Top 6 Front-End Tools For 2020
Last updated: Dec 06, 2019
The tools used to create front-end websites are constantly changing with time. This is why that is essential for developers to be aware of emerging technologies. Here, we reviewed 6 top front-end tools that will be widely used in 2020.
1. React
Undoubtedly, React is one of the most popular front-end frameworks. This excellent open-source JavaScript library developed by Facebook and combines the speed of JavaScript with the efficient rendering of dynamic and responsive web pages.
ReactJS has introduced many new concepts to the world of front-end web development. One of them is JSX (JavaScript Extended) which allows embedding JavaScript code in the HTML markup giving developers power and flexibility. Another concept that Facebook introduced with React is Component Reusability. React components are well isolated and are not affected by system upgrade, therefore they have the potential to be used any time, a great time-saving feature.
The secret behind fast and efficient rendering in ReactJS is Virtual DOM. This feature improves the user experience as well as developers’ speed. Unlike other frameworks that directly manipulate DOM, React keeps an abstract copy of DOM called Virtual DOM and updates it instead of actual DOM. This approach makes GUI changes really quick and allows developers to use real-time updates and hot reloading.
Add to that an active support community on the Web and a plethora of third-party tools that can be used to reach a high flexibility in front-end development.
For example, libraries such as Redux, MobX, Fluxy, Fluxible, or RefluxJS are fully compatible with React. Thanks to these great features ReactJS is currently the 4th trend in GitHub with over 142k stars and more than 1200 open-source contributors all over the world.
2. Angular
This product of Google is one of the best front-end development tools. Angular mixes the capabilities of HTML and TypeScript for solving challenges encountered in single-page application development. With the help of this full-fledged JavaScript, framework the user can build applications on Web, mobile or Desktop. It is widely used in both front-end and back-end.
The Web development process in Angular is quick and easy. It gives you an advanced modular environment that is decorative, expressive and readable. Angular’s flexibility really deserves praise. This toolset is extensible by a myriad of other libraries that gives you the freedom to modify your code in an all-in-one environment. It also provides built-in debugging and testing utility, a feature that lacks in other front-end frameworks.
3. Vue
VueJS encompasses the advantages for both React and Angular but is better in many ways. Like Angular, it wants to mix HTML layout with JavaScript. You have to use Vue directives such as v-bind and v-if everywhere from the component logic to templates.
One of the coolest things Vue borrowed from React is Virtual DOM. It has made creating fast and interactive web pages possible. Same as React, Vue only includes the basic features, turning it to a lightweight Web development tool. Due to the compactness and flexibility of Vue, other libraries such as jQuery can be integrated into it without pain.
Vue creators also borrowed several concepts from Angular including two-way data binding. But there is more! This open-source toolset provides you a range of plugin modules for better Web development. For example, VueJS comes with Vuex, a Flux-like plugin for state management. It is similar to Redux but integrates better to the framework which results in better performance and usability.
4. TypeScript
TypeScript definitely remains one of the best front-end development trends in 2020. It is a typed language designed by Microsoft to meet the requirements for both client and server-side applications. It compiles the code to plain JavaScript and is compatible with any browser, host or operating system. As it is a superset of JavaScript, all JavaScript programs are also valid in TypeScript. It allows developers to use the latest JavaScript features and build Web applications with fewer bugs and easier to read codes.
5. Grunt
Grunt is one of the must-have front-end development tools in 2020. It is a JavaScript task runner on NodJS. When it comes to automation it is the number one tool among the Web developers. Grunt is useful for most repetitive tasks such as Transpilation, minification, bundling, etc. This automation tool has a lot of plugins that facilitate the most common tasks. You can even create your own Grunt plugin and publish it to NPM.
6. Visual Studio Code
Visual studio code is a powerful open-source editor created by Microsoft. The unique feature of this code editing environment is IntelliSense. It is beyond syntax highlighting and autocompletion. It offers function definition and smart completion turning the coding to fun and easy experience.
The built-in debugger is one of the coolest things in the VS code. It allows you to debug your code inside the editor using breakpoints, call stacks and so on.
When it comes to version control this front-end tool is beast. It has an integrated Git which makes synching, pushing, pulling and committing tasks as easy as a pie. You can also show the diff, stage/unstage files or commit changes with a single click.
The flexibility of the VS code is commendable. It is highly extensible and customizable. You will able to choose from a wide range of extensions, languages, themes, and debuggers. So, it is predictable that in 2020 more front-end developers will use the VS code as their primary code editor.
React, Angular, Vue, Grunt, and VS code are among the top must-have tools for front-end developers in 2020.
