Practical Guide to Using TOP Web Development Technologies in 2023
You are presumably always abreast of web development trends. However, there is so much information about modern web technologies that it would be well to get expert advice to sort it all out. We have prepared such tips for you.
So, you’re in the thick of things in web app development to find the best tech solution that meets your product goals. Whether you`re running an existing web service or planning to develop a web app from scratch, we’ll give you some insights into which trends directly affect your project and how to be in line with them. Let this guide be your lighthouse in the ocean of modern web development technologies.
Trend 1. Bet on Optimal Infrastructure
Who needs it most?
One-size-fits-all trend. It is important for startups,
and it is just crucial for established businesses.
Infrastructure changes can be complex and expensive
for long-term and large-scale web projects
The proper infrastructure is vital to a web development project. Ambiguity and non-prioritizing can cost you dearly. When evaluating and comparing web application architectural alternatives, we should consider all their properties. Performance, scalability, capacity, maintenance costs, and more — don’t leave anything out.
For example, a serverless architecture can be beneficial. But it won’t always run faster if you haven’t taken care of DevOps. Or, let’s say you need to increase development speed. Then a cloud platform is one of the preferable options. But it will involve considerable costs. Can you fit them into your web project’s budget?
The choice of infrastructure reflects project priorities. A combination of technical and economic factors is at work. Choosing the right infrastructure will make it easier to get the most out of the latest web development technologies.
Rustam Irzaev, .NET Team Leader at MobiDev
Today, you can choose from several types of infrastructure services. For instance, companies still use Logging as a Service (LaaS). This classic model is quite cost-effective in terms of support (e. g. DigitalOcean).
Among the main types of infrastructure services, there are two that we would like to focus on separately:
- Backend as a Service (BaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS).
There is no consensus among web developers regarding BaaS and PaaS. Therefore, it is appropriate to look at them both in more detail.
BAAS IN CURRENT WEB DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGIES
Web apps and mobile apps need the same function sets on servers. Thus, BaaS also encompasses Mobile Backend as a Service (MbaaS).
Backend as a Service connects Web or Mobile apps to cloud services with implemented most requested backend functionalities. Hence, you can get backend parts for your apps without developing them from scratch, thus saving time and money. The purpose of BaaS is to meet the needs of web developers in cloud computing. BaaS providers provide the ability to use the cloud backend with the help of APIs (application programming interfaces) or SDKs (software development kits).
The benefits of BaaS are shortened time-to-market and infrastructure costs. Is it possible to extend the basic functionality of the cloud backend by adding custom features? Many providers offer this for an extra fee for additional integrations or computing power.
Speaking of BaaS providers, Firebase, AWS Amplify and Azure Mobile Apps are conspicuous among them.
By the way, Firebase displays one of BaaS’s specialties. Firebase is a Google Cloud function. More precisely, it is a function that has grown into a separate service. Similar services belong to FaaS (Functions as a service), an integrated part of BaaS. FaaS are serverless architecture solutions for developing, running, and managing the app’s functionality.
This approach allows you to get an infrastructure that can scale from the ground up to almost infinity. In addition, with FaaS, you may automate scaling up or down. If flexible adaptation to the market is a priority of your web project, then such services will be a good fit. This model facilitates the creation of microservices apps, which is also one of the recent trends in web development. Well-known FaaS are IBM Cloud Functions, Amazon AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Microsoft Azure Functions, and OpenFaaS.
PAAS: CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS
PaaS (platform as a service) suggests an infrastructure for app development. Web developers can design, test, and host on such platforms. Access to various templates, tools, libraries, and codes provided by PaaS helps a lot. If the speed of development and reduction of implementation costs are priorities for your web project, then this is the choice for you.
When is PaaS not your cup of tea? First, PaaS might not be a plug-and-play solution for legacy apps and services. Secondly, if data security is an antecedent for your company, try to find another option for ready-made infrastructure. The thing is that PaaS operates on public infrastructure, private or public cloud services. Data storage on third-party, vendor-controlled cloud servers increases security risks.
Below, we have compared cloud infrastructure models for web development. Figure out how you can manage the functionality of your web product across different types of infrastructure.
Trend 2. Uniting Serverless and Microservices
Who needs it most?
For those monolithic web projects that experience
or anticipate difficulties in adding new features, scaling, and updating.
In recent years, microservices have taken a leading place in software architecture. That is why many established web products are now at the stage of scaling the experience of limiting the architecture and moving from monolith to microservices.
