10 Top Frameworks of JavaScript
There are several programming languages for backend web developers to choose from, but for frontend development, JavaScript is the only one. JavaScript is the programming language of web browsers across all operating systems, so frontend devs have no choice but to learn it by heart.
With the web connecting more and more people across the globe, JavaScript has become a ubiquitous scripting language among programmers. JavaScript frameworks, which allow for even quicker and more convenient JavaScript development, have consequently seen a rapid rise in popularity, and support for such frameworks remains strong. In 2016, JavaScript’s platform was widened even further with the release of Electron, a tool enabling JavaScript to be used to create desktop applications.
10 Popular JS Frameworks
We take a look at 10 of the most popular JavaScript frameworks which are used among development community during many years.
Angular
Released by Google in 2009, AngularJS has become one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks to date. It has 1,596 contributors as of writing, making it the framework with the largest community of developers among all frontend JavaScript frameworks on GitHub.
With features such as automatic two-way data binding, script-free form validations, and use of directives to create reusable components, AngularJS greatly reduces development time. Among the prominent companies whose websites are built with AngularJS are PayPal, Upwork and Udemy. With Google’s recent release of Angular 2, a re-written version of Angular, interest for the framework continues to rise.
Although more of a library than a framework, React is a fierce competitor of Angular. With its development and maintenance led by Facebook and Instagram, it has received 70,043 stars on Github as of writing, the most among all frontend JavaScript frameworks.
React is mainly used for fast and simple creation of dynamic user interfaces using a component-based architecture. It also offers the advantage of compatibility with other frameworks and libraries. PayPal, GoDaddy and Glassdoor all use React in their websites.
Ember
Ember.js is another framework for building interactive user interfaces. Among its main features are its use of routers to preserve page states in URLs and its use of Handlebars syntax for HTML templating. Like Angular, Ember also uses two-way data binding to synchronize UI elements with data changes. Ember.js is used in the websites of Yahoo!, LinkedIn, and Netflix.
Meteor
Unlike the previous frameworks, Meteor is a full stack JavaScript framework, meaning it can be used in both frontend and backend development. Moreover, it is cross-platform, so it can be used to develop web, desktop, and mobile applications. This offers Meteor developers the convenience of being able to use a single language throughout the entire application. Amazon, Apple and Starbucks all used Meteor.js to build their websites.
Backbone
Backbone.js is a very simple and lightweight framework, so it is fairly easy to learn and can lead to quick loading times. Although it offers most of the common functionalities offered by other frameworks, it leaves out some notable features such as data binding, for which it requires additional plug-ins. It is therefore more suitable as an accessory framework to be used in conjunction with other frameworks. It’s used in the websites of Reddit, Disney and Walmart.
Vue
Vue.js is a newcomer to JavaScript frameworks, having only been released in 2014, but has since grown rapidly in popularity. As of writing, it has garnered 58,512 stars on Github, the second highest among all frontend JavaScript frameworks next to React. Like Backbone, it is lightweight and minimalistic, but is different in that it offers two-way data binding like Angular. It is also readily compatible for use with other frameworks. McDonald’s, NBC Sports and Dunkin Donuts use Vue.js in their websites.
Polymer
Released by Google in 2013 and classified as another JavaScript library, Polymer is in its own league in that it uses web component technologies to enable the creation of custom HTML elements. In addition, it supports both one-way and two-way binding, giving developers a lot of flexibility and control. The websites of CodePen, BattleField, and CrowdTap developed by Polymer developers.
Aurelia
Another newcomer to the JavaScript frameworks world, Aurelia is a collection of libraries that may be used individually or together. It offers developers a combination of neat features like two-way data binding, simplified unit testing, and an extensible HTML compiler which allows for dynamic user interface generation. Some examples of websites using Aurelia are Ticmate, InnoCare Software, and Faithlife Music.
Knockout
Knockout is another lightweight and minimalistic JavaScript framework. Among its main features are its use of declarative data bindings that allow for automatic UI refreshing, its simplified mechanisms for tracking dependencies, and its nested HTML templating. Dell, Toys R Us, and Comcast use Knockout in their websites.
Mithril
Yet another newcomer, Mithril.js is a very lightweight framework. With under a thousand lines of code and just 14 functions, Mithril boasts of very quick loading and rendering times. Due to its simplicity, it’s also easy to learn. Among its main features are customizable data binding and URL routing. Some examples of websites using Mithril are Iconfinder, BrandExtract, and FitFusion.
JavaScript Programmers in Ukraine
Ukraine has one of the most flourishing IT industries across Europe. As of 2016, there are over 90,000 IT professionals in Ukraine, of which roughly 50,000 are software developers. Analysts estimate the number of IT professionals in Ukraine to rise to 200,000 by 2020.
Among software developers, JavaScript is easily the most popular programming language, used by over 66.7% of all developers. React and Angular are by far the most popular JavaScript frameworks in Ukraine in terms of Google search count, according to Google Trends.
Google Trends statistics on Google search popularity of different JavaScript frameworks
How Mobilunity Can Help
JavaScript powers the entire world wide web, and JavaScript frameworks aid in accelerating web development. So, this is obvious that JavaScript experts are in the high demand till the date. But, of course, the number of such programmers varies from country to country. And for one it can be extremely difficult to hire one than for another. Ukraine is a home to European best IT talents with the most economical rates, and hiring developers from Ukraine would empower companies to do more for less. And Mobilunity is a software development company that helps the enterprises and startups to find the best match of a developer for your project.
