Popular frameworks for development in 2022. Dealing with Laravel, Django and other options

Software products that simplify the creation and maintenance of technically complicated or heavy projects are called Framework. It contains only basic software modules, and all specific components are based on them and implemented by the programmer. In this way, it’s easy to achieve a high speed of development.

Nowadays there are a large number of frameworks. In Artjoker, we have tested many platforms on our own experience over the years. In the end, we chose Laravel. But we do not urge you to stop looking for a suitable framework right now and start using this one only. In this article, we will objectively overlook the most popular frameworks, it will help you to decide which one to choose in 2022 and why.

The advantages of frameworks

If frameworks did not exist, the creation of the site would have lasted longer. So it gives the chance to be connected to various types of a DBMS without immersion in specifics of the infrastructure organization. It has ready-made solutions for working with the file system, tools for optimizing and speeding up the application.

Lets see the main frameworks benefits:

• Simple process of diagnostics and debugging.

In addition to reducing time that you spend on writing code, frameworks also make it easier to debug and maintain software. The debugging process involves going through the code in search of the point at which an error was made while writing the program. Some frameworks have their own internal code testing system, which allows programmers to run unit tests at the same time. This process gives the opportunity to spend more time on testing than on fixing bugs.

• Improved code efficiency.

Frameworks also encourage code reuse, which makes code more efficient. In order not to write complex structures containing hundreds of lines of code from scratch, you can refer to the platform base. Using this method, the developer gets a code in which it is easy to make changes and apply additional functions. You can also create your own code to use in future projects.

• Accelerated Development

Frameworks contain basic software modules, libraries, a user-friendly interface, a flexible coding environment, and other features that make your work easier. Developers don’t have to worry about data anonymization, session management, error handling, authentication, etc. The platform does a great job with most of these features. This allows the programmer to immediately start writing code without being distracted by other tasks.

Analyzing all the advantages, we can say that the framework does most of the work. For example, a developer does not need to think about how to write data to a file, for this it is enough to simply call a method that will solve this problem.

https://statisticsanddata.org/data/most-popular-backend-frameworks-2012-2021/

On the video you can see how the framework leaders have changed over the past nine years. In 2021, the top 6 are Laravel, Django, Flask, Express JS, Ruby on Rails, and Spring. Let’s take a closer view on each.

• Laravel

Laravel is a free and open source general-purpose PHP framework. The platform shares libraries with Symfony. Suitable for developing web applications based on the MVC pattern, which separates data and business logic from visualization. Since the platform is open source, it provides great opportunities for customizing, modifying and extending applications. A web application developed this way is more practical and structured. This is where Laravel surpasses its competitors.

Advantages:

• Improved performance;
• Powerful community and open source;
• Light unit testing;
• Easily developing of multilingual applications;
• Fast product launch.

Where is used:

Many industries and businesses use Laravel to develop their applications. Due to its wide functionality, it is used by industries that need enterprise-level applications: banking, healthcare, entertainment, e-commerce.

Laravel also makes it possible to develop platforms which require data processing, high traffic and complexity.

Applications on Laravel provide higher performance compared to resources created using other PHP frameworks. This is possible because of SQL injection protection, a caching system and a built-in queue system.

Today Laravel is used by companies such as 9GAG, BBC, Crowdcube, FedEx, Lenovo, Pfizer and others.

• Django

Django is a free web framework suitable for developing complex websites and web applications, which is written in the Python programming language and follows the MVC-MVT architectural pattern. The platform is implemented according to the DRY principle — don’t repeat yourself. Using Django, you do not need to rewrite the same code several times. He copes with a large number of tasks and heavy workloads.

Advantages:

• Huge number of libraries;
• Ability to scale if needed;
• Powerful automatic administration interface that can be used to manage website content;
• Multilingual support, which is used to translate text into different languages.

It is important to know that Django does not support WebSockets, so it is not well suited for real-time work.

Where is used:

Django is ideal for rapid development and clean and practical design. A large number of libraries allows developers to focus on the unique parts of the project, rather than devoting time to basic functionality.

