This Dot Podcast: Frameworks
Published: 2019-11-11 21:37:30

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<em>This article supplements an episode of the This Dot Labs Podcast on Frameworks with Rob Ocel, Frederik Prijck, and Jarrod Overson, Director at Shape Security.</em>

One of the funnest aspects of the web development scene is the healthy, but sporting competition among the communities that represent different Javascript frameworks.  For many, the choice to work with certain frameworks is highly personal, and can reflect the goals and values of the developer, as well as the team with which they work.  For many who decide to branch out, and engage with their chosen technologies outside of the confines of their paid work, it almost aligns them with an identity that can be a great asset for new, and seasoned developers alike.

A lot of people have an idea that web development requires the use of an established framework, but this is not true.  Shape Security Director, Jarrod Overson, likens frameworks to houses.  Most people choose to purchase a house that is already made- one that is up to code, structurally sound, and ready to use.  Many home buyers might look at a property and not be fully satisfied with all of its features, but are willing to accept its shortcomings instead of going through the process of building their own home.  Frameworks are very similar.  Any developer has the option of building a development framework, but this can be arduous, and the developer will have to shoulder the responsibility of making sure that the framework is functional, and logical.

Most critical app projects choose to code within a framework because the uniformity it provides allows for easier onboarding of new developers, provides a trove of accessible information, and benefits from the research and development of outside engineers.  Because of this, developers entering this industry are wise to not only choose a framework to become proficient in, but also to be strategic about what framework to choose.

This isn’t necessarily a career defining decision, however.  The important thing to remember when selecting a framework to learn is that your primary focus should be on leveraging that framework to learn fundamental values about web development so you can translate your skills and knowledge to different frameworks as need be, or as new technologies inevitably emerge.

That being said, Rob Ocel, Sr. Developer at This Dot, could not stress enough how much of an investment becoming proficient in a framework is.  It is important to be strategic with your choice like you would be with any other investment.  Things you should consider, when choosing a framework, is the popularity of the framework, the size of its community, the resources available, and the market.  Frederik Prijck brings up an excellent point when he discusses a time, in recent history, where nearly every company in his home country, Belgium, was using Angular, creating significantly increased competition for roles using other frameworks. At the same time, it is difficult to anticipate how the market will move, so again, it is important to internalize as many framework agnostic web development values as you can, so you are able to be flexible if need be.

Ocel, Prijck, and Overson all agreed that frontend developers cannot go wrong by focusing on any of the three most popular JavaScript frameworks: React, Angular, or VueJS.  Ocel further encourages developers to get involved with the huge communities surrounding these technologies, not only to benefit from the knowledge and support that they provide, but to contribute their support and positivity to the tech scene.

<em>[This Dot Inc.](https://www.thisdotlabs.com) is a consulting company which contains two branches : the media stream and labs stream. This Dot Media is the portion responsible for keeping developers up to date with advancements in the web platform. In order to inform authors of new releases or changes made to frameworks/libraries, events are hosted, and videos, articles, & podcasts are published. Meanwhile, This Dot Labs provides teams with web platform expertise using methods such as mentoring and training.</em>