What is the Importance of Selecting the Right Frontend Framework?

Selecting the right frontend framework is crucial to the success of any development project.

The “frontend” refers to the presentation layer of a website or web app, which is why it is often described as all the things that users see.

To be more precise, the frontend of a website or web app encompasses any code that is responsible for displaying data efficiently to the users.

Frontend frameworks act as scaffolding for building the frontend. The right frontend framework not only helps you build pleasant and intuitive user interfaces, but it also allows you to efficiently present, update, and store data that you receive from the API or backend.

That is why selecting the right frontend framework is just as important as it is to hire front end developers who are right for the particular project.

Why Selecting the Right Frontend Framework Matters

When building the frontend of a website or web app, developers primarily use a combination of three languages such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

HTML is used for building the basic layout of the webpage, CSS is used for managing the visual formatting, and JavaScript is used for maintaining interactivity.

JavaScript offers a rich environment filled with dozens of libraries, frameworks, and tools. While having so many options is great, it makes the job of choosing one over the other difficult and confusing.

Let’s discuss a few ways selecting the right frontend framework affects various aspects of a development project.

1. Reliability of Code

The right frontend framework comes with a pre-packaged and standardized frontend foundation that offers a frequently updated and widely-used codebase. That means you can be more confident that it will be bug-free and widely supported on various devices and browsers. You can also get additional benefits such as documentation and support from the community.

2. Time Taken to Build the Code

Your choice of the frontend framework can determine how much time it takes to write the code. If you are planning to launch the product within 30 days, you have very little time to write and test the entire code. In such a case, you need to choose a framework that offers shortcuts to achieve the desired goal within the required timeframe.

Some frontend frameworks come with rapid development capability, while others have great functionalities but a steep learning curve. Your choice should ultimately depend on your/your team’s capabilities and the project deadline.

3. Maintenance of the Code

The right frontend framework will make it easy for you to maintain the code and ensure its longevity. As you may have guessed, simply building the code is not enough. You will need to maintain, enhance, and expand the code over time as your website or web app grows and deals with increasing amounts of data. If the frontend framework does not simplify the maintenance or expansion of the code, it is not the right one.

4. Faster Development and Quicker Prototypes

Besides offering a more efficient and reliable solution, the right frontend framework reduces the amount of code you need to write. In this case, the framework technology itself does most of the heavy lifting, helping you develop the frontend faster. Such a frontend framework offers more flexible code that solves problems more efficiently.

5. Better user experience

The right frontend framework can help a web app function and perform as well as a native application (mobile). The technology achieves that by implementing features like client-side routing. It reduces or removes page refreshes, makes user interactions faster, and allows smooth transitions and animations between page changes. Needless to say, all these attributes improve the user experience significantly.

6. Future support

If the frontend framework comes with no guaranteed future support, it is best to avoid it. The right framework not only offers advanced development tools, but it also attracts the right talent to ensure smooth project completion. That is why choosing a well-recognized and widely-used frontend framework would be your best bet.

Every popular frontend framework has its own design philosophy, and they are all trying to solve the same common problems that developers encounter from time to time.

Problems the Right Frontend Framework Should Help You Solve

The front end of most websites and web apps grows and strains in the same predictable ways. Frontend frameworks exist to streamline the development process and make it easier for the developers.

Although each frontend framework has its own design philosophy, all of them are mainly trying to solve some of the common problems that developers face during various stages of development.

Now that we have discussed why it is important for you to select the right frontend framework, let’s touch upon some of these common issues that the right frontend framework should help you solve.

• The frameworks should make the code easy to read, test, and change. The code should be easy to maintain as well.
• Since most complex interfaces are made up of the same components, the framework should allow you to build and reuse these components to easily create new pages.
• Considering that DOM manipulations take a long time, you should need to perform fewer element updates.
• The framework should allow you to manipulate the UI easily based on data.
• The framework should make the UI intuitive and consistent, which includes standardizing color, typography, inputs, buttons, and other elements.
• You should not need to write a ton of boilerplate code when solving common frontend challenges.

One thing you need to remember is that even the right frontend framework may not address or solve all of these issues. Your goal should be to select one that at least covers the majority of these.

Top 3 Frontend Frameworks of 2022

React, Angular, and Vue.js are the three most widely used frontend frameworks out there. Let’s take a closer look at each of them to understand what makes them so popular.

1. React

React is one of the simplest frontend frameworks to learn. It was developed by Facebook for fixing code maintenance issues that occurred as a result of the constant addition of features to the app.

It is an open-source framework that stands out because of its exceptional functionalities such as virtual DOM (Document Object Model). React is ideal for websites and web apps that require a stable platform to handle high traffic.

Some advantages of React include:

• Reusable components
• Seamless and consistent performance
• Easy to learn
• Advance and useful dev tools

2. Angular

This TypeScript based frontend framework ranks second among the most popular frontend frameworks of 2022. Since its official launch in 2016, Angular has amassed a massive following and user base, thanks to its unique features such as two-way data binding.

Angular also allows you to multi-page and progressive web apps. Brands such as Forbes, Xbox, and BMW have used Angular for their apps.

Some advantages of Angular are:

• In-built functionalities that let you update changes made in model to view and vice versa.
• Two-way data binding reduces the amount of code that needs to be written.
• Components are easy to manage and reusable using the dependency injection
• A vast community that offers support and aids in learning.

3. Vue.js

A straightforward and simple frontend framework, Vue.js has become fairly popular these days. It is compact in size, component-based, and has visual DOM. Vue.js also features 2-way binding.

As a versatile frontend framework, Vue.js lets you perform multiple tasks with ease. Whether you are building a mobile app, web app, or progressive web app, you can rely on Vue.js to build the front end.

Some advantages of Vue.js are:

• Detailed and extensive documentation.
• Simple syntax (especially for programmers who are skilled in JavaScript).
• Flexibility of designing the app structure.
• TypeScript support.

Here’s a ranking of the popular frontend frameworks by the number of job openings they have on LinkedIn:

Wrapping Up

There are many important considerations you need to make when building a web app or website, and choosing the frontend framework is one of them. Make sure you choose the right one to create an aesthetically pleasing product that performs flawlessly and wins the users over!