JavaScript is well-organized, high-level, interpreted language; also characterized as dynamic and prototype-based language.
Although, when it comes to web or software development JavaScript frameworks are mostly recommended by web professionals in recent times. It’s somewhat impossible to be mastering on each and every framework in web development. Though at least you should try to know and understand more of the best JavaScript framework used by the top of acclaimed industries. As a plethora of JavaScript frameworks, testing tools, and libraries has been already explored by developers, but identifying the suitable one as per your desires it quite a monotonous task.
It is actually noticeable that JavaScript is one of popular tech-stack; moving headlong with constant modernization of new or latest skills to their repositories. Please take a look at some of the fact and figure of JavaScript:
Herein, the image shows the popularity ratio of JavaScript compared to other languages
Image credit: w3techs.com
How JavaScript gets praised everywhere?
With the Initial release of JavaScript in 1995, it was primarily used for front-end development as it is a combination of CSS and HTML for dynamic and interactive web applications solution. Although, when we talk about web-JavaScript inevitably has supremacy in web development technologies.
After the release of Node JS in 2009, the “JavaScript everywhere” paradigm evolved into existence. This server-side programming thing allows consolidating web application development into single Programming unit which ultimately opens up the option for full stack development. NPM-Node’s Packages Manager is one of the largest eco-system of open-source libraries across the entire globe.
Why JavaScript:
Beyond the web application, JavaScript has a giant presence among cross-platform application development. Renowned standalone apps like GitHub, Slack, Skype, and Tidal are developed with the help of its Electron.js framework. Furthermore, we shortlisted most popular JavaScript, libraries and tools which has been accepted by famed developers; let’s take a deep dive for more transparency.
The package manager is group or collection of software’s which automatically executes the essential processes of installation, upgrading the existing version, configuring, and removing unnecessary computer programs from the OS in a steady way.
1] NPM
NPM known as general purpose package manager used to manage JavaScript programming language. A default package manager that is relevant for JavaScript runtime environment Node JS.
NPM |
Description |
Website |
www.npmjs.com |
Current version |
7.0.0 |
Weekly download |
29,885 |
Repository |
github.com/npm/npm |
GitHub stars |
17,000+ |
Open issues |
15 |
NPM is an optimum solution for small or simpler projects that consists of fewer dependencies.
Benefits:
Drawback:
2] Yarn
Yarn is a newbie package manager, which replaces the existing or current workflow for npm and also remains compatible with the use of npm registry.
Yarn |
Description |
Website |
https://yarnpkg.com/en/ |
Current version |
1.13.0 |
Weekly download |
6,36,021 |
Repository |
github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/ |
GitHub stars |
34,633 |
Open issues |
1588 |
Yarn consists of the identical feature set as the existing workflows while working faster, highly secure and more reliable compared with recent package managers.
Benefits:
Drawback:
Difference between the NPM and Yarn package manager:
Task runners such as Gulp and Grunt comes in a picture because the basic or core npm script is incompetent at the time of performing multiple tasks simultaneously.
1] Gulp
Gulp is a command line task runner which utilize Node JS platform and also used to run the custom defined task. It ultimately automates some portions of the development workflow.
Gulp |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
4.0.0 |
Weekly download |
1,107,460 |
Repository |
github.com/gulpjs/gulp |
GitHub stars |
30,870 |
Open issues |
19 |
Gulp processes are used to manage automatically. Gulp use Node streams, the piping output from the single task as an input to another task, known as key benefits of Gulp task runner.
Benefits:
Drawback:
2] Grunt
Grunt task runner tool used to perform the frequent task and automatically execute the frequent task such as minification, unit testing, compilation, and linting. It also uses a command-line interface for running the custom defined list of task.
Grunt |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.0.3 |
Weekly download |
5,36,753 |
Repository |
github.com/gruntjs/grunt |
GitHub stars |
11,911 |
Open issues |
117 |
Benefits:
Drawback:
Difference between the Gulp and Grunt task runner:
Module bundler makes the process more actionable to write and execute modular JavaScript applications with ease.
1] Webpack
Webpack is a module bundler which is static in nature and used for modern JavaScript applications.
Webpack |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
0.2.1 |
Weekly download |
1,87,275 |
Repository |
github.com/FormidableLabs/webpack-stats-plugin |
GitHub stars |
202 |
Open issues |
3 |
At a time when webpack executes the applications, it internally builds a dependency graph that maps every module which the projects required and generates one or more bundles.
Benefits:
Drawback:
2] RequireJS
RequireJS actually a command line tool for running JavaScript with the use of Asynchronous Module Definition (AMD) in which module definition and loading standards of the CommonJS is implementing and used by Node JS.