It is used to create communication platforms, room reservation services, document management platforms, customizable applications. Django can be used not only to write websites with a minimum amount of code, but also to develop complex systems. For example, customer relationship management systems and content communication platforms.

Django is also suitable for creating algorithmic generators, email newsletter platforms, verification systems, platforms for data analysis and complex calculations, machine learning.

• Flask

Flask is a microframework developed in Python. The main feature is the absence of tools and libraries. It is based on the Jinja2 template engine and the Werkzeug toolkit. However, Flask has a basic set of features. If you want to expand the list, you can always install add-ons. The platform is very easy to use, so it is suitable not only for professionals, but also for beginners too. Flask has no formulaic code or dependencies that can distract from the main function of the application.

Advantages:

• Provides a development server and debugger;
• Compatible with Google App Engine;
• Integrated support for unit testing;
• Using Jinja2;
• Compatible with WSGI 1.0.;
• Support for secure cookies;
• A large number of extensions for functions improving.

Where is used:

Flask is used to create small projects that work primarily with static content. In addition, it is also suitable for creating microservices.

• ExpressJS

ExpressJS is a simple and fast web framework for Node.js applications. This platform provides an extensive set of features for mobile and web applications. It is one of the most powerful service frameworks. The main feature is that it`s characterized by a small amount of basic functionality. All other functions can be obtained from external modules. ExpressJS is used as a middleware to manage servers and routes. It is suitable for developing simple applications that can handle multiple requests at the same time.

Advantages:

• Simplicity and flexibility;
• Browser Orientation;
• Good scalability;
• Wide range of plug-ins;
• It is part of the MEAN stack, where it is combined with MongoDB, Angular and Node Js, which allows you to develop an application from start to finish.

ExpressJS is best suited for:

• Junior developers;
• In projects where long-term application support is needed;
• Large projects with customization.

Companies such as Accenture, Fox Sports, IBM, Uber, Exove work with the platform.

• Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is a multi-level MVC framework for building web applications written in the Ruby programming language. It is open software, that means it is with open source code.

This platform is not for beginners. Most often, the professionals work in the Ruby language, so the level of programmers who have chosen Ruby on Rails is quite high. The popularity of the platform may be due to the use of a plug-in system. These open-source plugins are called “jams”. They implement the most requested functions. Jams are low-level and high-level. The first are responsible for aspects of the internal operation of the application, and the second are separate modules for solving a whole range of tasks. The ability to connect individual components and libraries that are well tested and provide the best solution speeds up the development process.

Advantages:

• Cost-effective due to many modules that speed up development;
• By default Ruby on Rails is installed and enabled with some security measures;
• The ability to create a web application using the frontend and backend;
• Easily combined with libraries of third programs;
• Helps keep the project organized and deciphered as developers have to follow standard file storage and programming conventions.

Where is used:

Ruby on Rails is suitable for developing fast, ordinary sites that need to be made fault-tolerant and working under heavy load, as well as for web applications with complex business logic and a dynamic interface.

• Spring

Spring is a versatile open source framework for developing Java applications. The platform is designed as a response to the complex JEE 2 specification, offering a framework that includes technologies such as Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP), Dependency Injection (DI), Plain Old Java Object (POJO). But despite so many technologies, Spring is a lightweight platform that can be used to build scalable, secure, and reliable enterprise web applications.

Advantages:

• Ability to develop applications as a set of loosely coupled components;
• simplification of initialization and configuration of components;
• simplification of unit testing;
• simplified development and support of applications in general;
• good documentation, which helps a lot while debugging applications.

Why is Laravel our favorite?

At Artjoker we have been developing for 15 years. During this time we have tried many different programming languages and frameworks. First of all, our developers were looking for a platform that would contain everything you need to work in one place. And for ourselves, we chose Laravel.

“Laravel is a convenient development environment, as it has an extensive ecosystem and a large community, both English-speaking and Russian-speaking. In chats and forums, you can always find answers on the topic of the framework’s capabilities or on solving typical problems. It also allows you to do most of the site’s typical functionality: registration, authorization (both basic and through social networks), user roles, notifications, etc.

More than 50,000 packages with ready-made solutions have already been created, which greatly speeds up and simplifies the work of the developer. All I have to do is just concentrate only on the features of the project. This contributes to a fairly high development speed.” — says our specialist.

