Hi, this is William Lewis. Today I’m going to share a selection of frameworks and libraries that can be useful to a JavaScript developer. I won’t talk about the most famous ones, like React, Vue.js, Next.js, because everyone knows about them. Instead, I suggest looking at the less popular tools. If you use other frameworks and libraries that are not included in the selection – write about them in the comments.
Let’s go!
Svelte
The tool was introduced in 2016 by developer Rich Harris. He decided to save his colleagues from the need to interact with the virtual DOM and created a simple and effective tool for creating user interfaces.
Svelte works at the compilation stage, converting code into pure JavaScript, CSS and HTML.
Features and functions:
- Build-stage compilation. Svelte generates minimalistic JavaScript code, this makes applications faster and lighter.
- Out-of-the-box reactivity. Automatic tracking of data changes without the need for manual state management.
- No virtual DOM. Minimizing the cost of handling interface updates.
- Simplicity of syntax. Modern development approach with minimal learning curve.
- Small size of the final bundle. Lightweight applications due to the absence of heavy libraries.
- Reactive variables. Changes in data automatically update the user interface.
- Modular approach. Each component is completely isolated and contains logic, styles and a template;
- TypeScript support. For those who prefer strict typing.
- Performance optimization: minimal rendering and update costs.
- Developer-friendly: built-in animations and transitions. Disadvantages:
- Low (so far) popularity: the Svelte community is noticeably smaller than that of frameworks like React or Angular. This can make it difficult to find solutions for specific problems.
- Limited ecosystem: there are fewer ready-made libraries and tools compared to more popular frameworks. It’s also harder to find documentation and courses, especially for beginners.
- Lack of large corporate support:
Svelte is developed by enthusiasts, not a corporation.
Remix
Announced in 2020. Released in November 2021, at which time the framework became available to a wider audience. It was created by Ryan Florence and Michael Jackson, who previously worked on the popular React Router tool. The main goal of Remix is to optimize user experience through a server-centric approach to rendering and data handling, improving application performance and SEO.
Features and functions:
- Server-centric architecture: handling routes and data on the server, which speeds up rendering.
- Data loading: support for built-in loaders and action handlers to simplify server-side requests.
- Cloud integration: native support for Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Workers and other servers.
- Cross-browser: the framework takes into account the peculiarities of browsers to improve UX.
- Streaming rendering support: the ability to render data in batches, which speeds up UI rendering.
- Data reactivity: automatic component updates when data changes.
- User-friendly form handling: built-in data and error handling to simplify user interaction.
- Flawless integration with React: Remix is built entirely on React and leverages its capabilities.
- Modern standards: utilizing the latest webAPIs such as Fetch and Web Streams.
- SEO optimization: server-side rendering and working with meta tags out-of-the-box.
Disadvantages:
- Difficulty for beginners: to understand the basic concepts of Remix (routing, query processing and data loaders), you need basic knowledge of server-side development. You won’t be able to work from scratch.
- Less popular: the developer community is smaller than that of more well-known tools. This makes it difficult to find ready-made solutions or quick answers to questions.
- Infrastructure dependency: native integration with cloud services like Vercel or Netlify can limit developers who prefer traditional hosting methods.
Qwik
Qwik is created by Mishko Heveri, known as the author of Angular, together with the Builder.io team. The main goal of the framework is to speed up the loading of web applications and minimize Time to Interactive (TTI) using the concept of Resumability.
Features and functions:
- Instant interactivity: pages become interactive as soon as they load, even on slow connections.
- Performance Optimization: code is loaded only when it is actually needed.
- Modularity: breaking code into small modules that load on demand.
- Improved SEO: pages are rendered on the server, making them visible to search engines.
- TypeScript support: strict typing for easy development.
- Load-on-demand: minimal JavaScript initialization on the client until actually needed.
- Global state management without the need for complex libraries.
- Integration with modern standards: support for the latest webAPI and standards.
- Built-in server-side rendering (SSR): improves performance and SEO.
- Streaming support: data is streamed in batches, speeding up rendering.
Disadvantages:
- Less popular: the usual situation here – the Qwik community is still small, so there are fewer resources for training and out-of-the-box solutions.
- Low compatibility with the ecosystem: Qwik is still poorly integrated with popular libraries and tools.
- Limited set of plugins and modules compared to more mature frameworks such as React or Angular.