Webpack |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
2.3.6 |
Weekly download |
258,811 |
Repository |
github.com/requirejs/r.js |
GitHub stars |
2519 |
Open issues |
126 |
RequireJS adjoins the power to load modules asynchronously, which ultimately suitable for better performance.
Benefits:
Drawback:
3] Browserify
Browserify allows us to write code in the browser which uses “require” in the same way we would use it in Node.
Webpack |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
16.2.3 |
Weekly download |
495,658 |
Repository |
github.com/browserify/browserify |
GitHub stars |
12,475 |
Open issues |
303 |
Browserify is not only the sweeter syntax for loading scripts on the client, though it’s a tool which caters all the resources of the NPM ecosystem server and adds into the client. Browserify is a simple yet exceptionally elegant and powerful tool.
Benefits:
Drawback:
Comparison of Webpack, and Require JS:
It’s time to take a bigger picture of the Frameworks and libraries; that who they are, and how they actually function.
Frameworks:
Framework is an abstraction in which general functionality of software can be modified by using hand-written code or Framework is known as a skeleton for application for boosting up execution of the process.
It follows the distinct way of software design approach by inserting the logic at requiring a point to form an efficient solution.
Framework provides a higher level of abstraction compared with the library. It also helps to build the hassle-free faster application development.
Libraries:
Library is a well-formed structure of useful functionalities. A usual library contains the functions likewise dates, HTML components, animation, network requesting and many more. Entire list if functions return values to calling application or logic that should be implemented however you choose it.
Library usually provides a higher level of abstraction that effortlessly implements the details and inconsistencies. It may decrease the development time by 20-25% because it solely takes care of finer details.
1] jQuery
A library that is based on JavaScript, designed to make simple HTML tree traversal, and manipulation, including event management, CSS, and Ajax with ease. jQuery is open-source, free software library along with permissive MIT License.
jQuery |
Description |
Website |
https://jquery.com/https://reactjs.org/ |
Current version |
3.3.1 |
Repository |
github.com/jquery/jquery |
Weekly download |
2,473,783 |
Open issues |
70 |
GitHub stars |
50,872 |
Launch date |
26 August 2006 |
License |
MIT |
JQuery is a tiny, fast, and feature-rich JavaScript library and provide easy to use API which works across multiple browsers.
JQuery makes the process hassle-free in the case where a common task that requires numbers of lines of codes to accomplish, it wraps them into a method that can be known by a single line of code and make JavaScript code much easier for your website.
jQuery has also cut down the complications from JavaScript, likewise AJAX call and DOM manipulation.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of jQuery:
2] Front-end frameworks
Front-end frameworks are combinations of HTML, standard CSS, JS documents which can be used to style or approach the advanced components of the user interface and make it more dynamic.
We have catered the most popular JavaScript frameworks which are being used for developing the intuitive and seamless application; let’s take an insightful look of them.
React JS
React JS falls under JavaScript libraries and used to develop interactive user interfaces. Most importantly it is backed by Facebook and some of the communities of individual developers and companies. It is a convenient option for building single-page or responsive mobile application.
React JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
16.8.1 |
Repository |
github.com/facebook/react |
Weekly download |
5,506,880 |
Open issues |
403 |
GitHub stars |
1,22,137 |
Launch date |
25 March 2015 |
License |
MIT |
React JavaScript framework is useful for developing creative, painless and interactive user interfaces. Moreover, React JS uses the declarative views that make your code more certain and easier to debug the errors in the systems.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of React JS:
Angular JS
Angular JS is an open-source JavaScript-based web framework which is useful for building a dynamic web application. It provides privilege to a designer like they can use HTML as template language and able to use an extension of HTML’s syntax to bringing up the application components effortlessly.
Angular JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.7.7 |
Repository |
github.com/angular/angular.js |
Weekly download |
4,29,933 |
Open issues |
386 |
GitHub stars |
59,380 |
Launch date |
20 October 2010 |
License |
MIT |
This framework allows Angular JS developers to extend HTML vocabulary and provide the exceptionally expressive, readable and quick to developing environment.
As there are a plethora of Angular JS development tools are available although choosing the best one is quite a complex job. For a thoughtful description of the development environment; go through this blog “10 useful Angular JS development tools”.
Angular JS has large numbers of useful features which tend to rapid development and saves more time.
Also, read Top most favorable features of Angular JS in the development.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Angular JS:
Ember JS
Ember JS is undertaking in JavaScript’s open-source framework, which is based on model-view-ViewModel syntax.
Developer can use Ember JS for building scalable single-page web application by consolidating common jargons which are defined as best practice into the web application development.
