Front End development deals with the structure and looks of the website, everything that a client can see on a website is the creation of a Front-end developer. Creativity is the priority of front-end developers. There are many tools and frameworks that a front-end developer can use to develop a great web page.
There is a variety of front end web frameworks and, developers choose the framework according to their projects. Frameworks are used to increase productivity and they also provide many built-in features. As frameworks work on the Don’t Repeat yourself principle that means no need to write the same code again and again. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the three main pillars of Front end development and all have their frameworks.
What is Front-End?
In front-end development of a web, we deal with the overall look of the website, and the client-side is its main concern. As the front-end developer, their main job is, to design the structure of a web page that would display on the client system.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the tools of Front-end development:
What are Web Frameworks?
A Web framework is a collection of libraries (predefined code) and API (Application Program Interfaces) which calls your code and perform the task. Frameworks are used to create code and web Applications.
So here in this article, we are going to discuss some of the most popular front-end frameworks:
1. Bootstrap
It is one of the famous and most widely used front-end CSS frameworks. It is created by Twitter and released in 2011 and since then it is free to use the framework. The key feature of bootstrap is it includes CSS, HTML, and even JavaScript components and perform a great task when it comes to developing complex web pages.
It has a large community across the globe and a great developer team is continuously working on its updates. It also has great documentation, and supports rich libraries and with its continuous updates now it can use Sass as a CSS processor.
Bootstrap Pros:
- Open Source
- Great Documentation
- Can also Create complex web pages
2. Angular.Js
It is considered as one of the best JavaScript Framework which is used for front end development and mobile application. Though Angular is written in typescript which is a superset of JavaScript so the JavaScript Developer can use Angular.JS.
Angular.JS is developed and maintained by Google and they released it in September 2016. They develop such a framework because of the rapid growth of internet users and it increases the demand for mobile applications. In few years Angular has become one of the most popular JS frameworks among developers, because of its parent company Google.
Some Big tech which is Using AngularJS
- Upwork
- HBO
- Nike
- Forbes
- Sony
Angular Pros:
- Use Real DOM which works as Virtual DOM for Trivial Updates
- Bi-directional data binding
- Large community support
Angular cons:
- Yet It needs more updates
- High learning curve
3. Vue.JS
Vue is an open-source JavaScript framework released in February 2014. Vue is created by Evan You a former Google employee who give thought to make a lightweight JavaScript Framework. Vue has made it under the consideration of HTML-Based templet syntax. The simplicity and lightweight of this framework have attracted many developers to use it. Vue is mainly used for developing the user interface and single-page applications.
Some of the big tech companies using Vue
- Alibaba
- Xiaomi
- Adobe
- GitLab
- Grammarly
- Euro News
Vue pros:
- Simple
- Great documentation
- Code reusability
- Devtool extension
Vue cons:
- Small community
- Not that much flexible as angular or react.
4. React
It is the most popular front-end framework of 2019, it is developed by Facebook and that’s could be one of the reasons for its popularity. It’s a very powerful tool, which is used to build an effective User interface. It was released on 29th May 2013 and since then Facebook has used it for its many big projects.
It has rich libraries that are used to create mobile applications. The main feature of React is, it works with virtual DOM so any updates applied on the page do not have any adverse effect on any other part of the web interface.
React Pros:
- Use virtual DOM
- Reuse react component
- One direction data flow
- Open-source with rich libraries
React Cons:
- High Learning Curve
- poor Documentation
Some Big Tech Which is using React:
- Airbnb
- Netflix
- Uber
- Dropbox
5. Skeleton
It is a lightweight CSS framework used for small projects. It has a low learning curve and with a smaller number of codes, you can create a web application for both large and small mobile devices. Due to its lightweight, it is very fast as compared to other UI frameworks. Though it does not have many built-in components if you want to add some you need to develop by customizing the CSS.
Some Main features of Skeleton
- It comes with a Grid system
- Typography
- Inbuilt buttons API
- Inbuilt Form
6. Pure
It is a simple CSS framework with a single Stylesheet. It is a very lightweight framework but has enough libraries to create and develop some complex web-pages. Though it is not used for big projects, it could be an ideal framework for a beginner who wants to play and learn more about CSS development. It is designed to develop some specific features for the web pages and it supports the modular approach of coding.
Pure pros:
- Low learning curve
- Lightweight Framework
- Open-source
- Fast development
Pure cons:
- Cannot use to create complex web pages
7. Semantic UI
It is a very powerful framework and always compared with Bootstrap. It is one of the simple front-end frameworks with a moderate learning curve and can also be used for complex web applications. Its structure is more difficult than Bootstrap and the installation could be baffling, but its numerous features make it worth it.
Semantic UI Pros:
- Moderate learning curve
- Minimal load time
- Easy customization
- More than 20 inbuilt themes
Semantic UI Cons:
- Large packages
8. Foundation
It is a responsive front-end framework developed by ZURB and released in September 2011. It is released as an open-source project with features like code snippets, typography, form, buttons, navigation, and many other interfaces. It is considered as an HTML framework and it is written in HTML, CSS, Sass, and JavaScript, and it is the first responsive framework written in Sass.
Foundation pros:
- Flexible framework
- Open-source
- No style-lock in
- Use REMS
Foundation cons:
- Large file size
- High learning curve
- Complex syntax
9. Materialize
It is also a responsive front-end web framework and it is a CSS framework. It follows Google’s material design concept and it is written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This is an ideal Framework for those developers who want to take HTML, CSS, and JavaScript basic knowledge to the next level.
It has a rich UI with many animations and layouts. It has a built-in IZ column grid feature which is used for website layouts. It also includes features like typography, form, buttons, colors, and many more.
Materialize pros:
- Variety of components
- Responsive support
- Growing community
Materialize cons:
- Large file size
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