A JavaScript framework is a collection of JavaScript code libraries that provide a web developer with pre-written code for routine programming tasks. Frameworks are structures with a particular context and help you create web applications within that context.
It is completely possible to build strong web applications without JavaScript frameworks, but frameworks provide a template that handles common programming patterns. Each time you have to build an application, you don’t need to write code for every single feature from scratch. Instead, you can build upon an existing feature set.
JavaScript frameworks, like most other frameworks, provide some rules and guidelines. Using these rules and guidelines, any developer can make complex applications faster and more efficiently than if they decided to build from scratch. The rules and guidelines help shape and organize your website or web application too!
For example, think about a potter’s wheel where you can build pots. The potter’s wheel is your framework; it has certain consistencies that you have to work with. The wheel rotates, and you can use that rotation to build pots of different shapes and sizes.
You can build pots, plates, cups, bowls, or even cylindrical sculptures. But you can’t build a house with it; you need to find a different framework for that.
Framework vs. Library
A common topic of discussion in the software community is the difference between a framework and a library. In truth, experts have suggested that the line between them can be blurry, but it is useful to make the distinction.
While a JS framework is a full toolset that helps shape and organize your website or application, a JS library, on the other hand, is a collection of pre-written code snippets that are less about shaping your application and more about providing a use-as-needed library of features.
Model View Controller (MVC)
Modern JavaScript frameworks use a software design pattern called Model–View–Controller. It is commonly used for developing user interfaces that divide related programming logic into three interconnected elements.
The model is the central web component of the pattern as it is the application’s dynamic data structure. It manages the data of the application.
The view consists of all the code that has to do with representing the application’s data — the code for the user interface.
The controller is the interpreter. It accepts inputs and converts them into commands for the model or view.
Frameworks are built around the MVC design pattern to provide structure and adaptability in software development.
Popular JavaScript Frameworks
JavaScript is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages globally and has more frameworks than any other language. Since JavaScript is used for both client-side and server-side code, there are many frameworks to work with. Some of the most popular frameworks include:
Front-End Frameworks
React
React.js is an efficient and flexible JavaScript library for building user interfaces created by Facebook. Technically, React is a JS library, but it is often discussed as a web framework and is compared to any other open source JavaScript framework.
React makes it easy to create interactive user interfaces because it has predictable JavaScript code that is easy to debug. Furthermore, it provides a REACT component system where blocks of JavaScript code can be written once and reused repeatedly in different parts of the application or even other applications.
Angular
AngularJS is a popular enterprise-level JavaScript framework used for developing large and complex business applications. It is an open-source web framework created by Google and supported by both Google and Microsoft.
Vue
Vue.js is a progressive framework for building user interfaces. It is an up-and-coming framework that helps developers in integrating with other libraries and existing projects. It has an ecosystem of libraries that allow developers to create complex and solid single-page applications.
Back-End Frameworks
Express
Express.js is a flexible, minimalistic, lightweight, and well-supported framework for Node.js applications. It is likely the most popular framework for server-side Node.js applications. Express provides a wide range of HTTP utilities, as well as high-performance speed. It is great for developing a simple, single-page application that can handle multiple requests at the same time.
Next.js
Next.js is a minimalistic framework that allows a a JavaScript developer to create a server-side rendering and static web applications using React.js. It is one of the newest and hottest frameworks that takes pride in its ease of use. Many of the problems developers experience while building applications using React.js are solved using Next.js. It has many important features included “out of the box,” and makes development a JavaScript breeze.
In the current job market, the most popular JavaScript framework/library is React.js. Since JavaScript has so many frameworks, it can sometimes be hard to decide which one to start learning. You could start with any framework, but if your goal is to get a job, you will have better odds if you learn React first. The same can be said for Express.js as a back-end framework as it is the most widely used and sought-after framework.
JavaScript frameworks are more adaptable for designing web applications and make working with JavaScript easier and smoother. This is why they are so popular among developers. A variety of frameworks exist because they can be applied to solve different problems. When choosing a framework, carefully consider your project requirements before deciding to implement any particular JavaScript framework. In addition to all the unique technical features of JavaScript frameworks, each framework comes with its own learning curve, community engagement/support, documentation, and compatibility.