Web Development Frameworks : Over the past several years’ WEBSITES have become an imperative part to stay ahead in the industry. Though websites aren’t limited to business only because individuals are also investing in web development to remain in the business. Hence, the need for web development is highly increasing with each day passing. However, consider web development presently as a nightmare without development frameworks.
For any web development, frameworks are a necessity. Many tech junkies still find it difficult to select the best web development framework. On the contrary, some take too long to choose the framework that can best suit their needs.
There are numerous similar questions every web development company listens to every single day. Don’t need to stress anymore because this blog consists of every major or minor vital information regarding the best development frameworks you should take into consideration.
Table of Contents
Web Development Frameworks
development frameworks are like Lego pieces you can assemble into everything you need. A framework includes ready-to-use tools, components, and libraries along with a set of basic programming modules and tools. In simple terms, a framework is a piece of real or conceptual property that serves as a support or a guide to help expand it into something of value.
Developers need frameworks to build websites, applications, APIs, services, and other solutions. They offer the tools and functionalities necessary to build such solutions and dictate the rules. In this way, you can easily set up your project skeleton and later expand it according to the project requirements. As well as facilitating the development and integration of various components of a large software project, frameworks may include utility programs, code libraries, scripting languages, and other software.
Web development platforms can be customized in a variety of ways. For example, you can use ready-to-use templates and components and tailor them to suit your specific needs.
Why Many Development Frameworks Are Available?
Every project has a unique set of requirements and to fulfill those requirements, there are different tools/frameworks. In order to cater to the diverse needs of web development projects, there are various frameworks available on the market. Web development tools/frameworks have come a long way since the dawn of the internet.
In addition to developer preferences, modernization of technology paves the way for innovation. Furthermore, the Information Technology industry is constantly changing. Similarly, developers are always seeking better ways of doing things. Moreover, the expressive nature of programming languages themselves continuously changes and grows. Frameworks and other web development tools make work faster, efficient, and convenient. With these tools, programmers aspire to improve their work as per the latest development in web technologies.
How to Select Development Frameworks?
Key points to consider while choosing the best framework: –
When confused about which development frameworks or technology to use in order to bring out the best outcomes. The following are some points to consider. It will ease the pain but also quickly help you in the web development process.
Functionality: Simply, check what each tool helps you achieve with its functionality.
Ease of use: Be sure to balance comprehensive features with usability when choosing the tools you can control.
Scalability: There should be at least some tools available that can be used for both small and large projects.
Portability: Despite the advent of remote work, web developers often travel between clients, the office, home, and local cafes.
Customization: No matter what tool we use, we like to make it feel tailored to us, whether it’s an add-on for our development environment or something else.
Security: There is always a need to maintain the security of your users, your employer, and the app or site that you are developing.
Cost: Unless you work at a fancy startup with cash to burn, you’ll have to shell out for your own web development tools. Don’t just take any deal. Make sure you’re getting the best value.
Types of Development Frameworks
There are mainly two development frameworks. However, it’s important to select the one that best suits your needs. The right choice plays a crucial part to reach the desired goal. Don’t be surprised when you hear that development frameworks have a great impact on the website as well as a business therefore, make a wise decision.
Explore the types of development frameworks below: –
- Server-side frameworks (Backend)
- Client-side frameworks (Frontend)
Server-side Frameworks (Backend)
The other term used for server-side frameworks is backend frameworks. Backend frameworks are primarily responsible for the database, application logic, payment processing, security, and server configuration.
With server-side frameworks, developers can create simple web pages, landings, and various forms of databases with existing templates effortlessly as the rules and architecture support these features. Furthermore, the output result can be re-defined by developers as well as contributors to improvise the security that may occur during cross-site scripting. Another good functionality the backend server provides is form validation. With this, users can input data structures to meet definite necessities. The backend development frameworks work separately, however, play an important role in application development growth.
