A Decade of Frontend Evolution: The Frameworks We Pursued Over the Years

A decade ago, front-end development was still in the era of jQuery and Backbone.js, but today it has evolved into a tripartite landscape dominated by React, Vue, and Angular. The dizzying speed of framework iterations leaves developers chasing new technologies while reminiscing about the "old friends" gradually fading from view.

jQuery: From King to "Legacy Code"

Born in 2006, jQuery unified the fragmentation of browser APIs with $(). Back then, a simple AJAX request could be written as:

$.ajax({
  url: '/api/data',
  success: function(data) {
    $('#result').html(data);
  },
  error: function() {
    alert('Error loading data');
  }
});

Its chaining syntax took the world by storm:

$('.menu-item')
  .addClass('active')
  .siblings()
  .removeClass('active');

But with the rise of virtual DOM technology, direct DOM manipulation gradually fell out of favor. Today, jQuery mostly appears in legacy projects, becoming what developers refer to as "legacy code."

AngularJS: The Revolutionary of Two-Way Binding

Google's 2010 release of AngularJS brought groundbreaking changes. Its two-way data binding dazzled developers:

<div ng-app="myApp" ng-controller="myCtrl">
  <input ng-model="name">
  <h1>Hello {{name}}!</h1>
</div>

<script>
angular.module('myApp', [])
  .controller('myCtrl', function($scope) {
    $scope.name = 'World';
  });
</script>

Though powerful, its dirty-checking mechanism exposed performance issues in large applications. The complete rewrite of Angular 2+ in 2016 drove many developers to other frameworks.

React: The Triumph of Virtual DOM

Facebook's 2013 open-sourcing of React introduced a new development paradigm. This simple counter component showcases its core philosophy:

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  return (
    <div>
      <p>You clicked {count} times</p>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
        Click me
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

The virtual DOM's diff algorithm significantly boosted performance, while JSX syntax blurred the lines between HTML and JavaScript. The introduction of React Hooks revolutionized component writing.

Vue: The Elegant Progressive Solution

Evan You's 2014 release of Vue.js won favor with its progressive nature. Single-File Components (SFCs) perfectly combined templates, logic, and styles:

<template>
  <div>
    <button @click="count++">Count is: {{ count }}</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return { count: 0 }
  }
}
</script>

<style scoped>
button { color: #42b983; }
</style>

From the Options API in 2.x to the Composition API in 3.x, Vue has maintained its low learning curve.

The Three Kingdoms of Modern Front-End Frameworks

Today's mainstream frameworks each have unique features:

• React 18 introduces concurrent rendering:

  import { startTransition } from 'react';
  
  startTransition(() => {
    setState(newState);
  });
  

• Vue 3's <script setup> syntax:

  <script setup>
  const msg = 'Hello World!';
  </script>
  

• Angular 15's standalone components:

  @Component({
    standalone: true,
    template: `...`
  })
  export class MyStandaloneComponent {}
  

Forgotten Challengers

Many frameworks had fleeting prominence:

• Backbone.js's MVC implementation:

  const Todo = Backbone.Model.extend({
    defaults: { title: '', completed: false }
  });
  

• Ember.js's convention over configuration:

  Ember.Route.extend({
    model() { return this.store.findAll('post'); }
  });
  

• Knockout.js's MVVM pattern:

  <p>First name: <input data-bind="value: firstName" /></p>
  

The Rise of Compile-Time Frameworks

New frameworks shift logic to compile time:

• Svelte's zero runtime:

  <script>
    let count = 0;
  </script>
  
  <button on:click={() => count++}>
    Clicked {count} times
  </button>
  

• SolidJS's reactivity:

  function Counter() {
    const [count, setCount] = createSignal(0);
    return <button onClick={() => setCount(count() + 1)}>{count()}</button>;
  }
  

Full-Stack Frameworks' Ambitions

Frameworks extend to the backend:

• Next.js's hybrid rendering:

  export async function getServerSideProps() {
    const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
    return { props: { data: await res.json() } };
  }
  

• Nuxt 3's auto-imports:

  <script setup>
  // Auto-imported useFetch
  const { data } = await useFetch('/api/hello');
  </script>
  

Micro Frontends and Module Federation

Solutions for large-scale applications emerge:

