With every passing year, the number of apps being downloaded is increasing rapidly. In 2018, approximately 205 billion apps were downloaded. This is why software and app development are becoming lucrative career options.
However, app development isn’t exactly a piece of cake. Instead, it is marked by a variety of complicated decisions. As an app developer, your ability to make the right decision will govern the quality of your application.
Every day, technology is changing. When selecting frameworks, you might have to choose one that is more flexible out of the lot. This is where the MEAN (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js) stack comes in.
Currently, most app developers are switching from using LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) and WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) to MEAN stack for app development. This is because the structure of this framework makes it ideal for both small startups as well as enterprises.
In this post, I will briefly outline MEAN stack and the advantages of using MEAN stack for your web app development project.
What Is MEAN?
Before signifying why MEAN is the best framework for your app development, it is essential to understand what it is all about.
MEAN is an open-source JavaScript software stack. Each letter of the acronym stands for a different technology. With the combination of these different technologies, app developers can cater to the complex demands of their applications.
Here are the technologies that make up MEAN:
MongoDB
This is a NoSQL database that makes use of a data model. It features a document-based orientation. Rather than using tables and rows, as is the case with a relational database, this framework uses collection and documents. This makes it ideal for handling a lot of data, and it is known to be scalable.
Express
This is a JavaScript framework that has a significantly lightweight server. It helps in making the development process easy by making use of Node.js. This makes it easier for app developers to write modular and create fast and secure apps.
AngularJS
You might know this technology more popularly as Angular. It has become the default choice as a front-end JavaScript framework. This technology has been built as well as maintained by Google. You can use it to develop single-page and dynamic web apps quickly. Swift scalability is ensured by its modular structure.
Node.js
The Node.js technology has its foundation in the V8 engine developed by Chrome. It compiles the JavaScript source code along with native machine code. This combination delivers web apps that are highly scalable and flawless in terms of performance.
Reasons Why You Should Choose MEAN Stack
Now that you know what MEAN is, let’s discuss some of the advantages of using MEAN stack that will help developers to know why they should choose this technology for their next project.
Here are not one, but 10 reasons why MEAN could be the best solution for you during your web app development process.
It’s Open-Source
Each technology within the MEAN stack has an open-source language. In other words, it is free of cost.
This means that as an app developer, you can download MEAN stack without any expenses. Without any license cost, it becomes the ideal solution for app developers who are not backed by huge enterprises.
It Uses JavaScript
Each of the technologies used by MEAN stack makes use of the same language. And that is JavaScript.
In other frameworks, app developers are forced to use an array of databases. This may include languages like PHP, ASP.net, and Oracle. This means you need to be an expert in various languages to create a single app.
However, in the case of MEAN, everything—from database configuration to front-end handling—is done in JavaScript.
So, you don’t require a team of app developers with specialized language skills. Instead, all you need is a team who is well-versed in JavaScript, and you are good to go.
High Efficiency and Flexibility
Since MEAN is based entirely on JavaScript, it brings every capability that JavaScript has for web app developments in the basket.
Let’s say you need to build single-page, highly innovative apps. MEAN stack will help you in doing so. On the other end of the spectrum, the framework can also be used to create complex applications.
Simply put, because MEAN stack is a collection of JavaScript-based technologies, it can be used to develop the application of any sector, business, and size. This makes it a highly efficient and flexible choice.
Intense Scalability
Since MEAN stack is JavaScript, it has the functionality needed to develop apps of a wide array of sizes. Not all apps start out being big. Some of them slowly build onto their features according to changing customer needs.
Let’s say you develop an app that is small in size. People start using it, and via consumer insights, you begin to realize the features and upgrades your app needs in order to retain customers in the long run.
If you have developed your app on a platform that is not scalable, you will find yourself stuck. However, if you choose MEAN stack, which is known to be scalable, you can quickly build features into your app later on.
Easy Implementation
App development is quite a complicated process. The more functionalities you wish your app to have, the more complicated it becomes. However, with MEAN stack and its single JavaScript platform, these complexities are somewhat reduced.
This allows it to be easy to implement. Since there is only one language your team of web developers has to master, getting and sustaining a competitive advantage is easier in this case.
Ensures User-Friendliness
One technology within MEAN stack aids explicitly in the development of a user-friendly experience, and that technology is AngularJS. This technology manages to deliver a flawless user interface and experience in both mobile and web apps.
This has given Angular the distinction of being one of the best front-end technologies. Since MEAN has this framework, it can be a better option than all the others available.
Easy-to-Shift Code
Have you already written your code in one framework and now wish to reuse it in another structure? Generally, this is quite an impossible task.
But, with MEAN, it becomes very swift and straightforward. This is because the structure is isomorphic in nature. When you transfer these codes, they will work just as flawlessly as they would have if they had been natively written.
So, if you have already written some code previously required for your app, MEAN stack lets you save time and avoid rewriting.
Beneficial for App Developers
MEAN stack has JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). Now, for a layperson, this may not account for much. But, for a web and app developer, it makes all the difference.
JSON allows you to transfer data from one layer to another quite easily. Moreover, it allows you to alter current formats while also supporting external application programming interfaces easily.
This makes it relatively easy for app developers to improve customer experience. This is one of the many reasons app developers are huge fans of MEAN stack.
Ideal for Real-time Apps
Node.js makes MEAN stack perfect for the development of real-time apps. Various famous brands have made use of the model to do the same.
For instance, Walmart has an ecommerce website that features Node.js. Similarly, PayPal also migrated to Node.js after it found it to be faster during tests.
In fact, it was found that Node.js allows an application to be developed with 33 percent fewer lines of code than other frameworks, which lessens the great labor of writing lengthy codes by developers for the same task that ultimately reduced development time.
Moreover, anyone who is thinking of building apps that deal with real-time data should take a look at MEAN stack, as it manages to satisfy complex needs easily.
A Cost-Effective Solution
The fact that MEAN stack is open-source and, hence, doesn’t require you to pay a license fee isn’t the only reason MEAN is a cost-effective solution for web developers.
In fact, it can help you save money in a variety of ways. For starters, you don’t need developers specialized in different languages, thereby reducing human capital cost. Also, you don’t need to rewrite code and waste your energy, further saving expenses.
MEAN Stack: The Flexible Solution
Depending on your needs, MEAN stack can be the right solution for your web app development project. Use it to create a sophisticated yet smooth application.
All in all, there are several benefits of MEAN stack due to which it is gaining reputation and is highly appreciated: flexibility, consistent language, scalability, easy implementation, and support for a user-friendly user interface. Moreover, it is ideal for real-time apps and a cost-effective solution for app owners. Thus, it is an outstanding choice for any web and app development.
Published on Web Code Geeks with permission by Mehul Rajput, partner at our WCG program. See the original article here: Why Choose MEAN Stack for Your Web App Development? Opinions expressed by Web Code Geeks contributors are their own. |
