JavaScript libraries and frameworks: how to choose the right one

JavaScript is undoubtedly the leader in web development due to its flexibility, simplicity, and robust ecosystem. With the growing demand for interactive web applications, JavaScript provides many frameworks and libraries that simplify the development process and increase productivity.

In this article, I explore some of the most popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries to help you decide which web development tool is the best one to use in a particular case. I describe their benefits, features, use cases, and how you can apply them in different situations.

Frameworks vs. libraries

JavaScript frameworks and libraries are the out-of-the-box tools for web applications that are used by developers to increase the speed and efficiency of their development. Developers can focus on the operation and functionality of a project instead of building something from scratch. These tools are used to lay the foundation for the development of complex web applications.

Both frameworks and libraries are used to simplify the development process, but they differ in a few significant ways.

• Frameworks are pre-made structures that serve as a guide for constructing applications. They enforce certain coding patterns to follow best practices and ensure consistency across projects. Certain built-in features such as routing, state management, and UI components are frequently included in frameworks to speed up development.
• Libraries are groups of usable code that you can add to your application as needed. Unlike frameworks, libraries do not prescribe a particular architecture or coding pattern. Developers have the opportunity to customize their application without the limitation of the framework structure and can use any component of a library that suits their needs.

Popular JavaScript frameworks

Let’s look at some of the most popular JavaScript frameworks and highlight their benefits, features, and use cases.

Angular

Angular is a complete JavaScript framework for building web applications that was developed by Google in 2010 (Angular JS). Since that time, Angular has experienced significant development the release of multiple versions. It provides a wide range of features and tools for building scalable, maintainable, and high-performance web applications. The most recent version is Angular 16.

Features

• Two-way data binding: Angular synchronizes the user interface and data models to ensure seamless UI and data synchronization, both automatically and for manual updates.
• Dependency injection: Angular uses a dependency injection system to simplify application management and testing by reducing the number of dependencies.
• Modular architecture: Angular organizes an application into modules, which helps encourage code management and provides reusability.

Advantages

• Built-in features: Angular comes with features like routing, form validation, and animations to prevent the need for additional libraries.
• Strong support: Google is a primary support for Angular, which ensures ongoing assistance and maintenance.
• TypeScript support: Angular uses TypeScript, a statically typed superset of JavaScript, which improves the tooling and error-checking capabilities.

Use cases

• Angular is an excellent choice for creating complex, enterprise-level applications.
• Angular can be used to create cross-platform mobile applications using Ionic.

NestJS

NestJS is a popular JavaScript framework for building scalable and maintainable server-side applications. It was developed by Kamil Myśliwiec in 2016. NestJS provides powerful features like scalability and maintainability, and it leverages the power of TypeScript to provide a structured and efficient development experience. The most recent version is NestJS 9.

Features

• Typescript support: NestJS is built with TypeScript and takes full advantage of TypeScript’s features, which leads to improved maintainability and better code organization, and enhances developer productivity.
• Modular architecture: NestJS promotes a modular architecture that allows developers to break their application into reusable and decouple modules.
• Expression decorators: NestJS uses decorators extensively to define routes, middleware, guards, and other aspects of the application, which provides an intuitive way to configure and customize the behavior of components.

Advantages

• Active community and ecosystem: NestJS has a growing and active community of developers who contribute to the ecosystem of the framework.
• Built-in support: NestJS provides built-in support for creating APIs, GraphQL, and real-time applications using WebSockets to simplify the development process.
• Integrity in error handling: NestJS provides a built-in exception handling layer that is responsible for catching exceptions that your application code does not manage, and for sending the appropriate, user-friendly response automatically.

Use cases

• Creating real-time applications using WebSockets for features like chat, notifications, or collaborative editing.
• Developing server-side applications like microservices or backend systems for enterprise applications.

Vue

Vue is a progressive JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. It was created by Evan You in 2014. Vue focuses on the view layer of an application and provides developers with tools and patterns to create interactive web interfaces. Its simplicity and adaptability in integrating with other technologies have helped it become increasingly popular. The most recent version is Vue 3.

Features

• Reaction time: The UI can be updated automatically thanks to Vue’s in-built reactivity system. Component-based architecture enables modularity and reusability.
• Integration and adaptability: Vue provides a simple API and design for web developers to develop single-page applications in one day.