Ember JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.0.3 |
Repository |
github.com/emberjs/ember |
Weekly download |
703 |
Open issues |
0 |
GitHub stars |
0 |
Launch date |
8 December 2011 |
License |
MIT |
Ember JS is useful for developing client-side JavaScript application along with a complete pack of solution that contains data management apt of an application flow.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Ember JS:
Also knows as a minimalist JavaScript framework, more advantageous for developing web applications. Knockout JS’s library allows to binds HTML elements against any data model.
Knockout JS |
Description |
Website |
https://knockoutjs.com/ |
Current version |
3.4.2 |
Repository |
github.com/knockout/knockout |
Weekly download |
20,602 |
Open issues |
279 |
GitHub stars |
9,299 |
Launch date |
6 March 2017 |
License |
MIT |
With the use of knockout JS, the developer can build rich and responsive display combined with editor user interfaces with a clean, precise, and fundamental data model.Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Knockout JS:
Vue JS
Vue JS is part of JavaScript family and used for building dignified user interfaces (UIs) and single page application.
Vue JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
2.6.6 |
Repository |
github.com/vuejs/vue |
Weekly download |
8,32,765 |
Open issues |
172 |
GitHub stars |
1,27,698 |
Launch date |
February 2014 |
License |
MIT |
Vue JS allows extending HTML along with HTML attributes called directives and offers functionality for HTML application.
Essential aspect behind using the Vue JS for the development partner is, it allows the developers to build application faster, appealing, and user convenience.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Vue JS:
Polymer JS
Polymer JS is part of JavaScript’s open-source library for developing an application using polymer web components.
It is endorsed by Google and Polymer’s library is design and developed by Google’s professionals with the help of GitHub’s contributors.
Polymer JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
3.1.0 |
Repository |
github.com/Polymer/polymer |
Weekly download |
55,536 |
Open issues |
231 |
GitHub stars |
20,662 |
Launch date |
29 May 2015 |
License |
BSD-3-Clause |
Also, it allows developing custom structure utilizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for adding a greater level of interaction between the elements.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Polymer JS:
Backbone / Marionette JS
Last but not the least in the list of frontend development JavaScript, is Backbone JS that derived from JS library along with RESTful JSON interface and form the Model-View-Presenter application design standard. Also, Backbone JS is renowned for its lightweight behavior.
Backbone JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.3.3 |
Repository |
github.com/jashkenas/backbone |
Weekly download |
2,98,341 |
Open issues |
45 |
GitHub stars |
27,387 |
Launch date |
29 May 2015 |
License |
MIT |
Backbone also provides structure to JavaScript’s- heavy application with use of model-key value binding and custom events and connects all the application over RESTful JSON interface.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Backbone JS:
3] Node JS (Back-end frameworks):
Node JS is an open-source cross-platform run-time environment which executes JavaScript code outside of a browser, also preferred for building fast and scalable network applications.
Primarily Node JS adopted for it’s for its non-blocking, event-driven servers, and single-threaded approach. Originally, Node JS was designed with real-time, push-based architectures which worked best for traditional websites and back-end API services.
Node JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
11.9.0 |
Repository |
github.com/aredridel/node-bin-gen |
Weekly download |
46,465 |
Open issues |
8 |
GitHub stars |
68 |
Launch date(Latest version) |
30 October 2018 |
License |
ISC |
NPM (node package manager) comes up with countless beneficial IoT modules; that is recommended for breakneck and powerful real-time IoT application development.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Node JS:
Meteor JS
Meteor JS is an open-source JavaScript framework which was written using Node JS for rapid prototyping and developing cross-platform coding structure.
Meteor JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
0.0.2 |
Repository |
github.com/meteor/meteor |
Weekly download |
510 |
Open issues |
256 |
GitHub stars |
40,756 |
License |
MIT |
Meteor is backed by Meteor development group. It reduces 1000 lines of code by 10 lines of code and accomplishing usage of integrated JavaScript stack.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Meteor JS:
Express JS
Express is free, open-source web application development framework for Node JS.
Express JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
4.16.4 |
Repository |
github.com/expressjs/express |
Weekly download |
7,001,987 |
Open issues |
115 |
GitHub stars |
42.369 |
License |
MIT |
Express is adaptable and minimal Node JS Web application development framework which caters a vigorous set of features for web and mobile development.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Express JS:
Total JS
Total JS framework provides future-rich Node JS environment which seamlessly improves essential aspects of the projects during their entire life span.
Total JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.7.2-1 |
Repository |
github.com/totaljs/framework |
Weekly download |
15,166 |
Open issues |
1 |
GitHub stars |
3,905 |
License |
MIT |
Total JS is used to develop fast, furious, robust web solutions, and offer painless real-time applications solutions
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Total JS:
Koa JS
Koa Js is basic and adaptable web application framework belongs from Node JS and also provides a rich set of features for web and mobile application development.
