much in common with the latter. It is widely used by the developing community for building user interfaces. Numerous individual programmers and corporations contribute to its development as an efficient instrument for making dynamic high-traffic apps.

Benefits of ReactJS:

• Simplicity. React has a very small API, which makes this framework very comprehensible and easy to learn and operate.
• Swift operation. Many frameworks go multitasking, which can end in a somehow cumbrous production. Conversely, React was designed for one particular task — rendering HTML, and this is what makes it work very smoothly.
• Great integration. ReactJS represents a “V” component in the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, thus, it can be easily matched with any application architecture. Besides, it supports virtual DOM instead of the one offered by the browsers, which gives it extra flexibility and quick reaction on the updates in DOM.
• A user-friendly interface. React offers many out-of-the-box development tools, MVC templates and features that allow creating a customized front-end.

The following industry giants use ReactJS: Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, New York Times, Walmart, Airbnb.

Vue

Another popular JavaScript framework, which is a great choice when it comes to a swift cross platform development with the help of MVVM (Model-View-View-Model) templates. Just like Angular and React, it can be successfully utilized for the creation of high-quality single page products. It is somehow faster and leaner than the two previously mentioned frameworks. However, it should be mentioned that it may sometime lose out to them in terms of code organization and applications’ structure.

Benefits of Vue.js

• A great performance without sacrificing functionality. The latter itself is enhanced by the ready-made models and templates.
• Comprehensive documentation. The framework operates a very well-written documentation, so when a newbie decides to use Vue for the creation of one’s first app, knowing some basic would be already a half the battle.
• More operations with scripts. With Vue.js, you can not only write them, but also read and edit.
• Responsiveness. An easy two-way communication gives a boost to HTML blocks handling.

The developers of the following projects have enjoyed Vue.js: Grammarly, EdEra Books, GitLab, Laravel.

Ember

Ember.js is another open-source JavaScript-based framework, which is ideal for building dynamic client-side web products. It is not so widely used as the previously mentioned ones, but it is gaining developers’ recognition at a blistering pace. It uses the URL-driven approach for the determination of the object’s current state. It combines all routes in one router so that one doesn’t need to do it by hand. That’s why this modular framework is characterized by its focus on apps’ scalability and multi-functionality.

Benefits of Ember.js:

• A two-way data binding. Similar to like AngularJS, Ember is empowered by a continuous synchronization that is maintained between the server and the client.
• Convention over configuration. This idea, popularized by Ruby on Rails, describes Ember.js. The best practices are already embedded in the framework, so it helps you to make right choices in the development process, for instance, generating the resulting code automatically.
• Simplicity. Ember is not tricky to be mastered, which gives the framework another unquestionable advantage.
• Highly functional templating mechanism. A set of built-in modules provides an on-the-spot rendering of DOM, reduction of the need to write extra code and other manipulations that improve the operation of complex apps.

Ember is used in the following websites: Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Apple Music, Netflix, Groupon

Backbone

The last but not the least framework in our review is a simple and very lightweight UI-library that is based on Model-View-Presenter (MVP) paradigm. It is designed for the development of applications that support RESTful JSON interface. However, in order to work efficiently with Backbone, one needs to connect it with Underscore.js and jQuery libraries. The framework is good at keeping different parts of apps synchronized.

Benefits of Backbone.js:

• Simple module management. Modules are used in a way that can be called almost effortless, which helps saving time as well. Dealing with an app’s API helps to transform a difficult and multi-sided task into an easy one.
• Using less system code. The framework uses the server API and minimizes the code.
• Synchronization with a back-end. Backbone models can be seamlessly tied to the back-end.
• Freedom of action. Backbone is among the tools that give you a room for maneuver in making your own development and architecture decisions. You can choose whatever you want to make your app work just as you need, mixing and matching its various parts.

Many of the well-known companies have found Backbone.js useful, namely: WordPress, Soundcloud, Foursquare, Trello, Groupon Now, HackerRank, Hulu, Pandora Radio, Airbnb.

Considering that all the JavaScript frameworks and libraries we’ve reviewed have many similar or interchangeable features, the choice of the framework for your project should be based more on your company’s targets, project requirements and the way you want to implement it in each particular case.

For a newbie who is puzzled by the question which JS framework to learn, it wouldn’t hurt to grasp Angular and React in the first turn. If you want to know our preferences, we at GlobalLuxSoft make active use of Angular, React and Vue. We choose these JavaScript frameworks because they satisfy our requirements to the effective web development, and we have tailored them to our routine work on the projects.

What are your JS favorites? Maybe, they were not presented in this article, and you have something to add? Tell us which frameworks you use for fine-tuning of web development processes in your company.