JavaScript Libraries and Frameworks and Futures, Oh Yes!

Where did popular JavaScript frameworks go in 2017? Where are they headed in 2018? Here's our yearly look at the world of JavaScript frameworks and libraries.

In our latest whitepaper, The Future of JavaScript: 2018 and Beyond, we take a look at the most popular JavaScript frameworks in the industry. We review them and predict where they are headed.

In this post, we are going to shift our attention to some recent survey data, so we can pontificate about the future and the meaning of all this. In December 2017, the results of the State of JavaScript survey were released. This survey was completed by over 20,000 developers and asked questions about their framework preference, salary, and more. I think I've found an interesting correlation on the recent survey results released:

In the above chart, Backbone.js and Ember.js are pretty much on the dead side, whereas React is RIDICULOUSLY popular. Now, take a look at this chart, telling about salary breakdowns according to framework:

I find it really interesting that Backbone.js and Ember.js - two on the lowest on the popular chart - are two of the higher paying salaries. Whereas the more popular languages like Vue.js, Angular, and React are on the lower end. It seems to me that the old "supply and demand" principle is at it again!

Kendo UI

2017 was huge for Kendo UI. Looking ahead, 2018 is shaping up to be even bigger. Here's a quick look into the crystal ball!

Wrappers for React and Vue.js were introduced in September of 2017. These wrappers give React and Vue.js developers access to the majority of our components. Later in 2018, ALL jQuery-based components in Kendo UI will have wrappers for React and Vue.js. We're SUPA pumped! This means that Kendo UI will fully support the big four; jQuery, Angular, React, and Vue.js.

React's continuing popularity bodes well for Kendo UI in 2018. In January 2018, we released a set of native components for React. In Kendo UI, you have one of two options:

1. wrappers, that provide our components;
2. truly native components that are written in the framework you are using.

As mentioned above, we currently support jQuery, Angular, React, and Vue.js. The native components will make use of features in React such as the virtual DOM, which is useful for complex components like the Grid. They include form component suites, with such goodies as DropDowns and powerful (and did we mention sexy?) input elements. They will also support themes for Material Design and Bootstrap v4.

Check out Kendo UI's dashboard component for React! https://telerik.github.io/react-redux-wrappers-dashboard/

We're also upping the Angular support in Kendo UI to include popular components such as the TreeView, Window, Splitter, and Gauge. Many features for our very popular Grid component will also be added.

Check out the Angular components Kendo UI already offers! https://www.telerik.com/kendo-angular-ui/components/

Prediction Time

Prediction! On the safer side, we predict that the weak JavaScript frameworks will get weaker, and the strong will get stronger. People (and companies) will continue to use frameworks they know and love. Angular, React, Ember, and Vue.js will all still be in the game come 2019. I predict Vue.js Vue will continue to light up and be used, but at an individual scale, rather than a large company scale.

AR/VR

Recently Mozilla announced the WebXR Viewer app was released for download on the iTunes store. This app is an augmented reality viewer that lets you make and view AR experiences created with webxr-polyfill Javascript library and ARKit.

This app is not intended to be a full-fledged web browser, but rather a way to test, demonstrate and share AR experiments created with web technology.

Mozilla isn't the only company in the AR/VR pie, however. Google also released their own AR app called WebARonARCore APK on Android. Mozilla has also been working on integrating into three.js graphics library and A-Frame framework. These are both really popular libraries/frameworks on the AR scene and it will only make it easier and easier to use AR/VR if big companies like Mozilla and Google support it.

On our more ballsy-prediction-scale, we predict that libraries and frameworks will start diving into the AR/VR scene more thoroughly and that new AR/VR libraries and integrations with existing libraries will start to pop up. We hope that 2018 will have some fun and interesting reveals.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

PWAs are where it's at right now. Building your app, no matter the frameworks or libraries used, so that it can work offline is super in right now. But there are more to progressive web apps than just "working offline". Here is the Google standard for what it takes to be a PWA.

Check out Google's PWA checklist today! https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/

Gartner predicts that "by 2020, progressive web apps will have replaced 50% of general-purpose, consumer-facing mobile apps". I don't know about 50%, but I do predict more and more big name companies implementing progressive web app features on their sites in 2018 and beyond.

TJ, our friend from the NativeScript team, actually just wrote a blog post about them. In his post, TJ outlines the benefits to switching your app to a PWA, why PWAs have been so successful, and compares PWAs versus JavaScript-driven native approaches. Check it out for more nitty gritty on PWAs.

Here's to 2017 👩‍💻👨‍💻🥂

We here on the Kendo UI team understand that all of these surveys and tracking trends are not the full picture. If we have misrepresented or even forgotten your favorite framework ping me or my colleagues on the twitters! We'd love to hear your thoughts and promise to keep an open mind, now, in 2018, and forever more! We hope you've enjoyed our summary of 2017 and wish you all the best of luck in your coding endeavours in 2018!

Want to read more? Check out the full whitepaper detailing more JavaScript frameworks from 2017 and predictions for 2018!

📒 The Future of JavaScript: 2018 and Beyond