Koa JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
2.7.0 |
Repository |
github.com/koajs/koa |
Weekly download |
273,131 |
Open issues |
27 |
GitHub stars |
24,969 |
License |
MIT |
Koa JS is free, an open-source framework which is backed and maintained by an adroit team of Express JS.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Koa JS:
Loopback JS
Loopback is open-source, highly extensive Node JS framework which used to build quick dynamic end-to-end REST APIs. Loopback Js is backed by one of renowned brand IBM, and also lots of additional tools given by StrongLoop.
Loopback JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
3.25.0 |
Repository |
github.com/strongloop/loopback |
Weekly download |
32,212 |
Open issues |
167 |
GitHub stars |
12,348 |
License |
MIT |
It easily connects with many devices and browsers for providing data and services. Furthermore, uses Android, iOS, and Angular JS SDKs for developing the client-side application.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Loopback JS:
Sails JS
Sails JS developed atop of Node JS environment, used to accomplish Model-View-Controller web application development approach with ease.
Sails JS |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
1.1.0 |
Repository |
github.com/balderdashy/sails |
Weekly download |
19,062 |
Open issues |
162 |
GitHub stars |
20,225 |
License |
MIT |
Sails JS comes under the open-source community along with MIT license and accustomed to making easy to create customized, enterprise-grade web apps, APIs.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Business advantages of Sails JS:
Also Read: 15 Best Node JS Frameworks Used for Web & Enterprise in 2019
1] Sencha Ext JS
Sencha Ext JS also know as Ext JS; it used Ajax, DHTML, and DOM scripting techniques for developing interactive cross-platform web application. The major privilege given to developer is; its Pre-integrated and Tested UI components along with Rich Data Analytics, and Sophisticated Data Visualization tactics.
2] Lodash and Underscore JS
Lodash is well-known JavaScript library for functional programming paradigm; essentially provides utility functions for executing common programming task.
3] Aurelia JS
Aurelia JS is open-source, intelligent or modern UI framework for web and mobile development. It allows the environment to draft clean, modular JavaScript. Aurelia JS has lots of benefits likewise; Simple testing strategies, Seamless coding with conventions, and High performance.
4] Conditioner JS
Conditioner JS falls under JavaScript library which is useful for managing loading and unloading behaviour on the current context received from the user.
1] Mocha
Mocha is a highly preferred JavaScript test framework for Node JS programs, along with browser support, test coverage reports, asynchronous testing with use of any of assertion library.
Mocha |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
5.2.0 |
Repository |
github.com/mochajs/mocha |
Weekly download |
23,70,212 |
Open issues |
260 |
GitHub stars |
17,173 |
License |
MIT |
The purpose behind using Mocha:
2] Jasmine
Jasmine testing framework represents an open-source testing unit which aims to run on any JavaScript-enabled platform, available in the readable format. It solely influenced by other unit testing framework such as JSSpec, JSpec, and RSpec.
Jasmine |
Description |
Website |
|
Current version |
3.3.1 |
Repository |
github.com/jasmine/jasmine-npm |
Weekly download |
1,113,888 |
Open issues |
4 |
GitHub stars |
309 |
License |
MIT |
Purpose behind using Jasmine:
Difference between Jasmine and Mocha Testing Frameworks:
Image credit: stackshare.io
As the abundance of frameworks and libraries are ruling the crowd, though React JS is somehow in the front line of web development approaches; Vue JS also takes its footprints forward. Deciding the best development choice is completely relying on what type requirements have to fulfill. Angular JS is also popular due to its SPA functionality which offers dynamic and fascinating experience to customer base; although when it comes to real-time and influential framework then relying on Node is an optimistic choice, as it has a vast set of functionalities for selecting Node over any other frameworks.
Moreover, appointing the best and value-add company is neither an easy nor simple way. For the simplest solution for this concern, I would like to recommend Magneto IT Solution a pioneer Web, eCommerce, and Mobile development company, who is having more than 650+ satisfied customer, 1800+ successful project ratio along with a global presence in 20+ countries worldwide and still counting.
Magneto furnishes intuitive and responsive solutions for Angular JS Development. Their adroit team of Node JS professional delivers real-time and highly scalable solutions pers to extend HTML vocabulary and pro that eventually improve the ROI and achieve your aspiration. Magneto is accurately being superior in JavaScript development, which brings a large range of outstanding cross-platform solutions and intelligent businesses for their clients. Magneto caters transparency in business solutions along with working on niche and customized strategies to bring ideas into reality.