8 Code And Framework Trends You Should Be Following

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The dawn of every New Year is met with renewed optimism in the programming ecosystem. 2016 was a major milestone, as the long-awaited AngularJS 2 became a reality, and Node.js edged closer to VM neutrality. It was time to quell the fatigue complaint peculiar to JavaScript users.

Java 9 did not meet the anticipated release date, but newer versions of Go arrived. Other new programming languages came into the limelight to relieve programmers from JavaScript, included Kotlin and Elm. For mobile devices, there was a rise in progressive web apps (PWAs).

Modern web developers are fond of pooling a list of frameworks and libraries that speed up their work and give maximum convenience. Every programmer who wants to preserve their reputation needs to stay in tune with the latest web development tech, libraries, and web application frameworks. Here is a list of coding and framework trends that should not escape you.

1. Java 9

The long-awaited Java 9 finally came but according to the co-founder of JClarity and Java book author, Ben Evans, it is not as good as Java 8. The Java 9 community are still trying to crack the details of implementing the new module system known as Project Jigsaw.

The popularity of Java 8 stems from better performance and cleaner code which its predecessors did not have. Evans says it is likely that less adventurous organizations will stick with Java 8 for some time.

The developers of the Java Development Kit (JDK) promised Jigsaw for Java 8. It did not materialize, so there is still the chance that it will still be excluded in Java 9, according to Paul Bakker, a software architect at Luminis Technologies.

Jigsaw used to be available as a separate download, but Java 9 will attempt to merge it into the main codebase. The release of Java 9 will certainly have a huge impact, but not necessarily a positive one in the early days. Jigsaw will make Java better in the long run, according to Martijn Verburg.

2. Go (Golang)

Go will likely become one of the top 10 programming languages, and will give you a much-needed respite from JavaScript. Richard Eng - Director at Smalltalk Renaissance - has put in ample time researching the ranking of programming languages. In fact, he has come up with his own ranking system which he calls Eng Language Index.

Go is the brainchild of the Google powerhouse, and Eng says it is certainly a programming language to watch beyond 2017. He noted it is already on the top 10 list of various ranking websites.

3. Node.js

Node.js is certainly putting its weight on getting the trust of enterprises. According to a Node.js contributor, Ryan Lewis, the language is becoming more stable, and this trend is projected to continue beyond 2017. Big names like PayPal have already built critical systems around Node.js.

The “left-pad” incident broke a lot of crucial JavaScript tools for many enterprises. To make sure similar incidences never recur, NodeSource, an enterprise tooling company for Node.js, is creating Certified Modules which will be more secure for Node.js modules, and restrict administrators from suddenly removing a module popular to many projects.

Another major milestone for Node.js is the incorporation of ES6 modules. Node.js is going to be incorporated with a standard JavaScript, slated for release in October. The big deal about Version 8 was that it had a long-term support (LTS).

4. AngularJS

The director of application development at iVision, Jeremy Likness, said that AngularJS JavaScript front-end was still the lead. Angular has a strong acceptance among Java developers, but React is more popular with more users, Likness said.

There seems to be a lingering controversy in the AngularJS ecosystem, especially with the disjoint between Angular 1 and 2. According to Likness, Angular 1 users who want to maintain the software will have three choices; they can move to 1.5, remain where they are, or move to Angular 2.

To make it easier for companies to migrate, Angular has come up with the ngUpgrade feature. Angular developers can migrate in fragments rather than the usual one big overhaul. Angular 1 and 2 is unlikely to develop as separate tools but updates will tend to bring them together, Likness said.

5. Progressive Web Apps

The new paradigm that took flight in 2016 was Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The author of the book, High-Performance Mobile Web, Maximiliano Firtman, says the number of PWAs is expected to increase in the coming years. Firtman mentioned that PWAs are light, are getting OS integration - and not just home screen shortcuts.

The rise of one paradigm often signifies the death of another - in this case, it is the WebView-based apps. Safari is on the verge of supporting some of the PWAs’ APIs which will also signify the end of most WebView-based apps like Cordova, Apache, and PhoneGap apps, Fritman said.

6. Kotlin

The next big thing for Android is Kotlin. Kotlin is the brainchild of JetBrains and its growing popularity is for its Android development, said Hadi Hariri, Kotlin chief evangelist. With Kotlin, programmers can write codes that are more compact and readable...and there are less of them, meaning programmers on tight deadlines will easily fall in love with Kotlin.

Kotlin operates on Java virtual machine (JVM), but with a different syntax. Java is the primary language used by many Android developers, especially by the enterprise. The major criticism that Java has received is for its verbosity but in contrast, Kotlin is more pragmatic.

7. Vue.js

Vue is just like React which has a JavaScript library. It links a view and a model and a two-way data binding. The good thing about Vue is that it is open source, and supported by a community. Vue has been improving based on the successes and errors of Angular and React.

One of the most valuable features of Vue is its reactivity. The models are plain JavaScript objects but with a little modification; the views immediately update. It is very similar to React but the technology is different. Unlike React, Vue doesn’t use JSX in components files, but HTML.

Vue fits perfectly for single page applications - and many of them use it already. Gitlab is one of the major users of Vue. It is flexible, lightweight and its ease of learning makes it a good choice for beginners who are thinking of a big project.

8. Meteor

Meteor can be classified as a full stack framework that exploits JavaScript for both front and backend design. It works well for mobile and web application development, in real time. With Meteor you only need to build a normal web application and it is robotically real time.

Having JavaScript everywhere makes it convenient for a front-end developer to work comfortably on back-end, without having to switch between Python, Ruby or PHP.

Conclusion

The evolution of technology and technological tools is unlikely to slow down, but these codes and frameworks should trend for a while. If you have a big project ahead of you but are unsure of which programming language will work best, you can get help by searching the professional programmers on freelancer.com.

New programming languages will be in the limelight in a few years. Which of the listed programming languages do you think will be able to sustain the competition in a decade? Share your views with us in the comment box. Feel free to share this article with your friends.

 

Posted 25 November, 2017

LucyKarinsky

Software Developer

Lucy is the Development & Programming Correspondent for Freelancer.com. She is currently based in Sydney.

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