What are web development frameworks and their types?

Web development frameworks provide tools and libraries to help ease web development processes. Web frameworks (WF) are software tools with different approaches to build and run web applications and apps. WF aren’t completely required to build a web app or and app but they do make everything easier. In early days, you had to hand code everything and it wasn’t easy for developers to deploy and see other apps except for their own. Web Frameworks brought simple ways to code through automation. They provide libraries from various databases, template processing, session management and code reuse. It enables developers to launch and provide support to many different web apps and apps without necessarily having  to writer each piece of code or previous knowledge meant to be used by the app.

WF are often used for dynamic applications but they can serve the purpose for static applications. There are two types or functions of web frameworks:  Server side (Backend) or client side (Frontend).

Backend frameworks

Backend frameworks or server side frameworks are used to create applications that users can interact with. Their main purpose is to set up specialized functions on behalf of the software system. In other words, the server side is the compilation of tools, scripts, API’s and external libraries, all the elements that are invisible to users. The most used backend frameworks are Ruby on Rails for Ruby, Django for Python, Laravel for PHP, Express for JS.

Ruby on Rails

“Ruby on Rails is open source software, so not only is it free to use, you can also help make it better. More than 4,500 people already have contributed code to Rails. It’s easier than you think to become one of them.” See more about Ruby on Rails development.


Source: https://www.djangoproject.com/


Source: https://laravel.com/


“Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. With a myriad of HTTP utility methods and middleware at your disposal, creating a robust API is quick and easy. Express provides a thin layer of fundamental web application features, without obscuring Node.js features that you know and love.”
Source: https://expressjs.com

Frontend Frameworks

Frontend, client side or CSS frameworks are the intermediary from the designer to the backend framework. CSS frameworks are packages with pre-written standardized code in files and folders, they give you a base to build on allowing flexibility to the final design. Numerous dynamic features can be build with front end frameworks as well as single page apps but one thing to keep in mind is that client side frameworks differ in functions and use. Let’s talk about the most used front end frameworks.


Source: https://angularjs.org/


“Don’t waste time making trivial choices. Ember.js incorporates common idioms so you can focus on what makes your app special, not reinventing the wheel. Ember.js is built for productivity. Designed with developer ergonomics in mind, its friendly APIs help you get your job done—fast. Write dramatically less code with Ember’s Handlebars integrated templates that update automatically when the underlying data changes.”

Source: https://www.emberjs.com/

There are also crossfuntional frameworks such us Meteor which is a full stack web framework meaning it covers both front and backend frameworks. Its main feature is that you can work client side and CSS with the same code in real time mode.

So as you can see there are many ways to work around frameworks. You just have to choose the one if fits you the most.
