Frontend Frameworks
Modern frontend frameworks make building interactive user interfaces faster, more maintainable, and scalable. Choose from industry-leading frameworks like React, Angular, and AngularJS.
Available Frameworks
React
A JavaScript library for building user interfaces with a component-based architecture.
What you'll learn:
- Components, JSX, and props
- Hooks (useState, useEffect, custom hooks)
- State management and routing
- Testing with React Testing Library
Best for: Single-page applications, mobile apps (React Native), flexible projects
Popularity: 220K+ GitHub stars, used by Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb
Angular
A complete framework for building dynamic web applications with TypeScript.
What you'll learn:
- Components, services, and dependency injection
- RxJS and reactive programming
- Forms, routing, and HTTP
- Testing with Jasmine and Karma
Best for: Enterprise applications, large teams, full-featured projects
Popularity: 95K+ GitHub stars, used by Google, Microsoft, Forbes
AngularJS
The original Angular framework (v1.x) - now in long-term support.
What you'll learn:
- Controllers, directives, and services
- Two-way data binding
- Routing and forms
- Migration strategies to modern Angular
Best for: Maintaining legacy applications, understanding Angular evolution
Status: End of Life (December 2021) - migrate to modern frameworks
Framework Comparison
| Feature | React | Angular | AngularJS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Framework | Framework |
| Language | JavaScript/JSX | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Learning Curve | Moderate | Steep | Moderate |
| Size | Small (~40KB) | Large (~500KB) | Medium (~150KB) |
| Architecture | Component-based | MVC/MVVM | MVC/MVVM |
| Data Binding | One-way | Two-way | Two-way |
| Mobile | React Native | Ionic/NativeScript | Ionic (legacy) |
| State Management | Context, Redux | Services, NgRx | Services, $scope |
| CLI | Create React App | Angular CLI | None (manual setup) |
| Testing | Jest, RTL | Jasmine, Karma | Jasmine, Karma |
| Status | Active | Active | EOL (End of Life) |
When to Use Each Framework
Choose React if:
- You want flexibility and control
- You prefer a minimalist library over a full framework
- You need to integrate with existing projects easily
- You want a large ecosystem of third-party libraries
- You're building mobile apps with React Native
- Your team prefers JavaScript over TypeScript
Choose Angular if:
- You need a complete, opinionated framework
- You're building large-scale enterprise applications
- You prefer TypeScript and strong typing
- You want everything included out-of-the-box
- Your team values structure and conventions
- You need built-in solutions (routing, HTTP, forms, etc.)
Choose AngularJS if:
- You're maintaining an existing AngularJS application
- You need to understand legacy code
- ⚠️ Not recommended for new projects (End of Life)
Learning Paths
React Developer Path
- JavaScript
- React fundamentals
- React testing
- State management (Redux, Context API)
- Next.js for server-side rendering
Angular Developer Path
- TypeScript
- Angular fundamentals
- Angular testing
- RxJS and reactive programming
- NgRx for state management
Migrating from AngularJS
- Review AngularJS fundamentals
- Learn Angular fundamentals
- Incremental upgrade or full rewrite
Common Concepts
All modern frameworks share similar concepts:
Components
Reusable UI building blocks with their own logic and styling.
// React
function Button({ label, onClick }) {
return <button onClick={onClick}>{label}</button>;
}
// Angular
@Component({
selector: 'app-button',
template: '<button (click)="onClick()">{{ label }}</button>'
})
export class ButtonComponent {
@Input() label: string;
@Output() clicked = new EventEmitter();
onClick() {
this.clicked.emit();
}
}
State Management
Managing application data and UI state.
- React: useState, useReducer, Context API, Redux
- Angular: Services, RxJS BehaviorSubjects, NgRx
- AngularJS: $scope, Services
Routing
Navigate between different views/pages without full page reload.
- React: React Router
- Angular: Angular Router (built-in)
- AngularJS: ngRoute, UI-Router
Forms
Handle user input with validation.
- React: Controlled components, Formik, React Hook Form
- Angular: Template-driven forms, Reactive forms (built-in)
- AngularJS: ng-model, ng-form
Testing Your Framework
Every framework needs testing:
- React Testing - React Testing Library, Jest
- Angular Testing - Jasmine, Karma, TestBed
- AngularJS Testing - Jasmine, Karma, Protractor
- Testing Fundamentals - Cross-framework concepts
Framework Ecosystem
React Ecosystem
- State Management: Redux, MobX, Zustand, Recoil
- Routing: React Router, Reach Router
- SSR/SSG: Next.js, Gatsby
- Mobile: React Native
- UI Libraries: Material-UI, Ant Design, Chakra UI
- Forms: Formik, React Hook Form
Angular Ecosystem
- State Management: NgRx, Akita, NGXS
- UI Libraries: Angular Material, PrimeNG, ng-bootstrap
- Mobile: Ionic, NativeScript
- SSR: Angular Universal
- Testing: Angular Testing Library, Spectator
AngularJS Ecosystem (Legacy)
- Routing: UI-Router
- UI Libraries: Angular Material (v1), UI Bootstrap
- Mobile: Ionic (v1)
- State Management: angular-redux
Migration Guides
From AngularJS to Angular
- Hybrid approach (ngUpgrade)
- Component-by-component migration
- Full rewrite considerations
From Other Frameworks to React
- Similar component model
- Different state management approach
- JSX instead of templates
From React to Angular
- TypeScript learning curve
- Opinionated structure
- RxJS for async operations
Performance Considerations
React
- Virtual DOM for efficient updates
- Code splitting with React.lazy
- Memoization (useMemo, useCallback, React.memo)
- Server-side rendering with Next.js
Angular
- Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation
- Tree shaking and dead code elimination
- Lazy loading routes
- OnPush change detection strategy
AngularJS
- Digest cycle can be slow with many watchers
- One-time binding for static data
- track by in ng-repeat
- Limited optimization options
Industry Usage
React
- Companies: Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, Instagram
- Market Share: ~40% of frameworks
- Job Market: Highest demand
Angular
- Companies: Google, Microsoft, Forbes, Deutsche Bank, Samsung
- Market Share: ~20% of frameworks
- Job Market: Strong enterprise demand
AngularJS
- Companies: Legacy applications only
- Market Share: Declining rapidly
- Job Market: Maintenance work only
Getting Started
Ready to dive in?
- New to frontend frameworks? Start with React - it's the most popular and has abundant resources
- Enterprise developer? Try Angular for a complete, opinionated solution
- Maintaining legacy code? Review AngularJS fundamentals and plan migration
Resources
React
Angular
AngularJS
The best framework is the one that fits your project needs and team expertise. Start learning today!