Developers apply microservices with serverless solutions and containerization systems such as Docker and Kubernetes. In such cases, the effect of implementing microservices can be greatly enhanced. Such a combination becomes a lifeline for fast-growing projects with a rapid increase in user base, allowing them to scale.
PHP/DevOps Group Leader
Any Serverless microservice is located in a serverless vendor’s infrastructure. The launch starts if the app needs it. Companies opt for FaaS when they’re interested in high speed of implementation and reduced investments, or if load curves are shrouded in mystery. By applying Serverless microservices, they get out of vendor lock-in and can choose Lambda Serverless, Google Cloud Functions or Microsoft Azure Functions on the basis of the project.
Anton Lohvynenko, PHP/DevOps Group Leader at MobiDev
Relying on serverless cloud services of leading vendors facilitates the implementation of microservices and such in-demand solutions as mobile backends and Single-Page Applications.
Architecture determines the course of events in a web project for many years to come. The advancement of serverless, microservices, and highly specialized tools allows developers to assemble architectural solutions that will support further updating and scaling of web resources.
Trend 3. Building Platform-Independent Solutions with PWA
Who needs it most?
It`s a way for projects with limited resources to quickly bring a web app to the market.
Ideal for startups, including internal ones within established companies.
Large corporations also willingly follow this path to make their apps easier
for users to access. In particular, Lite versions of apps are released.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are one of the latest web development technologies designed to create platform-independent products. Any way to reduce development costs and time-to-market for apps is gaining attention, and PWA is one of them. So the approach where you can develop an app with a single codebase and then deploy it to multiple platforms is becoming more and more common.
The term PWA has appeared relatively recently, and even the criteria for classifying web apps as progressive are still being clarified. Nevertheless, the pros and cons of this type of web app can be pretty clearly outlined.
The downside of PWAs is that platforms are limited in their support. Progressive apps do not get direct access to all the capabilities of the platforms, inferior to native apps created using the platforms’ SDKs. Also, some platforms do not support PWA features for certain device types.
However, there are more advantages to PWA:
- No need to develop separate full versions for different platforms.
- Easier user access. You may use PWA not only through the browser but also by downloading and installing such apps, by analogy with native ones.
- Responsive design and lightweight.
- Progressive apps are SEO-friendly since they can be found through search engines.
Would I advise you to use a PWA? My answer is YES if your project strategy is to go to market quickly and cover multiple platforms with a single code base.
Startups see PWA as a shorter and cheaper way to launch their app. Established businesses are making their apps friendlier to users with limited access to high-performance platforms. It is PWA, for example, that can support offline mode. There are promising niches for this technology for enterprise software or the rapid transformation of a legacy web application into a progressive app.
Sergey Rykov, JavaScript Team Leader at MobiDev
At the moment, PWA is one of the latest technologies in web application development which shows the potential for further growth. In any case, when delving into the specifics and priorities of the customer’s web project, our developers always keep the PWA option in mind.
Trend 4. Accessing Customized API
Who needs it most?
In fact, it is a universal trend, the awareness of which will allow
project founders and CTOs to agree on technical details with web developers
This trend refers to changing the order and limitations of interaction between elements of web systems. First, it concerns data exchange, the generally accepted principles of creating reliable web APIs.
The well-known REST (Representational State Transfer) has been, for some time, the most widely used set of relevant rules. Now an alternative to REST has appeared — GraphQL, which provides data descriptions in the API. We apply this technology and advise everyone to take a close look at it.
The advantages of GraphQL include the following:
- Due to the ability to create a more precise request, the amount of data transmitted is reduced.
- Only one, not many, endpoints are required for operation.
- The strong typing of this language allows you to assess the correctness of the request before execution.
- There is a possibility of combining requests, etc.
Below we present a visual comparison of how the GraphQL API and REST API work.
Another positive consequence of using GraphQL is the reduction of the mutual dependence of frontend and backend developers. Backend developers only need to describe the data schema once. After agreeing on such a scheme, frontend developers no longer need new endpoints or add new parameters to the existing ones. Creating queries and combining data is based on the described scheme. This is definitely a good thing for a web app development project. Mutual blockages, delays, and bottlenecks are becoming less. Development is faster, and deadlines will be met.
Maksym Shevchenko, JavaScript Team Leader at MobiDev
Most apps need to retrieve complex data to render a page. Now frontends fetch needed data in a query without excessive delays due to GraphQL. As a result, users get faster applications. Many organizations, from GitHub to The New York Times, have already adopted GraphQL.
Trend 5. Considering HTML-over-the-Wire Instead of Traditional SPA
Who needs it most?