Client-side Frameworks (Frontend)
For client-side development frameworks, the other term used is a front-end framework. Mainly, the front-end framework focuses on the development of an enhanced user experience. The purpose of the client-side development framework is to employ the looks and feel of the website to focus on the choice of users.
The frontend framework has no association with business logic as it works inside the browser. Therefore, improvisation and implementation of a new web or user interface can be done with a client-side web development framework. In the frontend framework, developers can build different animated features for single-page web applications and add creative graphics. The frontend framework tools essentially work with the browsers, thus, managing server requests, building a UI, and handling several user requests are the basic elements of a frontend framework.
In the client-side framework, there are different classifications and links. In contrast, some are simply libraries of UI components, and others are able to perform form validation, database manipulation, or work with backend APIs.
Image source: statista.com
Classification of Framework Architectures
Ideally, the architecture is what determines how layers interact with each other in a framework. The architecture of an application plays a huge role in the way the application functions.
- Model View Controller
- Model-View-ViewModel
- Push-based vs Pull-based
- Three-tier organization
Model View Controller – For building web applications, model view controllers (MVC) are generally used. MVC architecture separates data models with business rules from UI, and thus encourages code reuse. It also allows for various interfaces to be maintained, so it is a good practice.
Model-View-ViewModel – A Model-View-ViewModel or Model-View-Binder architecture model is used by frameworks such as KnockoutJS and VueJS. The view layer is the controller of this architecture and converts models into manageable components from the Model layer. All user requests are handled directly by the View layer, so the data binding process is much simpler.
Push-based vs Pull-based – The MVC framework generally uses a push-based architecture called ‘action-based to perform processing on the data, then pass it to a view layer to display the result. For e.g. Spring MVC, Ruby on Rails, Sails.js, Django, and CodeIgniter.
A second option to this architecture is ‘pull-based,’ also known as ‘component-based.’ This is a kind of framework that begins with the view layer, which then fetches and processes results from different controllers such as JBoss, Tapestry, Lift, Wicket, Micro, and JavaServer Faces. Both push-based and the pull-based application controller can be used on Struts, ZK, Play, and the RIFE.
Three-tier organization – Three-tiered organization applications are categorized into three physical tiers: application, database, and client-side. The database of the three-tiered organization is usually a relational database.
It has business logic that runs on a server and communicates with the client via HTTP. The client uses a web browser to run the HTML code developed by the application layer.
Pros of Development Frameworks
Almost every developer whether you hire PHP developers or Laravel developers highly depends upon development frameworks. There are numerous reasons why programmers rely upon frameworks so much. Frameworks play a vital role especially in big projects with complex architecture and interdependencies. However, these pros are covered in two categories. Furthermore, two conditions justify the need for natively supported programming for web development.
- In a simple project that doesn’t need more development. Or
- A project that needs absolute low-level optimization
Otherwise, frameworks make web development not just faster but also error-free and high-quality.
Top advantages of development frameworks
- Economic Benefits
- Technical Benefits
In both the economic and technical advantages of development frameworks, there are many subcategories.
Have a brief look at subcategories of web frameworks advantages;
Economic Benefits
There are several economical benefits of using development frameworks.
- Quick Web Development – With frameworks, development becomes much easier which means quicker development.
- Safety and Security – Web development becomes much more safe and secure with frameworks.
Technical Benefits
There are a number of technical advantages of using development frameworks.
- Fewer Errors – With the use framework, web development is very much bug-free.
- Effortless Maintenance – Frameworks make it effortless to maintain the websites.
- Excellent Execution – Truly, frameworks make execution highly excellent and painless.
Top Features in Development Frameworks
In this section, I’ll cover some of the common features of popular web development frameworks that help developers in the development process as these are powerful hands-on tools.
