Top JavaScript Frameworks 2022:

JavaScript is a scripting or programming language that allows you to implement complex features on web pages. Every time you notice something more than the HTML & CSS, you can bet on Javascript’s presence in the source code of that site.  Whether you get some timely updates on your site, or you scroll through some video or animation, all that is possible due to the javascript. 

Why it stands apart?

JavaScript was initially created as a browser-only language, but it is now used in many other environments as well. Today, JavaScript has a unique position as the most widely-adopted browser language, fully integrated with HTML/CSS.1

There are at least three great things about top JavaScript frameworks:

• Full integration with HTML/CSS.
• Simple things are done simply.
• Supported by all major browsers and enabled by default.

What is a framework and why do we need it?

A JS framework is a collection of JavaScript code libraries that provide a web developer with pre-written code for routine programming tasks. Frameworks are structures with a particular context and help you create web applications within that context. 

It is completely possible to build strong web applications without top JavaScript frameworks, but frameworks provide a template that handles common programming patterns. Each time you have to build an application, you don’t need to write code for every single feature from scratch. Instead, you can build upon an existing feature set

There are two types of frameworks in js:

• Front end: React, Angular, Vue
• Backend: Express, Next.js

Below, we mention the prominent frameworks for your upcoming projects, along with their merits, demerits and the established websites which are using them:

AngularJS

AngularJS is a JavaScript-based open-source front-end web framework for developing single-page applications. It is maintained mainly by Google and a community of individuals and corporations. It aims to simplify both the development and the testing of such applications by providing a framework for client-side model–view–controller (MVC) and model–view–view model (MVVM) architectures, along with components commonly used in web applications and progressive web applications.

AngularJS is used as the frontend of the MEAN stack, consisting of MongoDB database, Express.js web application server framework, AngularJS itself, and Node.js server runtime environment.

Soon, Google will no longer update AngularJS to fix security, browser compatibility, or jQuery issues. The Angular team recommends upgrading to Angular as the best path forward.

MERITS:

• Data-binding
• Model View Whatever
• Deep Linking
• Dependency Injection 
• Templates

DEMERITS:

• Not Secure
• If the user disables JavaScript, then nothing would be visible, except the basic page.
• Companies using Angular : Google, Microsoft, YouTube,etc

Vue

Vue.js features an incrementally adaptable architecture that focuses on declarative rendering and component composition. The core library is focused on the view layer only. Advanced features required for complex applications such as routing, state management and build tooling are offered via officially maintained supporting libraries and packages.

Vue.js allows for extending HTML with HTML attributes called directives. The directives offer functionality to HTML applications, and come as either built-in or user defined directives.

MERITS:

• Small Size
• Simple
• Documentation
• Integration
• Flexibility
• Customization

DEMERITS:

• Lack Of Support
• Language Barriers
• Over Flexibility
• Limited Plugins

Companies using : Stack Overflow, GitLab, Adobe, etc

React

React (also known as React.js or ReactJS) is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces based on UI components. It is maintained by Meta (formerly Facebook) and a community of individual developers and companies. React can be used as a base in the development of single-page or mobile applications. However, React is only concerned with state management and rendering that state to the DOM, so creating React applications usually requires the use of additional libraries for routing, as well as certain client-side functionality.

MERITS:

• Easy to Learn and USe
• Creating Dynamic Web Applications Becomes Easier
• Reusable Components
• Performance Enhancement
• Known to be SEO Friendly

DEMERITS:

• 1. The high pace of development
• 2. Poor Documentation
• 3. We need some other technologies to be able to develop projects easily.

Companies using react framework: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, etc

Svelte

Svelte is a free and open source front end compiler created by Rich Harris and maintained by the Svelte core team members. Svelte applications do not include a framework script. Instead, building a Svelte application generates the necessary code to manipulate the DOM within each component, which may reduce the size of transferred files as well as give better client startup and run-time performance. Svelte has its own compiler for converting app code into client-side JavaScript at build time. It is written in TypeScript. Unlike the traditional frameworks (React and Vue) which carry out the bulk of their work in the browser, Svelte shifts that work into a compile step that happens when an app is built.

MERITS:

• It automatically compiles the code into efficient vanilla javascript while the developer builds the app.
• It enables code readability, re-use and helps in producing the app much faster.
• We don’t need extra DOM for conversion into DOM operations.

Disadvantages:

• Much less IDE support as compared to other frameworks
• Unavailability of Svelte Dev Tools
• Small community of contributors and developers.

