Choosing the right Node.js Framework

Node Js

Before dive into the frameworks directly let’s have a idea about node js.

Node.js is actually not a framework or a library, but a runtime environment, based on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine.

Frameworks. Using middleware over pure Node.js is a common practice that makes developers’ lives easier.

Why should you have pure node Js knowledge?

As developers, it is hard to write applications without using NPM (Node Package Manager). A package manager helps you install packages and use them in your project. Nevertheless, the NPM ecosystem makes it tough to learn the pure Node.js functionalities.

With packages, every project becomes scalable, fast to build, and easy to manage. However, this makes it challenging for professionals to dig deeper. The life cycle of your application development is reduced to package names. You set a package function and a set of parameters, and boom, you are done. Very easy, indeed.

Learning vanilla Node.js enables you to develop and contribute to these packages. Packages are built using pure Node.js, so learning pure Node.js puts you in a position to build your own package and help other developers in their development workflow.

Simple NodeJs app file.

myfirst.js

var http = require(‘http’);
 
 http.createServer(function (req, res) {
 res.writeHead(200, {‘Content-Type’: ‘text/html’});
 res.end(‘Hello World!’);
 }).listen(8080);

Programming is the method to innovate something new and amazing. Being a coder, it is important to be aware of every new upcoming technology. Nuxt, Next and NestJS a little confusing, right? They might sound similar, but their practical application is different from each other.

The coders who aren’t familiar with these frameworks might get confused in the beginning, this article going to explain all the concepts of Nuxt, Next, and Nest with my perspective, there will be links for the original documentations in this article. So, it’s best to refer original documentations as well. in this article you may explore the uses and the installation of these frameworks. This article will be help you to know about these frameworks in a gist.

Why do we need a framework? What are the uses of the framework?

• A framework is a platform that provides a foundation on which software developers can create programs. It allows the coder to make robust applications.
• Also, the framework provides diversified support for developing robust applications with pace and ease because it provides a standard way to build and deploy applications.

Before starting with these frameworks, first we need to know a little briefing of CSR (client-side rendering) vs SSR (Server-side Rendering) for more clarification.

• By these platforms, it is important to understand that Angular, and Vue are the client-side Rendered (CSR) framework while React is a UI library, which makes the page interactable and viewable.
• Using these platforms, Server-side Rendered (SSR) use to make the page interactable.

The first thing that needs to be clear is these three frameworks- Nust, Next, and Nest are different from each other but comes in JavaScript Ecosystem.

Nuxt Js

What is Nuxt.js?

Nuxt.js is a high-level framework that builds on Vue. It is an open-source application framework that is free and based on Vue.js, also Node.js, Webpack, and Babel.js. Nust comes under universal application which uses “meta-framework” as well as develops single page Vue apps.

The main aim to build applications with Nuxt.js that it is more flexible while creating any project because Nuxt helps the developers to create complex, fast, and universal web applications quickly.

What is Vue.js?

It is an open-source JavaScript framework, it is faster as well as smoother to build user interfaces and single-page applications. The reason behind this is, Vue had familiar templating syntax and use of components, integrating or migrating the project make it more understanding by the beginners. For this reason, Vue is the best framework for tech startups or beginners to learn and build applications. Also, useful for large-scale applications as performance-wise.

Reasons why the developers consider Nuxt for any project:

1. Build universal apps without any trouble.

The plus point of the Nuxt.js is that the developers can create universal applications easily in the Vue. Most of the people are not familiar with universal apps basically the beginners.

So, what is a universal app?

It is the app that describes JavaScript code that can execute both on the client and the server-side. There are many modern JavaScript frameworks like Vue, that aim to build Single-page Applications (SPA). And a universal app completely based on SPA.

• Nuxt makes coding simpler:
  
  It is boring to build long monotonous projects for developers because it needs more time for the configuration on both server-side and client-side. The main aim is to make it simple to share codes between server and client.
  
  Last but not least, Nuxt gives the developer an asyncData method in the components which use to fetch data and render it on the server-side. This is how Nuxt helps the developers to create universal applications.

2. Provide automatic code-splitting

Nuxt generates a static version of your website with a unique webpack configuration. For every page, it automatically creates the program which builds its own JavaScript file.

Also, it helps to speed up the progressing and keep the size of the JavaScript file small relatively to the application size.

The Installation Process of Nuxt.js

Syntax to Install Nuxt:

$ npm i nuxt

• Syntax to create a basic application:

$ npx create-nuxt-app <project-name>

You can directly start with the CLI create-nuxt-app.

The basic Nuxt.js project template stack.

express: Nuxt.js + Express koa: Nuxt.js + Koa adonuxt: Nuxt.js + AdonisJS micro: Nuxt.js + Micro nuxtent: Nuxt.js + Nuxtent module for content-heavy sites.

Advantages of Nuxt.js

• The main advantage of Nuxt.js is, its main scope is UI rendering while removing away the client/server distribution.
• In Nuxt.js you get automatic code-splitting.
• Statically its render your Vue apps and get all the benefits of a universal app without a server.
• You can easily set up transitions between your routes and write single-file components.
• It provides an auto-updating server for easy development.
• In Nuxt.js you get ES6/ES7 compilation without any other extra work.

Next Js

If you compare all three frameworks, the most popular framework you get is Next.js from the other two. Let see what is so interesting in this framework that it is popular and developer’s favorite.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a JavaScript framework that uses React to build server-side rendering and static web applications. According to every developer, it the best tool to build websites because it has great features and advantages, which make it the first option for creating web applications.

