About a year ago, I embarked on a project that involved developing a web application. Although I lacked any significant experience with Javascript or CSS, I realized that I needed to leverage a web framework to build rapid prototypes. Consequently, I began the daunting task of selecting a suitable framework from the plethora of options available. My lack of familiarity with the options made it challenging to make a decision. I was feeling overwhelmed by the number of web frameworks available:
- React JS: a JavaScript library developed by Facebook that is commonly used for building scalable and high-performance user interfaces.
- Vue.js: a progressive JavaScript framework that is ideal for building user interfaces and single-page applications.
- Angular JS: a popular frontend web framework that is maintained by Google and used for building dynamic, single-page web applications.
- Express: a fast, minimalist web framework for Node.js that provides a simple yet powerful API for building web applications.
- Next.js: an open-source web development framework created by the private company Vercel providing React-based web applications with server-side rendering and static website generation.
After careful consideration, I eventually settled on React JS as my preferred frontend web framework because of its popularity and support from the communities.
The best web framework for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. So don't be afraid to experiment and try out different frameworks until you find one that you're happy with. Here are some tips for choosing a web framework:
- Consider your project's requirements. What features do you need? What kind of performance do you need?
- Read reviews and compare frameworks. There are many resources available online that can help you compare different frameworks.
- Try out different frameworks. Don't be afraid to experiment and see which one you like best.
- Ask for help from the community. There are many online forums and communities where you can ask for help and advice from other developers.
With a little research and effort, you'll be sure to find the perfect web framework for your project.
I recently discovered SolidJS, a lightweight and impressive Javascript web framework created by Ryan Carniato in 2019. It has gained popularity among the JavaScript community due to its exceptional performance and straightforwardness. SolidJS utilizes a reactive programming paradigm that simplifies the creation and management of dynamic UIs without worrying about state management, which can be challenging and cumbersome with React JS.
While SolidJS shares some similarities with other popular frontend libraries such as React and Vue, it differs in several significant ways. One of the primary distinctions is that instead of utilizing a Virtual DOM, it compiles its templates to real DOM nodes, which allows it to update only the parts of the UI that have changed rather than re-rendering the entire UI every time there is a modification. This methodology contributes to the improvement of SolidJS-based applications' performance. Additionally, SolidJS has built-in support for server-side rendering (SSR).
I am excited to migrate my web applications from React JS to SolidJS to take advantage of its features, which include easy-to-read and write code, as well as higher performance.
If you're a beginner, I recommend exploring the FARM stack. However, instead of opting for React JS as the web framework, I suggest starting with Solid JS. Solid JS has shown exceptional performance in benchmark tests, surpassing frameworks like Svelte and Elm, as well as popular ones like Vue and Redux. Although React JS remains the largest and most widely used framework, Solid JS has gained significant interest in recent years, as indicated by a ranking chart shared by an active React JS YouTuber.
I recommend watching this tutorial series on Solid JS from the Net Ninja as a starting point. Subscribe to his Youtube channels to learn all about web frameworks.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW5YeuERMmlnqo4oq8vwUpg
Hope that helps
