We all are aware that web and mobile app development has gone to the next level over the years. These are built using the stack of various technologies. As an entrepreneur, you must have plans to launch your mobile or web apps, but have you thought of which technology to use? Let’s dig deeper into this to find out which stack should be considered.
What is a STACK?
The phrase “Technology stack” is very often used in the world of modern IT. In short, a technology stack is a blend of different types of technology, programming language, and software products. There are majorly 2 types of stacks such as a Technology Stack & second an application stack. Today we will discuss in detail about MERN & MEAN Technology and which is the right technology stack for your business.
About MERN Technology
MERN is an amalgamation of technologies used to develop web applications. MERN is made of four components that are: Mongo DB, Express, React, and Node.js. These four provides an end-to-end framework for engineers to work on. This makes it easy to develop the Web apps using an assortment of choices in technologies.
Why choose MERN?
MERN stack is a JavaScript stack that provides a smooth flow in the development process.
All the components of MERN provide complete framework support from beginning to end for the developers to work on
MERN has gained enough popularity and now is a powerful stack to work with. Here are the technologies which the MERN stack refers to:
- MongoDB: A document-oriented open-source database.
- Express: A multi-layered framework built on top of NodeJS that maintains the website’s back-end functionality and structure.
- React: A library that enables developing the UI components of single-page web applications.
- Node.js: A runtime environment skilled to run the JavaScript on a machine.
Advantages of Choosing MERN Technology
The MERN technology has some benefits that will help you make your choice.
- MERN comprises of a complete web development cycle right from the front-end development to the back-end development with the help of JavaScript.
- It provisions the MVC (Model View Controller) architecture to ensure that the development process flow is smooth and fast.
- Developers only require being skilled in JavaScript and JSON with the JavaScript stack.
- It provides complete feasibility of the four best technologies that make it MERN – the MongoDB, Express.JS, React, and Node.JS.
- It comprises of a pre-built widespread suite of testing tools.
- It has open source in frameworks and is assisted by good community supports.
Cons of MERN Technology
Despite of so many benefits of MERN there are a few CONS that you need to keep in mind.
- Though React offers a path breaking interface & experience, developers still face issues because of the limited core functionality because this is a library & not a full-fledged framework. That’s why developers need to depend on the third-party services.
- It does not provide support for making direct calls to communicate with the backend servers.
- This is only for smaller and more efficient apps and is not recommended for large scale apps.
About MEAN Technology
MEAN Stack is a contemporary approach to Web Development. MEAN is made up of four components MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js, respectively. It is an amalgamation of JavaScript-based Web Development technologies that contribute in creating robust websites and applications. MEAN is a free, open-source JavaScript framework with built-in testing tools.
Why Choose MEAN Technology?
MEAN Stack is a fast growing open-source stack development framework that supports the developers teams with dominant tools or plugins to decrease the time on system administration. It also permits faster deployment of web websites, apps and APIs to focus on the intricacies of development of a web application project.
Here are the technologies the MEAN stack refers to:
- MongoDB: A document database that is used by the back-end app to store data as JSON documents
- Express.js: A back-end web app framework that runs on Node.js
- Angular: A front-end web app framework that runs your JavaScript code
- Node.js: A JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to implement your application in JavaScript
Advantages of MEAN Technology
- Node.js helps to scale easily than most of the competition (LAMP, Rails, Django), letting you use the same language on the backend & frontend (javascript).
- MongoDB is usually easier to work with and is more appropriate to the requirements of web apps than relational databases (SQLs).
- Angular offers a prevailing abstraction layer for developing single page applications and sites
- Express.js is a flexible, non-opinionated framework, leaving the tool and library selections to the developer
Cons OF MEAN
- Node involves working information of numerous challenging programming ideas to benefit from its scalability.
- MongoDB is not as dependable and stable as relational databases because it demands a qualified DBA for production of apps.
- Angular is occasionally infuriatingly verbose and difficult, and can be excess for modest applications and websites
- Express.js is flexible and non-opinionated, which needs the developer to make debatably redundant choices about tools and libraries
The Learning Curve
MongoDB, Express.js, and Node.js are quite known, and come with exceptional documentation. You will not be able to see any noticeable transformation in the learning curve when talking about these. But there could be slight variation in the learning curve between Angular and React.
Though Angular is a comprehensive framework, it uses Typescript and templates. You will undoubtedly see a sharper learning curve with Angular, however React is a library that does not have much of a learning curve.
When talking about the quality of documentation React propositions improved documentation in comparison to Angular, making it easier to learn.
Similarities Between MERN & MEAN
What is common in MERN & MEAN?
There are 6 common points to consider: Open-source framework, Protection against XSS Cross Site Scripting, Active Support & helpful documentation, Organizing the UI layer components with optimum code, pre-built exclusive testing tools, Support of MVC architecture.
You have already noticed some similarities between the two, but the following building blocks are similar in MERN & MEAN:
- MongoDB: This is a well-known document database. Back-end applications allow you to store data as JSON in MongoDB. This is an open-source database.
- Express.js: Also known as only “Express”, is a well-known open-source back-end web application framework based on Node.js
- Node.js: Node.js is a well-known open-source runtime environment, based on JavaScript. It supports through asynchronous event-driven programming, that supports you to produce scalable web apps.
Comparative Analysis- MERN & MEAN
The Angular.JS framework is well known for the MVC architecture amongst the Angularjs developers. But, the MVC architecture may not be what every web app needs. There could be web apps that simply want an abstraction on the UI layer to enhance the component rendering code. And React JS happens to be a library that meets this requirement.
The major difference between MERN & MEAN is the use of React JS framework and Angular JS library respectively. It is rather perplexing to select between MEAN and MERN as both are keen to offer abstraction at UI level. Where Angular JS is supported by Google Inc. React JS is the invention of Facebook Inc, each supported by top players of the industry.
Conclusion
With the details furnished above we come to a conclusion that MEAN and MERN both are dependable frameworks for fast & speedy front-end development resulting in light-weight JavaScript apps. Yet, the foremost difference lies in the way it is designed making MEAN stack development a better choice for large-scale apps whereas MERN stack development leads the race in quicker development of smaller apps.
Still, the ultimate choice will depend on the requirements of the project and how much familiar the developer is with the technologies involved.
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