The front-end, or the client-side, of any website is the interface that the users see and interact with. The interface is the first thing you encounter when you open a website. So front-ends are not new to netizens. When you open your news application to read the headline, you work with its front-end. If you have checked out a new website and liked its look, then you have been through a well-designed front-end.
The main thing to remember is that the front-end of any website is responsible for its appearance and feel. So the better your front-end is, the more likely it is to be browsed by users. This is the key reason why clients take keen interest on the design part.
Technically, a front-end has two main elements – the graphics part which is responsible for appearance and the user interface part which is responsible for the feel. The real challenge for the designer is to strike a balance between the two so that a website stays relevant and becomes easy to comprehend and use. But, maintaining balance isn’t the only challenge.
Front-end development has become a complicated affair owing to the fact that the browsing devices are no longer restricted to laptops and desktops. There are a variety of smart devices which come with different screen sizes and resolutions. Also, the explosion of various front-end technologies has added to the complications.
Currently, there’s an ongoing war of front-end frameworks. Availability of so many good platforms has put both designers and clients in a dilemma of which ones to pick and which to discard. This article has assembled 4 best frontend frameworks which are currently leading with their useful tools and enriching features.
Best Front-end Frameworks for Developer
1) Angular
Powered and backed by Google, Angular stands as one of the top contenders of front-end frameworks. It is open-source, is TypeScript based and is a complete rewrite of its predecessor, AngularJS. Angular is known for its excellent tooling. Some of its prevalent features include declarative templates, code reusability, dynamic loading and two-way binding structure.
While it can efficiently deal with the UI designs of mobile and web applications, it is also good for single page applications. Some renowned enterprises which use Angular are Forbes, Gmail and BMW. The only problem with Angular is that it has a steep learning curve which means that it can take a while before someone can use its tools accurately and efficiently.
2) React
This one is in close competition with Angular. React is easy to learn and is particularly known for its virtual DOM (Document Object Model). With a suite of highly resourceful tools like conditional rendering, test runners and hooks, React serves as the standard platform to build interactive user interfaces. With React hooks, one can write components without classes.
It also facilitates reusability of components and makes collaboration easier. React is considered ideal for development of Progressive Web Applications and single page applications. With React, it becomes easy for developers to take care of fundamental concepts of front-end development like responsiveness, navigational ease and clear structure.
3) Vue.js
Vue.js is another strong contestant of the front-end framework war. It is highly performant and is known for its approachability and versatility. It has an adoptable ecosystem with a suite of intuitive APIs. It has a compiler-optimized rendering system and requires very less manual optimization. Vue has been typically built by mixing the best of other frameworks.
It has the simplicity of Angular and its two-way binding capability and the visual DOM facility and component-based coding of React. Vue is highly recommended for eCommerce sites as it aids in development of headless designs. It is used by Alibaba and Xiaomi.
4) Ember.js
Ember.js is a robust framework which is known for the development of scalable UI architecture. It is customizable and can be used for front-end design and development from the scratch. Ember comes packed with some best-in-class UI development solutions like a built-in router for incorporation of async data. Its router offers seamless support for nested URLs and nested loading.
Ember applications come with a built-in environment which helps with auto-reloading, test running and faster rebuilding. But the best part is its support for three levels of testing. Ember works great for creation of scalable SPAs (single page applications). Because of its ease of use and robustness, it is used by popular websites like Apple Music, LinkedIn and Square Inc.
5) Backbone.js
Last but not the least; we have Backbone.js, another JavaScript library which is giving tough competition to its counterparts. Backbone is known for seamless integration, scalability and flexibility. It is effective when it comes to reduction of code complications. It works on Model-View structure which makes for well-structured and sustainable applications.
With a rich collection of APIs and other noted features like custom events, URL routing, rendering, key-value binding and event handling, Backbone stands as a great choice for development of lightweight and functional SPAs. All in all, it provides a rich and smooth user experience. There’s a long list of websites which use Backbone including some big names like USA Today, Khan Academy and Foursquare.
Take Away
Over the time, the technologies of front-end development have been constantly evolving. But currently, the JavaScript libraries seem to be ruling with their ecosystem of exceptional toolsets, ease of use and neat and detailed documentation along with huge community support. But before picking up a suitable library, one must focus on what exactly one wants. The crucial things to keep in mind are:
– Relevancy with services
– Responsiveness, speed and interaction
– Functional aspects like navigation and content placement
– Application type to be built (whether you want a mobile app or a PWA or an eCommerce site)
Mostly, React comes first to mind because of its easy learning curve and capability of developing responsive UIs with faster loading time. But, there’s no single thumb rule to decide which is why it is better to hire front-end developers who can comprehend your requirements, grasp the core concepts of your services and then pick the right one.