In addition, Laravel has several other important advantages:

• Laravel development — fast product launch

For quick product launch, Laravel uses a modular system. The platform contains many ready-made functions and structures that work on the basis of advanced PHP principles, thereby reducing the time to develop responsive web applications. Since Laravel is open source, developers are constantly improving the platform, expanding its functionality and creating a convenient environment for working. It speeds up the web application development process by making Laravel fast and intuitive. With Laravel, you don’t spend hours and weeks writing multiple lines of code. The framework will not only make your work comfortable, but also help save time.

• Authorization and authentication in one click

Laravel has a simple and lightweight authentication system due to OAuth mechanisms. Users can log in, register, reset their password, and log in through various services. Laravel does this with just one command. It provides an easy way to organize authorization logic and control access to resources. It also has a variety of drivers for working with email and sending SMS notifications.

• MVC architecture in Laravel Framework

An important difference between Laravel and other PHP frameworks is that its architecture is based on MVC. This is a web application design pattern that includes several smaller patterns. The MVC concept consists of three components: model — separates and changes data, view — is responsible for displaying information (visualization), controller — provides communication between the user and the system. This separation allows you to make changes in one of the components without changing the other two. For example, if we make changes to the appearance, it will not change anything in the business logic and vice versa. The presence of MVC greatly simplifies the work of the programmer and minimizes the number of new bugs due to the changes made.

• Automated and unit testing

Another great advantage of Laravel is its unusual testing system. Unit testing allows you to test your code and make sure it works correctly. This is an essential process in working on web applications. To ensure that all issues are fixed and the application works, Laravel provides support for automated testing. During intensive testing of the application, the system simulates the basic behavior of users (for example, executing queries, parsing results, clicking on forms). Laravel’s unit testing feature allows you to test each component or module of your application to ensure that all elements work well together. As a result, the developer gets well-functioning web applications with optimized code.

• Automated task execution and scheduling

Every web application needs a task scheduling mechanism. This can be sending emails to subscribers, notifications to users, or cleaning up the database to speed up the application. Such a planning system helps in the future to automate their execution when it becomes necessary. Before now, you had to create a Cron configuration entry for every task you wanted to schedule on your service. The Laravel Command Scheduler offers a new method for managing scheduled tasks on a service. It allows you to create and schedule commands within the framework itself quickly.

This feature of Laravel makes your web application perform better and faster, and it also helps you save on hosting costs.

Conclusion

Anyone who starts their career as a developer has probably faced the problem of choosing a framework. There is a wide variety of platforms available in the software development industry. And how to find the right one among such a large selection?

Modern platforms have many features that allow developers to implement any ideas. And when you choose, you should pay attention to the features of each of them.

What characteristics should you pay attention to while choosing a framework?

• Functionality

Choose a framework based on the task that it should close. It makes no sense to choose a multifunctional program if you only need routing capabilities. The popularity of a platform does not mean that it is suitable for your needs. Once you understand what is required in your situation, it will allow you to evaluate different frameworks in terms of their features.

• Good documentation

Even if we wrote the code ourselves, returning to it after a while can be difficult.So we need a program which can make this process easier for us. Choose a framework with a good history of documentation and learning as it makes it much easier to understand the code and realize the full potential of the platform.

• Support

Check if the framework you want to use has an active user community. This is important to do at the project planning stage. If there are any questions or problems, the community will always come to your rescue, and in chats you can find ready-made solutions. If there is no such community, you may be left alone with your problem. In such a situation, you will look for a solution yourself or start from scratch using a new framework.

• Work environment

Not all frameworks are the same and not all of them have the same performance requirements. Not everyone needs the latest elements to perform their tasks well. But you should at least make sure that the framework you are interested in does not run on deprecated features. This can lead to product bugs, which can reflect badly on your application, developers, and organization in the eyes of the customer.

Each framework has its own advantages. Some have a rich selection of libraries, while others have good documentation. But the most important factor is that the framework closes the tasks you set. And if you want to find a multifunctional platform that can find a solution to your every question, then Artjoker recommends Laravel.