POV - Why Angular or React to web applications?
Tags: angular, react, javascript, typescript
Published: 2022-06-30 18:28:16

Hey folks, how are you going?

It's me again.

In my adventures on web development world, I have a lot of frustrating experiences, which makes me to avoid for a few years to create or update my knowledge about hot technologies in this market.

It happens between middle of 2016 until middle of 2019, after I get a graduate degree of Java Specialist.

At those days, I'm using Spring technologies to make CRUD stuff and to "frontend" I'm using Java Server Faces (JSF) with Primefaces lib.

I insisted on this project about 2 years, because, I decided to go forward from my college final project, making some improvements.

After that, I got sick of software development, whatever technology it was. Java is a great language, with a lot of things consolidated, but, that experience with Primefaces, maked my head to run away from Java.

At that time, I get into my head a secret desire: learn AngularJS. It make sense, because Java and AngularJS they're most used technologies to backend and frontend. But, it remained in my head only.

The years are gone and around middle of 2019 I'm introduced to a new world: the Omnistack. That stack includes JavaScript which core language to create backend services with REST API joined with React and React native to create frontend web and mobile respectively.

I'm fallen in love again for development, because, I was't believe it's true: One language only to create everything I need.

Since then, I studied more and more about JavaScript and TypeScript too, thanks to Rocketseat. With this knowledge, I created some interesting applications, learned a lot of other things like how to put in production an API REST and a web app in React, how to use AWS services like S3, Amplify, SES and other stuff.

So okay, where Angular returns into my life? Well, in 2021, I assumed a new challenge: maintain an abandoned project that uses Ionic Framework with Angular.

As I always said: needs make the opportunity. In this case, more than that.

When I look that project, I think first: where I going through

Work with React, as libs to create applications, gave me a freedom to make a lot of decisions, like, which libraries I use to make HTTP requests, or to routing, or to style.

Angular is a framework, based almost in modules and libraries included into it. To make HTTP calls? Use http module. styles? choose at project creation between SCCS, SASS or CSS.

Basically, two sides in a bigger world of libraries and frameworks to frontend web applications.

After a year in this scenario, you wondering: what technology is your favorite?

And I answer you: the technology that solves my problem. I don't care if I need to use only what is inside the framework. If I can develop faster and I get my apps working faster, with easy maintenance, great, I go with Angular. If I need to get free and decide to use only libraries I want, in small projects, I don't think twice: my choice is React.

This is my last choice? Nope. Why? Because every day a new framework, a new library or a new tech born, and, at the end of day, only one thing cares: the problem has been solved.

If you got until here, thanks for your time.
Please, let me know in the comments your experience with development and technologies that came or got out in your career.

Til the next one!