Frameworks are tools that allow for the easy construction of user interfaces on the web and mobile application pages. JavaScript Frameworks are just frameworks that work with the programming language JavaScript. Many JavaScript Frameworks also work with or require knowledge of additional programming languages. Some frameworks even have their own programming languages.
Frameworks allow for a lot of benefits, like the building of libraries where companies and coders can store information that you can find and use for your content. They also make it easier to find resources and communities that can help you troubleshoot your content. These communities can also be a good place to learn more about the frameworks and the programming languages that they require.
Perhaps the most useful thing about frameworks, however, is that they allow users to change the data that they are putting into your page without changing the page itself. On the flip side, frameworks allow you to change the coding of the page without updating user interfaces. Frameworks can also help translate a page between languages so that it can work in different operating systems and in different browsers.
What Was There Before JavaScript Frameworks?
The earliest frameworks discussed in this article have only been around for a few years. Of course, frameworks aren’t as old as the programming languages that they rely on. Before frameworks existed, coders and programmers would need to update their user interfaces every time that they changed something on the page. The content was also much more limited in terms of what programming language or languages could be used on it. In a worst-case scenario, a page might have to exist in multiple languages in order to be accessed on different browsers in much the same way that applications need to exist in multiple formats in order to be read by different operating systems.
AngularJS
AngularJS was first introduced in 2013 and it was one of the more popular JavaScript frameworks of its day. AngularJS lost this position when React came out later that year with its unidirectional data flow. AngularJS was then largely replaced by Angular 2 in 2014, though Angular JS is definitely still out there.
While the continually declining popularity of AngularJS and it’s awkward two-way data binding may eventually catch up with it, there’s still a lot of strength to this framework. Benefits include lots of resources for learning the framework if you’re new to it.
Angular 2
Angular 2 (later just “Angular”) came out in 2014 to replace AngularJS in competing with React. React is still the most popular JavaScript framework out there, but Angular is currently in the second position.
Javascript frameworks
One of the most appealing things about Angular is that it is based on TypeScript, a coding language with a lot of similarities to older languages. This makes it more easily adaptable to older frameworks, and makes it easier to learn if you’re familiar with older coding languages. Unfortunately, it also means that it is difficult to work with newer frameworks and harder to learn if you don’t know older coding languages.
Node.js
Node.js is a native JavaScript platform made for JavaScript with JavaScript. Node.js is a collaborative project by the Linux Foundation, meaning that it is free and opensource.
If you’re familiar with JavaScript, you won’t need to learn any other programming language like you do with some other popular frameworks. Of course, that also means that if you aren’t familiar with JavaScript, there aren’t any other programming languages that you can use to start working with Node.js.
Node.js is not thread-based, and few of its operations are I/O based. This means that Node.js is very efficient for building large projects without working on system delays.
React framework
React came out in 2013 and quickly replaced AngularJS as the most popular JavaScript Framework, a position that it still occupies.
React, designed by an engineer at Facebook, was originally intended to be a JavaScript library that users could use to create user-interfaces. As a result, most of its functions weren’t a direct concern to the team and so they were left to other developers. This attracted a huge group, all bringing their own talents to creating the actual programs that are currently behind React.
The sheer size of the React community is both a strength and a weakness. There are lots of resources and libraries out there, but this can make it hard to find the best options. Because React was so unique when it came out and relies on programs made by individuals rather than by a single company, it can be very difficult to learn.
jQuery
jQuery is a free, open-source JavaScript library licensed by MIT.
The library is based in JavaScript, but it also works with content coded in HTML and AJAX. There is also a related project for working in CSS. This makes it very versatile and ensures that content created with jQuery are cross-browser compatible.
Other jQuery projects specialize in mobile application and making user-interfaces. These tools grow the library behind jQuery as well as being powerful tools in their own rights. That’s a good thing because jQuery is largely seen as similar to a physical library: possibly out of date, but still a repository for useful content.
Vue.js
Vue.js is one of the newest versions of Vue, which has been around since 2013.
Vue doesn’t always get the respect that it deserves from people who prefer other frameworks because it is newer and because it is funded by donations rather than run by a single corporation. With today’s view of corporations and the emphasis on open source, however, that is exactly what draws people to Vue frameworks. Vue is actually one of the top three most popular JavaScript Frameworks.
Vue.js isn’t exactly open source, but it is often seen as one of the easiest frameworks to learn. It also has a lot in common with a number of other frameworks including AngularJS and jQuery.
While Vue.js is increasing in popularity, its biggest downside right now is that it’s simply not as common or as well-known as other JavaScript Frameworks.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has taught you something about the top JavaScript Frameworks of 2021 and even helped you to determine which framework is right for your team and your application. Because all of the frameworks are popular in the industry right now, it is a good thing to know a little bit about all of them, even if they are not frameworks that you plan on using.
Of course, we can’t recommend what framework you should use. That depends on what your project is and what kind of team you have working on it.
