Apart from C and Java, JavaScript is an object-oriented interpreted programming script that does not require a compiler. It is one of the most common programming practices for building web pages and applications.
JavaScript contains many libraries and frameworks that serve a particular purpose. Coders can use these frameworks to perform standard web-building procedures instead of making everything from scratch. New code can be built on these existing frameworks to speed up the development procedures.
JavaScript was widely known for frontend development, but because of frameworks like Node.js and Express.js, it can now be used for both client and server sides.
While there are 83 frameworks of JavaScript, the most popular ones include React.js, Angular.js, Node.js, Vue.js, etc.
Angular.js
Angular.js is a frontend open-source JavaScript framework to build dynamic and responsive web Applications. Google, Forbes, Wix, etc., use it.
History: It was developed by Miško Hevery in 2009 and released by Google in 2010.
TypeScript: Angular.js is built on TypeScript and provides extensive development capabilities in the form of modules, components, and services you can work with and use as a template to build applications.
Angular.js directives: Angular.js fills the gap of HTML’s incapabilities to provide a dynamic development environment for building a top-notch feature-ready extensive workflow. It utilizes data and embeds it into an HTML template. These directives are markers on Document Object Model (DOM) elements that carry on further procedures with extra added functionalities.
Angular.js MVC architecture: Model, View, and Controller. The operation in three modes enables the developers to code with respect to business logic and route to presentation mode for cross-checking. It effectively binds loads of data from HTML to application mode.
Declarative UI: Angular.js UI components separate HTML attributes from UI and TypeScript classes.
Dependency Injection: Angular.js Dependency Injection detects the service needed by the developer and instantly provides it. This Angular increases the speed of development, testing, and deployment using Angular.js.
Use: It aligns well with other technologies and languages to generate a combined dynamic development environment and build large-scale applications.
Angular.js Quick Features
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
- Code Splitting.
- Angular.js Command Line tool for adding, testing, and deploying UI components.
- Large library of Templates that eliminates the need to code from scratch.
React.js
React.js is a frontend technology developed in 2013 by Facebook and is extensively used in products of Meta like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Nearly 42.62% of software developers use React.js as a framework, much more than their other counterparts.
React.js Structure: React.js doesn’t follow any fixed structure and architecture but is divided into elements and components. These are sometimes referred to as JavaScript functions as elements form the basic part of the applications, and components divide UI into separate entities.
React.js Library: React.js is sometimes mistaken for a complete framework, but it is just a library. It is relatively easier to use but requires the aid of third parties to perform complex development operations.
React.js Virtual DOM: React.js uses virtual DOM, unlike Angular.js, to analyze HTML codes, and load data into various components.
Fast: React.js has faster app loading as it separates data and presentation views.
Abstract type Hierarchical code: React.js follows Abstract type Hierarchical code, which means any changes in child code can be done without hindering the operation of the whole parent code.
Unidirectional Data Binding: The changes in child code aren’t visible in parent code, making React.js stable with one-way data binding.
Document Object Model: Reusable Components is a feature of React.js that enables it to use frameworks that serve a single purpose in many components with a wide range of developer tools.
React.js Quick Features
- React.js uses JSX (JavaScript Syntax Extension) instead of templates.
- SEO-friendly
Vue.js
Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript Framework developed by an ex-Google employee in 2014. This framework uses JavaScript, HTML, and CSS with a declarative API to build interactive and complex User Interfaces and Single Page Applications (SPA). Vue.js is hyper-popular in China and is used by the search engine Baidu and the e-commerce platform Alibaba.
Vue.js architecture: Vue.js uses model-view-view model architecture (MVVP) and has a possibility of Component-Based architecture (CBA).
Single File Components: Vue.js has a single file, reusable, and self-contained components.
High Flexibility: Vue.js is highly flexible as developers can code from scratch to build new plug-ins and contributions to serve multiple purposes.
Quick Renderization: It synchronizes Virtual DOM, has a two-way data binding, and has a lightweight package size compared to Angular.js and React.js.
Effective Routing: Vuex Router Library allocates HTTP requests to relevant code.
State Management: Vue.js efficiency hops between different states of UI controls without hindering the operation.
Debugging: The error reporting and resolution process goes simultaneously with respect to code in Vue.js.
Vue.js Quick Features
- Own official Library.
- Concise but in-detail Documentation.
- Extensive Customization.
- Extended capabilities of third-party integration without altering architecture.
- New features like reactive objects, slots, asynchronous errors, etc.
Comparison Table: Angular.js vs React.js vs Vue.js
| Parameter | Angular.js | React.js | Vue.js |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | JavaScript Framework | Mistaken to be JavaScript Framework but it is more of a Rich Library | Newest JavaScript Library |
| Initial Release | 2010 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Built using Programming Language | TypeScript | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Size | Largest | Intermediate | Smallest |
| Model | MVC architecture | Virtual Document Object Model (DOM) | Virtual Document Object Model (DOM) |
| Syntax/ Programming Language | TypeScript | JSX | HTML-based template syntax |
| Development Speed | Slow | Normal | Fast |
| Rendering | Client-side | Server-side | Client-side |
| Data Binding | Bi-directional | Uni-directional | Bi-directional |
| Popular Libraries | Own Library NgRx | React Redux | Own Library Vuex |
| Third-party Integration | Isn’t much required | Advisable | Necessary because it is new |
| App Migration | Normal | Easy | Easiest |
| Community | Vast | Vast | Developing |
| Learning Curve | Extensive | Intermediate | Easiest |
| Use Case | Large-scale, real-time, and scalable enterprise-level apps | Cross-platform, Android, and iOS apps | Single Page, and entry-level Apps |
Conclusion
The comparison of all three JavaScript Frameworks – Angular.js, React.js, and Vue.js is extensive. While React.js is the most used framework among the three to build modern applications quickly, Angular.js is the best choice for developing high-end, scalable apps.
Vue.js is the newest JavaScript Framework that offers to build customizable, feature-loaded UI and SPA easily and quickly.
We cannot call one of them better than the other because their performance depends upon the use case application of the framework. Hence, each framework has its own pros and cons, but they serve their development purpose the best.