The first thing that makes it different from the other two frameworks is it does not need any configuration of webpack. Even it comes with its configuration, with some basic React and JavaScript knowledge, build your way to development.

What is react?

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, it is also known as React.js. It can be used as a base in the development of single-page or mobile applications that make it optimal for fetching rapidly changing. React was created by Facebook.

For using React.js it is important to know about the basic components of React.

Components can be rendered to a particular element in the DOM by using the React DOM library. There are two primary components in React.

• Functional components

These are the component which declared with a function that then returns some JSX.

Class-based components.

These are the components declared using ES6 classes and known as “stateful” components, because their state holds the values throughout the component and can be passed to child components through props.

Next.js is a framework that is opinionated and provides a structure for the apps. As well as it is an automatic code-splitting.

Some reasons to use Next.js to build your project.

Next.js comes with great features that make it useful as well as popular among the developers.

1. Easy to generate website

For beginners or experienced developers, Next.js is the framework easy to use and get started to build a project. It is easy in Next.js to compile and export the application in HTML.

2. Server-side rendering

Next.js performs server-side rendering by default which makes your application optimized for search engines. In this Next.js come with a head component that allows the developers to add or make dynamic Meta-Tags.

By using SSR you get:

• It provides users an initial render of the applications while loading the code in the background.
• Easily eliminate the need for the client to download code in HTML format.
• Also, help to create SEO friendly applications.

3. Routers

When you create any React application by using create-react-app, you usually need to install a react-router and create its custom configuration. But with Next.js it is easier because it comes with its own routers with zero configuration. The main feature is that Next.js take care of all its routers you just sit and create your page inside the pages folder.

The Installation Process of Next.js

• Syntax to install Next.js:

npm install --save next react react-dom

· Syntax to run:

npm run dev.

Advantages of using Next.js

• Next.js is easy to deploy anywhere with Node.js support.
• It can be executed with Express or any other Node.js HTTP server.
• Any unnecessary code is not loaded in Next.js.
• Webpack-based dev environment which supports Hot Module Replacement (HMR).
• Fetch data easily.
• Next.js is simple client-side routing (page=based).
• Every component is server-rendered by default in Next.js.
• As well as automatic code-splitting which use for faster page loads.

Nest Js

The main thing that makes Nest.js differ from both the frameworks is that it is heavily inspired by Angular.

What is Nest.js?

Nest.js is a framework for building efficient, scalable Node.js server-side applications. It is the modern JavaScript, which is built with TypeScript and uses Express.js. The important thing that Nest.js provides that it preserves compatibility with pure JavaScript and the combine elements of OOP (Object-Oriented Programming), FP (Functional Programming), and FRP (Functional Reactive Programming).

As similar to TypeScript and a reasonable knowledge of JavaScript help the developer to create the best application in Nest.js. The main aim of Nest.js was to solve the architectural problems of Node.js by providing back-end applications a modular structure for organizing code into separate modules. The plus point to work in Nest.js that it is fully built with TypeScript which is really beneficial for code type checking by which it helps to facilitate the process of development of the application.

Recently, the Nest.js framework is increasing popularity due to its incredible features:

Some features of Nest.js

• Nest.js is open-source (MIT license).
• It is easy to use, learn and develop applications.
• It is a powerful command-line interface (CLI) tool that boosts your productivity.
• It has detailed and well-maintained documentation.
• Also, supports specific modules that help you easily integrate with common technologies and concepts such as TypeORM, Mongoose, GraphQL, Logging, Validation, Caching, and Websockets.
• Also, provide active codebase development and maintenance.
• Leverages typescript which means it is a strongly typed language that super-set of JavaScript.
• Easy to unit testing applications.
• The Nest.js is made for Monoliths and Micro-services (entire section in the documentation regarding the Microservice type of a NestJS application, as well as techniques and recipes).

Nest.js provide the developers with an out-of-the-box application structure that allows them to create highly testable, scalable and easily maintainable applications. As well as it makes use of Express which provides compatibility with a wide range of other libraries that the developer easily uses the myriad third-party plugins which are available.

The Installation of Nest.js

• Syntax to install Nest.js

$ npm i @nestjs/cli
$ nest new project-name

• Example: Syntax for basic Hello World app in Nest.js
  
  Remember, after installing Nest.js with the npm cli command, and to create a new project with nest new project-name.

Syntax to run the app:

$ npm run start:dev

Advantages of using Nest.js

• The main advantage of the Nest.js is that it has a TypeScript-based web framework, that possible to build any strict type application.
• The framework of Nest.js is very annotation-driven which generates everything to make you easy.
• The project that builds in Nest.js is heavily based on Angular.
• As you know Nest.js is a module-based framework, by which it is easy to externalize general-purpose modules and reuse code in multiple projects.
• The important advantage of the Nest.js is that it uses the latest version of TypeScript that helps the developers to code less and gets productive work. And this is the same with Angular.

Summary

Nuxt: Best for Ramping up your front-end via Vue.

Next: A React-based productivity booster.

Nest: A JavaScript solution for the back-end.

According to the todays standards the best combo for building a web solutions is by using Angular and nestJs. Learning Angular make things easy to understand NestJs.

You can See my mock project which is developed using Angular, NestJs, TypeORM and MySQL to complete my training.

Project source code: https://github.com/SadushaNadeesh/LP-Final-Project.

References:

https://nestjs.com/

https://nuxtjs.org/

https://nextjs.org/

https://www.section.io/engineering-education/pure-node-js-no-frameworks-or-packages/

Thank you for reading.