Advantages

• Ease of use: Developers of all levels can use Vue because of its easy learning curve. Vue is compact and lightweight to help websites load more quickly and improve performance.
• Vibrant community: Vue has a thriving and active community with the backing of local developers and sponsors.

Use cases

• Vue is appropriate for adding and creating small to medium-sized applications and adding interactivity to current projects.

Popular JavaScript libraries

Now, let’s explore some of the most well-known JavaScript libraries and their use cases.

React

Facebook built and has maintained React as a free JavaScript library for creating user interfaces. Its simplicity, effectiveness, and flexibility have helped it become extremely popular. The most recent version is React 18.

Features

• Virtual DOM: React updates the DOM only in the areas of the user interface that have changed, making the application run more quickly and fluidly.
• Component-based architecture: React applications are created with reusable components, encouraging modularity and maintainability.
• Unidirectional data flow: React uses a one-way data flow, which makes it simpler to understand and debug programs.

Advantages

• Large ecosystem: It is simple to find resources and solutions thanks to React’s large community and robust ecosystem of libraries and tools.
• Strong backing: Facebook’s maintenance of React ensures its long-term support.
• Widespread adoption: React is used by numerous large companies, such as Meta, Airbnb, etc. This demonstrates its scalability and dependability.

Use cases

• Large-scale applications with complex user interfaces and frequent updates are best built with React.
• React can be used to create native mobile applications using React Native.

Lodash

Lodash is a powerful and widely used JavaScript utility library that simplifies tasks such as array manipulation, object manipulation, and string manipulation.

Features

• Array operations: Lodash offers comprehensive functionality for array filtering, sorting, mapping, etc.
• Object handling: Lodash simplifies working with objects and provides features like cloning, merging, and extending deep objects.
• String manipulation: Lodash includes various string manipulation functions such as string padding, truncation, and case sensitivity.

Advantages

• Performance: Lodash is optimized for performance and ensures that your code runs efficiently and quickly.
• Modularity: Lodash can be used as a whole or as separate modules, allowing the user to add only the features needed.
• Cross-browser compatibility: Lodash is compatible with various browsers and ensures that code behaves consistently across different environments.

Use cases

• Lodash is great for simplifying and streamlining complex JavaScript operations in a web application.

Axios

Axios is a popular JavaScript library that supports client-side and server-side environments. It is popular and simple to use for sending HTTP requests.

Features

• Promise-based API: Axios is very simple to use, and it provides promise-based API for asynchronous HTTP requests and responses.
• Interceptor: Axios allows you to intercept requests and responses to make changes or convert the data before sending or receiving it.
• Error handling: Axios provides comprehensive error handling capabilities that allow you to detect and handle errors elegantly.

Advantages

• Built-in XSRF protection: Axios has a built-in XSRF protection which allows the user to intercept HTTP requests and embed additional authentication into the request.
• Cross-platform support: Axios is a cross-platform library and works with Node as well as browsers. It offers an API that is constant across all platforms.
• Wide usage: Axios is used in many popular projects and companies and has proven itself.

Use cases

• Axios is ideal for HTTP requests in web applications with RESTful API and AJAX based calls.

How to choose the right JavaScript framework or library

It can be challenging to select the ideal JavaScript framework or library for your project due to the variety of options available online.

Here are a few things you should think about when choosing the right tool for your project:

• Project requirements: Consider the particular requirements and specifications of your project. Specific frameworks and libraries are better suited to certain applications or use cases.
• Learning curve: Evaluate the learning curve for each framework or library. Some tools require an expensive learning curve but offer advanced functionality.
• Community and ecosystem: Consider the community for each framework or library. A large and active community can offer beneficial third-party assets, assistance, and improvements.
• Performance and scalability: To ensure that a framework or library is right for your project, consider how well it works and how well it scales.
• Documentation and support: Check the quality of the documentation and the support available for each framework or library. If the quality of both is low, user experience and overall development experience may be negatively affected.

Conclusion

JavaScript’s robust ecosystem offers a variety of frameworks and libraries to simplify and streamline the development process. By considering the project needs and requirements as well as the pros and cons of each tool, you can make an appropriate decision and choose the best framework or library for your project. A combination of different tools may be required to obtain the desired functionality and performance. Not every project requires a certain framework or library. Understanding the depth of the JavaScript ecosystem and searching for innovative tools allows you to build applications more efficiently and effectively.