Companies using Svelte: Codustry, Screeb, Kontist, etc

Ember

Ember.js is an open source JavaScript web framework, utilizing a component-service pattern. It allows developers to create scalable single-page web applications by incorporating common idioms, best practices, and patterns from other single-page-app ecosystem patterns into the framework. Although primarily considered a framework for the web, it is also possible to build desktop and mobile applications in Ember when utilizing a hybrid app pattern.

MERITS: 

• Potent add-ons
• Command Line Interface
• Ember will make an excellent choice which increases your productivity.
• Strong Community

DEMERITS:

• Tough to learn
• Varied Opinions
• Stagnant popularity and inability of attracting new developers

Companies: Microsoft, Apple, LinkedIn, Netflix, etc.

Backbone

Backbone.js is a JavaScript library with a RESTful JSON interface and is based on the model–view–controller application design paradigm. Backbone is known for being lightweight, as its only hard dependency is on one JavaScript library, Underscore.js, plus jQuery for use of the full library. It is designed for developing single-page web applications, and for keeping various parts of web applications synchronized. Backbone was created by Jeremy Ashkenas, who is also known for CoffeeScript and Underscore.js.

MERITS:

• Light weight
• Good API and documentation
• Event driven communication
• Many small libraries

DEMERITS:

• Difficult to understand for JavaScript freshies
• Longer development time

Companies: Airbnb, Drupal, Trelllo, etc.

Next

Next.js is an open-source development framework built on top of Node.js enabling React based web applications functionalities such as server-side rendering and generating static websites. React documentation mentions Next.js among “Recommended Toolchains” advising it to developers as a solution when “building a server-rendered website with Node.js”. Traditional React apps render all their content in the client-side browser, Next.js is used to extend this functionality to include applications rendered on the server side.

MERITS:

• Data security
• Short page load time
• Adaptability and responsiveness
• Built in CSS support
• Organic traffic growth for marketers

DEMERITS:

• Lack of built-in state manager 
• Low on plug-ins
• Cost of flexibility 

Companies: Netflix, GitHub, Avocode, etc.

Meteor

Meteor, or MeteorJS, is a free and open-source isomorphic JavaScript web framework[3] written using Node.js. Meteor allows for rapid prototyping and produces cross-platform (Android, iOS, Web) code. It integrates with MongoDB and uses the Distributed Data Protocol and a publish–subscribe pattern to automatically propagate data changes to clients without requiring the developer to write any synchronization code. On the client, Meteor can be used with any popular front-end JS framework, Vue, React, Svelte, Angular, or Blaze.

MERITS:

• Is extremely convenient
• Smart packages help to save you time
• Simple to learn
• Helps to build quite fast
• Meteor JS enables you to create all implementations of your application in a single location.

DEMERITS:

• We need external packages to join data from different sources and join them some particular property
• Lack of control mechanism over order of loading files

Companies: Deloitte, Nordstrom, Accenture, etc.

Aurelia

Aurelia is a modern, front-end JavaScript framework for building browser, mobile, and desktop applications. It focuses on aligning closely with web platform specifications, using convention over configuration, and having minimal framework intrusion. Basically, we want you to just write your code without the framework getting in your way.Aurelia applications are built by composing a series of simple components. By convention, components are made up of a vanilla JavaScript or Typescript class, with a corresponding HTML template.

MERITS:

• Easy to Learn
• High Performance
• Easy Coding 
• Easy Testing
• Extensibility

Companies: Deloitte, Chegg, Dev, etc.

Express

Express.js, or simply Express, is a back end web application framework for Node.js, released as free and open-source software. It is designed for building web applications and APIs.

The original author, TJ Holowaychuk, described it as a Sinatra-inspired server, meaning that it is relatively minimal with many features available as plugins. Express is the back-end component of popular development stacks like the MEAN, MERN or MEVN stack, together with the MongoDB database software and a JavaScript front-end framework or library.

MERITS:

• Makes app development fast and easy
• Easy to connect with database such as mysql, mongodb, etc
• Easy to configure and customize.
• Huge community
• Easy to learn

DEMERITS:

• Performance is adversely affected when load increases
• Lack of libraries

Companies: PayPal, Uber, IBM, etc.

Just like every coin has a head and tails, top javascript frameworks have its own benefits and drawbacks. Hence, none of the above mentioned frameworks are the best or the worst. Every project has its own specific requirement and hence a specific framework. The ability of choosing the best suitable framework comes from involving ourselves in more projects and gaining experience.