Projects which are aimed at creating interactive
and dynamic web apps with less effort than developing
single-page applications. Legacy web apps that need to be
modernized by adding interactive elements and widgets.
Nowadays, users expect even simple web apps to be interactive and dynamic. There is no point in arguing with web application development trends in 2023.
There is typically a lot of overhead to set up a full-stack infrastructure, process all domain logic via a REST API, set up the actual API, take care of security properly, validate everything, and handle data serialization. At the same time, more and more traditional backend frameworks, such as Ruby on Rails, provide an alternative, more flexible approach.
We rate this HTML-over-the-Wire approach as reliable and highly cohesive. Following this trending technology for web development, it is possible to create modern, interactive, and dynamic web apps. Let’s explain something in detail on the example of Ruby on Rails Hotwire.
According to HTML-over-the-Wire, template rendering and business logic are performed on the backend. You can add interactive components and widgets made with Ruby on Rails Hotwire at later stages of development. What’s more, you can integrate such interactive elements into websites already built on Ruby on Rails.
HTML-over-the-Wire technology allows you to break out of the usual stereotypes of single-page applications. On the one hand, another way of resource-saving web development from scratch appeared. On the other hand, many established companies appreciate the possibility of modernizing legacy web apps with modern features.
SERHII KOBA, Ruby Group Leader at MobiDev
Technically, the template is rendered on the server, and then HTML updates are sent over a WebSockets connection. The user’s session and UI state are also on the backend, so it makes the first load of the page fast.
Complex JavaScript rendering is unnecessary. Therefore, there should be no SEO issues. There is also no need to implement an intermediate REST or GraphQL API, which inevitably comes with attendant complexities. As a result, it is possible to quickly develop a responsive web app.
Of course, the approach we described does not cover the needs of all business cases where traditional single-page applications (SPA) prevail. In particular, it is not suitable for apps with many third-party interactive JavaScript widgets, such as WYSIWYG editors, maps, 3D visualization, etc.
Support for features of progressive web applications is also unlikely to be achieved within HTML-over-the-Wire. At the same time, HTML-over-the-Wire is a worthy alternative to traditional SPAs, expanding the arsenal of web developers.
Trend 6. Facilitating Complex Solutions
Who needs it most?
Companies that need to modernize legacy apps
or add AI functionality in web systems.
Striving to implement killer features or break away from competitors in improving the user experience often leads to the complexity of web systems. What is interesting about this is that the complexity (and, with it, the cost) increases imperceptibly and effortlessly. But to make complex solutions easier and cheaper, you need to put in some effort and apply proven techniques. We share such techniques in articles like this one and when discussing their projects with our clients.
So that introducing the latest web development technologies does not lead your project to cost overruns and breaking deadlines, we recommend using, for example, the following.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO ML MODEL INTEGRATIONS
AI solution implementation in apps requires a lot of computing resources. However, you can use the ML tools that cloud providers offer. These tools are beneficial but expensive. The addition of any new tool to the architecture should be justified as it increases the overall cost. With careful consideration and having the appropriate experience, as a rule, you can avoid part of the need for complex tools.
For instance, solving ML challenges does not always require a neural network or a GPU. For these issues, we get by with a combination of simple models and tools along with appropriate Python code.
VERSATILE APPROACHES TO OUTDATED APP MODERNIZATION
Legacy app modernization also often brings many challenges. The “outside-in” method is helpful, where the old code is wrapped into the new one. This approach sophisticates the ability to manage functionality.
The alternative for legacy systems is the “inside-out” approach. This option implies embedding the beginning of the new SPA (single-page applications) into the HTML document that contains the old one.
Each web project has its own specifics, which web developers should delve into. If and as long as users can tolerate the performance hit of the increased page size, SPA frameworks don’t even need to be the same. SPA injection allows you to remove the old SPA until the new one takes over completely.
Deputy Head of Research & Development
The selection of a tech stack for each web project begins with a thorough study of its specifics. The modern web development toolkit allows you to provide a reliable technical base for any business idea. Relaunching a legacy web app is always a great experience. There are many ambitious challenges when project teams work at the intersection of various technological areas. For example, MobiDev recently released a product that combines web and blockchain technologies — the NFT Marketplace.
Marcel Madjanta, Deputy Head of Research & Development at MobiDev
Compare your perception of web development trends with the opinions expressed in this article. We tried to help you see what recent advances in web app development and modern web technologies can bring to your product.
Written by Yuriy Luchaninov, JavaScript Group Leader at MobiDev.
The full article is originally published at https://mobidev.biz and is based on MobiDev technology research.
