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JavaScript is king: this humble web programming language has taken the software engineering world by storm since its release. Before it’s creation, webpages used Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to create basic, static pages. However, JavaScript allowed developers to introduce dynamic components to their websites, enabling them to create highly engaging and entertaining web pages. In recent years, the programming language’s reach has expanded: JavaScript is now used to create advanced web pages and mobile applications. The increased complexity of JavaScript development has also led to the rise of JavaScript development services –companies that help businesses develop custom web and mobile applications quickly and efficiently.

JavaScript Is Essential

Initially released in 1995, JavaScript rapidly became one of web development’s three main pillars. The programming language, along with HTML and CSS, is responsible for creating nearly every website found online today. In fact, recent research estimates that 95.1% of modern websites use JavaScript. Companies like Netflix have made extensive use of JavaScript. This language is what allows movie previews to automatically play when a cursor highlights the movie title. It also enables users to search for an item by customer reviews on Amazon.com–all without having to refresh the page or retransmit all of the data. Customers have come to expect these dynamic features and JavaScript is the standard for this type of development. That’s why it will continue to be one of the top 5 most in-demand programming languages for American employers. In addition, the demand for JavaScript-driven apps has led many companies to outsource JavaScript development–allowing them to satisfy end users without hiring a large, permanent engineering team. As 2019 gains momentum, developers can expect to see even more changes in the JavaScript field. React.js is predicted to maintain its dominance as the most popular JavaScript library among developers, while the release of the updated Angular 7 has created waves of excitement among programmers looking for a feature-rich alternative. In addition, new JavaScript frameworks like Vue.js are seeing incredible growth over the first quarter of the year. Read on to find out which JavaScript libraries are most popular with working engineers in 2019.

Most Popular JavaScript Frameworks

React.js

React.js is a JavaScript library that is primarily used to build user interfaces. Created and released by Jordan Walke in May 2013, this framework continues to be maintained regularly by Facebook. This library is particularly useful for creating mobile applications and single-page applications because of its high data fetching speed. In addition, the “virtual Document Object Model” enables websites to be loaded with greater speed because the React.js library only renders page components that are different than the previous version of the page, optimizing the entire process. These features have helped make React.js the go-to choice for corporations and JavaScript development companies interested in creating widely-used web applications and mobile apps–such as Facebook’s desktop site (https://www.facebook.com/) and mobile application, both of which heavily utilize React.js. In addition, the framework is incredibly easy for beginners to master–meaning that new developers can be trained and ready to begin work in a short amount of time. Engineers can expect the number of React.js users to continue to increase in 2019 as Facebook releases new updates for the library.

Angular

With a user base just slightly smaller than React.js, Angular is one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks in use today. Largely used as a front-end development tool, the open-source software engineering tool is capable of turning basic HTML content into highly interactive web pages–such as Microsoft Office Home and Zagat. The library was initially released by Google in 2010 and continues to be updated regularly. The most recent version of Angular, Angular 7, was released in February 2019 and is expected to rival React.js for dominance by 2020. The newest version comes with a variety of features that have made programmers and offshore JavaScript services take notice. The newest version of this TypeScript software comes with much faster application performance, an intuitive user interface, and upgraded drag and drop interfaces. In addition, developers have raved about the framework’s new CLI prompts, which help programmers identify mistakes and correct them proactively.

Meteor.js

Meteor.js is a full stack JavaScript framework that offers a wealth of possibilities for all kinds of web development. This library is capable of building both web and mobile applications, making it an ideal choice for JavaScript development tasks. The framework’s main selling point is that the front-end, back-end, and database work can all be completed with a single language, making the entire development process more streamlined. In addition, this also reduces the need for several engineers who are fluent in different programming languages. Although Meteor.js is a little less flexible than rivals such as Express.js, the full-stack nature of the language more than makes up for that. It can be used to create incredibly dynamic user interfaces that can update and change interactive content without requiring a page reload. Expect to see companies continue to innovate with Meteor.js and to use the library to create the type of interactive websites, like the incredibly popular PGA Tour homepage, that the public has come to expect.

Vue.js

Released by Evan You in 2014, Vue.js has rapidly exceeded expectations and become one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks heading into 2019. This progressive JavaScript library was downloaded millions of times in the second half of 2018 and the numbers continued to grow during the first quarter of 2019. While the framework still lags far behind React.js and Angular, React.js and Angular 7, early feedback from engineers in the field suggest that this library is a major hit and will continue to achieve impressive word-of-mouth growth. The Vue.js user interface is a minimalist triumph. It is incredibly intuitive and offers a basic set of features, such as the render function, reactivity system, and Vue components, that makes mastering the framework simple. In addition, the library has fast performance and a large amount of flexibility that makes developing custom applications, such as Chinese retail giant Alibaba and Adobe’s custom website builder Portfolio, much simpler than working with its rival libraries. Lastly, the Vuex state management and routing functions enable this framework to be utilized to develop applications of all sizes.

Backbone.js

One of the most controversial JavaScript frameworks on the list, most developers who have used Backbone.js either love or hate it. This MVC type library, built with open-source code, is a lightweight and minimalist tool that is primarily used to create single-page web applications. The people who love the framework often use it–in conjunction with jQuery and Ruby on Rails–to develop complex interfaces that require combining multiple libraries. However, developers who hate Backbone.js point to its steep learning curve as one of its biggest drawbacks. The huge amount of flexibility inherent in the programming library means that can be difficult for novice programmers to make sense of the chaos. While Backbone.js offers a huge amount of flexibility for single-page applications, the complexity of the framework will likely prevent it from achieving widespread adoption–expect to see a rival emerge in the coming years.

Ember.js

Ember.js has quietly become one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks used by web developers. Ember.js has a wide range of features and applications that make this library a serious opponent. This open-source JavaScript library is based on the MVVM pattern, which enables programmers to quickly create complex web applications–as well as desktop and mobile apps. Apple Music’s desktop application is perhaps the most prominent example of software built with Ember.js One of the reasons that the framework has been so widely adopted is because it frees developers from many of the tedious tasks that previously occupied much of their time. Because of the framework’s focus on the Convention over Configuration and Don’t Repeat Yourself principles, programmers no longer have to write large amounts of repetitive code. Both of these principles are aimed at reducing the amount of programming decisions and redundant work required from developers. Finally, this library allows companies to build applications at a much faster pace than previous frameworks, a vital benefit in the incredibly fast-paced tech startup world.

Conclusion

Each of the programming languages detailed above offers specific benefits to web developers and JavaScript development outsourcing companies. Languages like React.js and Angular come with a variety of features that enable the frameworks to be used in different settings, such as designing web pages, as well as desktop and mobile applications. On the other hand, popular libraries such as Vue.js and Ember.js have quietly begun to rival their dominant peers because of their huge applicability or streamlined interfaces. Regardless of their development needs, companies can utilize one of the above frameworks to develop custom applications with ease.

Source: https://www.bairesdev.com/