As we’re moving ahead in technology, it is expected from a business point of view to build projects or functionality with less effort. Time management and saving efforts of developers was one of the main reason for introducing Frameworks in programming. For example, Python is capable enough to perform almost anything but while using it, Django (which is a framework) can be used to build both web apps and services.
Now the question is “Why should you use the framework in programming?”. To help you with that we’ll go step-wise and learn more about it. But, first things first, let’s understand it sequence-wise.
Why is it Required to Use Framework?
If you’re a coding expert, you must understand this, if we take out the framework from the development part, it becomes difficult to process any featured task or functionality (like we discussed above in Python’s case), However, there are some other notable features that justify of using a framework in programming.
- The framework enables developers to work efficiently on any project (although it is not mandated to use a framework, it’s just a simple add-on feature) so that developers can achieve their goals smoothly
- It enables developers to work on any programming language (complex ones) easily
- It is highly flexible and scalable
- By using a framework, you can easily integrate almost anything by using its built-in APIs
- Frameworks offer better security and help in reducing expenses
Regardless of your purpose, a framework can be used for multiple things. Even most of them provide a set of pre-defined classes, objects, functions, methods, etc.
Types of Frameworks
As discussed above, a framework can be used with endless possibilities and that’s why it is compulsory for you to know each segment of those frameworks (used in different applications). Let’s see them below in a series along with their most popular frameworks.
1. Front-end Frameworks: These frameworks help in building the front-end part of any project by using technology such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc, Apart from this, front-end developers build the UX design elements on any project (mobile app or web page) that fall under this category. Some of the most popular front-end frameworks are React, Angular, VueJs, etc.
2. Back-end Frameworks: Backend frameworks are libraries of back-end programming that help build the structure of a website. Besides this, backend frameworks provide packets of elements for developing any web application and enable developers with a head-start by eliminating the need to build from scratch. Some of the most popular back-end frameworks are Django, ExpressJS, Laravel, etc.
3. Web Frameworks: These frameworks provide a pre-written element, code snippets, and app templates and can be easily used for web services, APIs, etc. Some of the most popular Web frameworks are Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET, Spring, etc.
4. Mobile App Frameworks: A platform to create any mobile application with the help of tools, interfaces, compilers, etc., and helps developers to design apps smoothly. Some of the most popular Mobile app frameworks are React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, etc.
5. Content Management Frameworks: A platform that helps in managing and aligning the whole chain of content and creating a website. Some of the most popular Content Management frameworks are Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, etc.
6. Data Science Frameworks: These are a set of tools that help developers during the execution of data and implying for other relatable techniques. Some of the most popular Data science frameworks are Tensorflow, Keras, Numpy, etc.
How to Pick the Right Framework?
It is very obvious that before choosing the right framework, you must understand the basics of using one along with its capabilities. This includes performance, scalability, segments, etc. Understand the concept by breaking them down:
- Performance: While working on any complex application, developers are required to perform the analysis by checking the compatibility and the frameworks to use. After checking the compatibility, you must know the run-time and peak performance.
- Scalability: The project on which you’ll be working should have a clear vision in terms of future goals so that the development team can work accordingly to build projects that can be scalable in the future.
- Segments: While building a project, it is pre-defined from the client’s end about the project’s compatibility. Either web app, web page, mobile app, or all of them, frameworks have to be decided accordingly.
- Easy-to-go: There is ‘n’ a number of frameworks and libraries available to perform different tasks so it becomes necessary to evaluate the level of difficulty before you start using that particular framework. Else the consequences could be drastic and you might end up tangling in complex situations, that’s why understanding the learning curve is a must to observe beforehand.
Is there any Challenge in Using a Framework?
Understand the fact that there exists no such framework that can do everything for you so obviously they’ll have some drawbacks. Some of the most common challenges could be related to problem-solving techniques that frameworks will not offer to you and the fundamentals of programming language should steer clear in your head.
Besides this, below are a few more challenges that you might face while using a framework:
- Frameworks usually lack when it comes to opacity. That’s right since they’re not directly aligned with the programming language so the chances are it can lead to trespassing.
- Since frameworks come with a set of limitations, they can only perform several (dedicated) tasks only and one cannot make any modifications (specific), and coders will be required to bind with it.
- A developer should be familiar with the techniques of using that particular framework and also they should be aware of which one should they pick for their project. Unless they have a clear picture in their head along with the knowledge, they won’t be able to use that particular framework to its full capacity.
