Front End JS Frameworks

JS Frameworks

• Provide a suite of functionality to do common tasks
• Express.js is a "server framework"
• Angular and React are "frontend frameworks" in JavaScript
• Bootstrap is a CSS framework

Why Use One?

• Using a framework helps us do common tasks more efficiently

• Frameworks force us to write code in a common language (which is good)

• Frontend frameworks tend to focus on dynamic browser interactions

Tradeoffs

• Frontend Frameworks often provide features that overlap with server frameworks.
• "Should I use EJS or Angular" for this suddenly becomes a legitimate question.

The Good

• Robust features for dynamic browser applications (animations, 2-way databinding, user input)
• More fluid DOM manipulation
• Standard tools for common tasks (form validation, AJAX)
• Standardized patterns and language

The Ambiguous and Context Dependent

• Puts more responsibility / processing into the browser
• Leans strongly towards API + AJAX to talk with the server / database

The Bad

• Adds weight to initial payload due to significant extra JS assets
• Harder to debug and test due to added complexity
• Harder to refactor, especially as you build components that depend on each other

Relevant Industry Trends

• We're in the "Age of JavaScript" and it's unlikely that FEFs will be abandoned
• Adoption of a FEF is extremely common, but no consensus on which is "best"
• New kid on the block syndrome: There is a new FW released every 3rd day, but once you pick one you are stuck

Questions?