Best Tool to Use for JS Applications: Angular JS, React JS, Node JS

The JavaScript war is at an all-time high. Developers across JavaScript land are debating on the best tool to use for JavaScript applications. Nowadays developers still battle to choose their favorite between AngularJS and ReactJS. We’ll look at the similarities between these two frameworks and NodeJS.

In this article, we’ll explore similarities and differences of these three tools and how useful are they for JS development.

Angular

Google launched its open-source client-side web framework in 2009. AngularJS was released for developers with the primary purpose of addressing the challenges of single page application creation.

It simplifies development by providing a reliable framework for client-side Model View Controllers (MVCs). The major advantage of this tool is its simplicity. What’s more, Google provides official style guide and best practices. It’s important to say that Angular has a strong, and active, community of developers.

1. Angular: Ideal Choice for Beginners

In AngularJS, model and view are connected to allow automatic data synchronization between them. As a result, all the changes made to the view are instantly reflected in the model and vice versa. This property makes Angular app development less demanding, as the programming model is simplified for the coder.

2. Angular: Advanced Modular Development

Building modular rich client-side applications that are well structured is now possible with Angular. Modules are created in separate JS files and are essential in the separation of logic. They play a vital role in keeping the code organized. Examples of AngularJS modules include controllers, applications, and services. Every part of the application is kept in a separate container to keep the code clean. Here is an example:

3. Reasons to Adopt Angular

• The Angular architecture allows for easy and automatic data synchronization between the model view and the components.

• Angular templates are rendered just like the traditional plain HTML.

• Angular is made to be testable from the initial development stages all the way up.

• Angular views are simple HTML pages. JavaScript controllers are responsible for the processing.

• There is tons of material to learn AngularJS from A to Z.

React

React provides high-performance client and server side rendering with a one-way flow for data binding. It is based on building reusable chunks of code which are components, which makes it quite easy to work with.

React is more of a library than a framework. It can best be described as an application view that allows the programmer to utilize reusable components. It is composed of its own React libraries, tools, and solutions that developers can use to build their own JS framework.

1. React: Super Quick Content Rendering

React boasts a unique feature that facilitates quick rendering of content for better user interaction. A virtual React DOM allows for both client-side and server-side rendering which decreases the page load time. 

2. React: Reusable Components

React is built around development using components. Common React design elements can be broken down into individual components. React Buttons, fields, forms etc., can be saved and reused when the application developer intends to create another mobile or web UI project. This saves time and effort for the developer as they don’t need to write code again for the same components in the future.

3. Reasons to Adopt React

React keeps a virtual React DOM which randomly updates parts that have been changed or those that need to be updated.

• React allows both client- and server-side rendering.

• React provides an option for pure JavaScript template creation.

• React JS components are highly reusable.

• There is a quick React Tutorial to help you develop your skills.

• React Native, an offshoot of ReactJS allows the use of Javascript to write Native iOS applications.

Node.js

Node is a Javascript runtime powered by Google's Chrome V8 JavaScript engine. It can be described as JavaScript that has been given the ability to run on the computer, instead of the browser like normal JavaScript.

This is made possible by the V8 JavaScript runtime engine. Based on a module architecture, Node simplifies the development of complex applications. Node.js allows you to build utilities with which you can concatenate and create JavaScript files on your PC.

Creating an HTTP server with Node JS.

Node JS: Pros

• It allows the use of the same JavaScript code for both the front-end and back-end development.

• Among many other functions, Node.js allows users to listen to network traffic, listen and reply to HTTP requests, and access databases directly.

Node JS: Cons

• Node uses an event-driven approach to cater to implied scalability.

• Node developers will have to deal with excessive nested callbacks.

• Node lacks a standard library. Working without some of the utilities that are not provided in libraries sometimes translates to less seamless programming.

Conclusion

While both React and Angular are opinionated to some degree, React happens to be “more accommodating” than Angular. Developers have the freedom to apply the React framework to any back-end they choose, it could be ASP, Django, or Ruby on Rails, unlike Angular.

Building the web out of reusable components is something we have seen in the MVC pattern. The component way of building dynamic UI flow is the future. This is the trend and the backbone of ReactJS that AngularJS needs to catch up on.

React JS’s learning curve is shorter than that of Angular. It takes just a few months of practice for new users to learn and be proficient in it, unlike the more complex AngularJS, which takes much longer to understand at an expert level.

React is dynamic (and futuristic) and a less restrictive framework. AngularJS is mature and it’s the safest bet when you need to work with two-way data binding.

Node.js is a powerful platform for creating client-side and server-side applications and gives you good service when you are developing apps that hold many open connections for a long time.