// Module Federation config example
new ModuleFederationPlugin({
  name: 'app1',
  exposes: { './Button': './src/Button' },
  remotes: { app2: 'app2@http://localhost:3002/remoteEntry.js' }
});

The Tooling Arms Race

Modern front-end development relies on these tools:

• Vite's lightning-fast cold start:

  npm create vite@latest my-project --template react
  

• Turbopack's incremental compilation:

  // next.config.js
  experimental: { turbopack: true }
  

The Ubiquity of Type Systems

TypeScript has become the industry standard:

interface User {
  id: number;
  name: string;
}

const getUser = async (id: number): Promise<User> => {
  const res = await fetch(`/api/users/${id}`);
  return res.json();
};

The Paradigm Shift in CSS

From CSS-in-JS to utility-first:

// styled-components
const Button = styled.button`
  background: ${props => props.primary ? '#4CAF50' : 'white'};
`;

// Tailwind
<button className="bg-green-500 hover:bg-green-700 text-white font-bold py-2 px-4 rounded">
  Button
</button>

The Eternal Challenge of State Management

From Flux to modern solutions:

// Redux Toolkit
const counterSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'counter',
  initialState: 0,
  reducers: {
    increment: state => state + 1
  }
});

// Zustand
const useStore = create(set => ({
  bears: 0,
  increase: () => set(state => ({ bears: state.bears + 1 }))
}));

Cross-Platform Mobile Solutions

React Native remains active:

import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

function HelloWorldApp() {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: "center", alignItems: "center" }}>
      <Text>Hello, world!</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

The New Frontier of WebAssembly

Breaking performance barriers:

// Rust compiled to wasm
#[wasm_bindgen]
pub fn add(a: i32, b: i32) -> i32 {
  a + b
}

The Impact of Low-Code Platforms

// Code structure generated by some platforms
export default {
  "components": [
    {
      "type": "Button",
      "props": { "text": "Submit" }
    }
  ]
}

Continuous Optimization of Developer Experience

Modern toolchain improvements:

# Modern project initialization comparison
npm init vite@latest      # 2020s
vs
npm install -g create-react-app  # 2010s

The Evolution of Browser APIs

Native capabilities keep expanding:

// File System Access API
const fileHandle = await window.showOpenFilePicker();
const file = await fileHandle.getFile();

The Maturation of Front-End Testing

Testing solutions become robust:

// Testing Library example
test('loads and displays greeting', async () => {
  render(<Fetch url="/greeting" />);
  await screen.findByRole('heading');
  expect(screen.getByRole('heading')).toHaveTextContent('hello there');
});

The Paradigm Shift in Build Tools

From configuration to convention:

// vite.config.js
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()]
});

// vs webpack.config.js
module.exports = {
  module: { rules: [/*...*/] }
};

The Pinnacle of Front-End Engineering

Monorepos become standard:

// turbo.json
{
  "pipeline": {
    "build": { "dependsOn": ["^build"] }
  }
}

The Rise of Design Systems

// Modern component library usage
<Button
  variant="primary"
  size="lg"
  leftIcon={<EmailIcon />}
>
  Contact
</Button>

The Eternal Pursuit of Front-End Performance

Optimization techniques evolve:

// Image lazy loading
<img loading="lazy" src="image.jpg" alt="...">

// New performance APIs
const { timing } = await performance.measureUserAgentSpecificMemory();

The Awakening of Accessibility

<button aria-label="Close menu" onclick="close()">
  <svg><!-- close icon --></svg>
</button>

New Challenges in Front-End Security

// CSP policy
Content-Security-Policy: script-src 'self' https://apis.example.com

The Flourishing Developer Ecosystem

# Dependency count in modern front-end projects
npm ls | wc -l  # Often exceeds 1000

The Transformation of Front-End Careers

From pixel pushers to architects, skill requirements broaden:

2008 requirements:
- HTML/CSS
- jQuery
- Photoshop

2023 requirements:
- React/Vue
- TypeScript
- Webpack/Vite
- Node.js basics
- Performance optimization
- Test-driven development

The Future Possibilities of Frameworks

// Server Component example (React)
async function UserList() {
  const users = await db.users.findMany();
  return users.map(user => <div key={user.id}>{user.name}</div>);
}