Top features of web development : –
- Web Caching
- Scaffolding
- Web template system
- Security
- URL Mapping
- Applications
Web Caching
The concept of caching simply serves to store different documents, avoiding server overload on various platforms. Several conditions must be met before it can be implemented on diverse systems. Cached content is also displayed on the server-side. For example, these links can be viewed on a search engine like Google’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
Scaffolding
Another extremely useful technique is to automatically create the initial project structure (in case of initialization) within the framework. It is supported by some MVC frameworks. The development cycle is accelerated and the codebase is standardized through this approach.
Web template system
The term “web template system” refers to a set of techniques and software used to build and deploy web pages. To process web templates, template engines are employed. They are a framework for web publishing.
Security
There are plenty of criteria that permit or reject access to certain functions within a web framework. A web framework can also identify the profiles that use it to avoid clickjacking. The framework is therefore authentic and authorized.
URL Mapping
In order to efficiently and clearly index your website by search engines and to create a clear and eye-catching site name, the Web Frameworks’ URL Mapping feature is the solution. The URL Mapping feature can also facilitate easy access to your sites’ URLs.
Applications
Among the best frameworks for app development are those that support blogging, forum creation, general-purpose websites, content management systems, etc.
Despite the fact that all frameworks have the same features, a paradox has come up: a developer has a wide variety of tools and functions at his/her disposal, and this can cause confusion. As previously mentioned, you can choose frameworks that are written in a variety of languages. You should think carefully and produce criteria that will make your work more comfortable and easier. A second point to consider is the scope of tools each framework offers. If it covers every aspect of your job duties and allows you to manage your responsibilities effectively, you’re on the right track. This point is subjective, so it may be beneficial or detrimental to your project. Though it’s always better to use easy-to-learn frameworks, there are times when old-school guidelines and a rarely used but interesting framework will bring you success.
Most Reliable Web Development
Image source: Github.com
Frameworks are an essential element of web development; as web application demands rise, so does the refinement of the technology needed. A number of frameworks are available for web development, each with its own unique features that confuse developers. You must think thoroughly before picking one as your website’s fate and workability depend on your selected framework.
Frontend Web Development
Check the best frontend web frameworks: –
1 React JS
React Native has gained many accolades since its release as a cross-platform mobile development framework but has gained a significant market share in mobile applications following its rise to prominence with the release of the framework. With React’s virtual DOM, dom manipulation is highly performant and quite easy, thanks to syntax such as JSX. Vue and Angular followed the same path. React can be used both server-side and client-side.
Pros
- Easy to Learn and Use
- Effortless to Create Dynamic Web Applications
- Reusable Components
- Performance Improvement
- JavaScript Library
Cons
- Great Speed Of Development
- Poor Documentation
- JSX As A Barrier
2 Angular
Introduced by Google in 2010. After the release of the rewrite version “Angular 2.0,” it became more stable. Angular came into the spotlight with the attention of many big technological players.
It is considered one of the top front-end web development after the release of its latest version in August 2020. Google has also maintained consistency with regular updates by adding new features and functions.
Pros
- MVC Architecture Implementation
- Better Design Architecture
- Services and Dependency Injection (DI)
Cons
- Bounded options for SEO
- Angular is Verbose and Complex
- Excess Learning Curve
3 Vue JS
It is another prominent user interface JavaScript framework by a former Google employee. This framework has provided remedies to Angular framework complexities and because of its simplicity and versatility, the Vue JS web development framework has marked its place in the list of best frameworks for web development.
Pros
- Small size
- Virtual DOM providing and performance
- Reactive two-way data binding
- Single-file components and readability
- Integration capabilities and flexibility
- Community support
Cons
- Language barrier
- Reactivity complexity
- Lack of support for large-scale projects
- Limited resources
- Lack of experienced developers
4 Ember JS
The framework, released late in 2011, contains JavaScript, HTML, and CSS and is considered one of the most productive JavaScript frameworks. It is built on a component service architecture.
In addition, since its release of Ember 2.0, which promised great stability in 2015, it became known for developing reusable and maintainable JavaScript web applications that made Ember a contender for the best web development for 2020.
