The Goodness and the Badness of Angular JS and React JS

Let us talk about two highly popular and reliable frameworks – Angular JS and React JS. When it comes to making a smarter choice between these two, you just cannot expect a straightforward answer. Both tend to resolve the similar front end challenges, however, with a great difference in approach and philosophy.


John Ogden
General Manager

Undoubtedly, Angular JS is the big dog in the fight and it has been around for a while as compared to React. However, React has come up with an increased rendering performance. Thus, it is important to have a better understanding of the frameworks so that you can better decide which one is right for you to use on your next project.

After all, it is time consuming to code everything from scratch and this is where web application development frameworks come into play. You just cannot deny the fact that both these are highly performing, advanced and used worldwide.

If you are comparing Angular JS with React JS, you are actually comparing framework with library. While Angular JS is managed by Google, React JS is owned by Facebook. Both are unique and resourceful in their own ways. Coming to the Javascript, it is fundamental in both the cases. These also possess same flexibility and reliability due to their same language background. Additionally, both the frameworks support CSS3, thus giving more opportunity to do better. Just like other frameworks, HTML 5 is obvious with these two.

Talking about Angular JS, the set up code for it demands an application and a controller. On the contrary, React JS is a performance minded view renderer created by the Facebook people. Moreover, it uses JSX files to write the views, which states that both HTML and JavaScript can live in a single file.

About DOM Manipulation

Where Angular JS updates Real DOM directly, React JS does not. Angular involves two way data binding that updates MVC, while React performs one-way data to update the view. Thus, it is all about components.

More about scalability

In Angular, the powerful CLI and its design makes it more scalable, while in React, efficient workflow is considered important so that the code can be tested and deployed easily, thus making it more scalable than Angular.

Simplicity

Talking about simplicity, Angular is quite easy and simple to understand while React is not simple by any means, and it takes some time to set up a project.

The Good You Can Expect with Angular JS –

• • Open-source web application framework is maintained by Google and a community of individual developers and corporations
  • Best to address many challenges that are encountered in developing single-page applications
  • It does not require any observation functions, as it analyzes the page DOM and builds the binding based on Angular specific element attributes
  • It modifies the page DOM directly instead of adding inner HTML code, thus making it faster
  • Includes extended features such as dependency injection, routing, animations, view orchestrations, and more

  You cannot deny the fact that disadvantages follow the advantages.

  The Bad You Cannot Run Away From –

  • • • • It is quite big and complicated and involves multiple ways to perform the same task. It, thus, makes it difficult to determine what is better for the particular task.
        • Angular application lifecycle is quite complex and it demands to read the code in order to master it.
        • Angular implementations scale poorly. When the project grows with time, you will have to throw away the existing implementations and create new versions by using different approaches.

        After Angular JS, it’s time to have a closer look at the React JS pros and cons –

        The Goodness of React JS –

        Virtual DOM to have a better user experience
        DOM includes a logical structure of documents in HTML, XHTML or XML formats. Thus, React has managed to increase the speed of updates by using the virtual DOM. It does not work with the real DOM; it uses its abstract copy, i.e. the virtual DOM. It updates even the minute changes applied by the user, without affecting other parts of interface.

        Reuses code components, thus saving time

        React is best known for its ability to reuse the code components of a different level anytime. Moreover, it is quite easy for Angular JS developers to manage the updates as all the components are isolated and the change made in one does not affect others.

        Open source library that is constantly developing

        Undeniably, React JS is one of the first JavaScript connected projects that are released as an open source by Facebook. More than 1000 open-source contributors that work with the library.

        The Bad People Face from React JS –

        Developers not feeling comfortable

        Some Javascript developers do not feel comfortable with such high pace of development. With constantly changing environment, developers need to learn the new ways of doing the things.

        Lack of proper documentation

        React technologies are updating and accelerating so fast that there is no time to write proper instruction. In order to sort out this problem, developers need to write their own documentation for the specific tools.

        JSX as a barrier

        Developers and designers complain that JSX is a serious disadvantage due to its complexity and steep learning curve.

        Thus, both the technologies include different features that can be changed as per the custom web development objectives. Overall, you can expect quality and reactive web application with both the frameworks.