Pros
- Potent add-ons
- Ember CLI
- Convention over configuration
- Stability sans stagnation
- Community
Cons
- Tough to learn
- Highly opinionated
- Sluggishness in popularity
5 Backbone JS
A lightweight JavaScript framework based on Model View Presenter (MVP), Backbone is by Jeremy Ashkenas, who also developed CoffeeScript and Underscore JS. Jeremy Ashkenas also developed CoffeeScript and Underscore JS.
Pros
- Fast And Lightweight
- Long Development Time
Cons
- Deep Understanding Require
- Slow
- Debugging
Backend Web Development
Check the best backend web frameworks: –
Express JS (Node)
Express is a Node.js web development framework. Node.js is a lightweight, scalable, and fast framework for web development thus most developers prefer to use it for web development. Furthermore, Node.js is very helpful to directly execute code in the browser. The Express framework from Node.js is ideally suited for building real-time streaming, payment gateways, eCommerce, and on-demand apps.
Pros
- Robust technology stack
- Fast-processing and event-based model
- Scalable technology for microservices
- Rich ecosystem
- Strong corporate support
Cons
- Performance bottlenecks with heavy computation tasks
- Callback hell issue
- Immaturity of tooling
Laravel (PHP)
When building web applications, Laravel follows the MVC (model-view-controller) architectural pattern. It is one of the most popular PHP-based web development . Powerful and streamlined functionality is commonly developed using Laravel, such as authentication, API integrations, handling common vulnerability issues, enabling automation web testing, and content caching. Laravel framework makes web development totally effortless hence, developers tend to choose the framework.
Pros
- MVC architecture
- Easy exception handling
- Easy automated testing
- Simplified URL routing configuration
- Smooth database migration
Cons
- Lack of technical talents
- No built-in support function
- Difficulty with some updates
3 Ruby on Rails
It is a perfect framework for developing high-speed applications using Ruby on Rails as it’s ten times faster. By far the most popular Ruby framework, since it has been introduced to web development design patterns and paradigms like Convention over Configuration and Don’t Repeat Yourself. The framework consists of everything needed to build a database-driven application and is, therefore, one of the finest out there. Moreover, it has inspired other web development frameworks like – React, Angular, and Laravel.
Pros
- Time efficiency
- helpful tools and libraries
- Huge and active community
- Strong adherence to standards
Cons
- Shortage of flexibility
- Continuous evolvement
- Performance time
4 Flask
A python-based web development framework. It is classified as a micro-framework so there are no special libraries or tools involved with this framework. It doesn’t integrate any third-party libraries but supports extensions that can add additional functionality, such as form validation, uploading, and authentication for your website. Flask has a built-in development server and fast debugger that help to build excellent applications.
Pros
- Scalable
- Simpler Development
- Flexibility
- Performance
- Modularity
Cons
- Not standardized
- Fewer tools
- Community
- Single source
5 Django
It is an open-source web development framework based on Python used to develop APIs faster and create clean-looking web applications. Because it provides a high level of scalability to its users, Django is popular among firms and developers. It provides a fast, secure, and scalable framework. In addition to conforming to the Convention Over Configuration pattern, it follows the DRY pattern. For the back end of a website, Django has a multitude of powerful features.
Pros
- Flexible framework
- Faster development
- REST framework for APIs
- Machine learning capabilities
Cons
- No conventions
- Not for smaller projects
- Monolithic framework
- Multiple request issue
Summary
“There is No Best Framework Unless It Fits Your Needs”
With the tagline, you must have understood how crucial it is to choose the web development frameworks as per your requirements instead of the market analysis. There are numerous frameworks available in the market apart from these 10. However, every framework is designed or developed to fulfill different needs. The future and success of a website are completely dependent on the type of framework so select wisely. In case you’re unable to choose, then don’t hesitate to seek professional assistance.