• June 29, 2020

    Mean Stack and why?

    Performance of web and mobile app is always based on the technologies which are used to develop the application. The stack of technologies used to develop web and mobile applications plays an important role in the success of applications.

    The technology stack means a cluster of technologies that are used to develop web and mobile applications like front end technologies, backend technologies, and frameworks.

    There are three types of stack available in market

    • MEAN (Mongo DB, Express.JS, Angular.JS, Node.JS)
    • MERN (Mongo DB, Express.JS, React JS, Node.JS)
    • LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

    Mean Stack

    Mean stack is a free and open source JavaScript software stack for building dynamic websites and web applications.

    Mean stack is a cluster of different technologies like MongoDB, Express.JS, Angular.JS (Angular) and Node.js.

    All the languages of the Mean stack support programs that are written in JavaScript.

    Mean application can be written in one language for both client side and server-side execution environments.

    Mean stack is an open source web stack that is mainly used to develop cloud hosted applications. Mean stack applications are flexible, scalable, and extensible, making them the perfect candidate for cloud hosting.

    The term MEAN was coined by Valeri Karpov in 2013 blogpost and logo concept, initially created by Austin Anderson for the original Mean stack LinkedIn group. It is an assembly of the first letter of each component of the Mean acronym.

    Mean stack is better option to develop large application.

    Component of MEAN stack

    • Mongo DB: Mongo DB is NoSQL database program. It is used by JSON like documents to store data.
    • Express.js: Express.js is a modular web application framework package for Node.JS. It is used for Backend application.
    • Angular JS: Angular JS is front end framework. Angular.js allows to run JavaScript code along with application UI to be dynamic in browser.
    • Node.JS: Node.js is JavaScript runtime environment to implement application back end in JavaScript.

    Mern Stack

    MERN stack is JavaScript stack that is used for easier and faster deployment of full-stack application.

    MERN stack is a cluster of different technologies like Mongo DB, Express JS, React JS, and Node JS. These components provide an end-to-end framework for developers to work in.

    MERN stack is better option to develop smaller application. The MERN stack covers entire development cycle from front end to back end using JavaScript.

    MERN stack supports MVC architecture for smooth development process. It allows developers to know only JSON and JavaScript. It has pre-built testing tools.

    Components of MERN stack

    • Mongo DB: Mongo DB is used as document-based NoSQL database. It is used by JSON like document to store data.
    • Express.JS: Express.js is a modular web application framework package for Node.JS. It is used for Backend application.
    • React.JS: React is JavaScript based front end library for UI (User Interface) development.
    • Node.js: Node.js is JavaScript runtime environment to implement application back end in JavaScript.

    MEAN stack and MERN stack Comparison:

    The Basic and main comparison in MEAN stack and MERN stack developer is that we can use Angular in MEAN and React in MERN stack.

    MEAN and MERN both are frameworks dedicated to the UI level. Angular JS is backed by Google Inc. and React JS is a product of Facebook. Inc.

    The popularity of Angular JS and React JS is driven by the popularity of MEAN and MERN stack. Angular JS is the most popular framework among developers for many years. But React JS overtaking it for the last few years.

    Mongo DB, Express.JS, and Node.JS are common components of MEAN and MERN stack development, the productivity difference between the two would flow from the difference between Angular and React. As a complete framework, Angular offers better productivity.

    The dataflow is bidirectional in the case of Angular. If you change the UI then it automatically changes the model state. You will find this quite different in the case of React, that you can change the UI only after changing the model state. The unidirectional data binding offered by React provides a better data overview, which helps to manage large projects. This makes the MERN stack more suitable for managing larger projects.

    Which one to Choose and Why?

    There are several conditions to choose stack for web application development. Here are some important conditions:

    • Size of Project: Project size is one of the important conditions to choose stack for application. If you want to develop a larger application then React is more suitable for your project with its unidirectional data binding. It means that if you have a larger project you can choose the MERN stack. While if you have a small project then you can go with MEAN stack because Angular helps you with its bi-directional data binding.
    • Experience level of Developers: If developers are a high experience that knows web frameworks very well then MEAN stack is the right choice for it. While the developer has the moderate experience and wants to continue with the learning curve then the MERN stack is a better option for them.
    • Focus on Productivity: If higher developer productivity is a key consideration for you then the MEAN stack is the better choice for you. Angular is a complete framework, and it makes upgrading the code is easier than react. Your testing effort is simpler than React.
    • Focus on Performance: React updates the virtual DOM, it offers better performance than Angular. If Performance is key criteria, then the MERN stack is a better choice for you.
    • Focus on defect Prevention: If you want to use a technology stack that prevents common coding errors by its very design, then the MEAN stack is a better choice for you. Since Angular uses, TypeScript framework prevents common coding errors at the coding stage itself.

    Both MEAN and MERN stack have many similarities, moreover, both Offer several advantages. Both have different decision-making criteria. MERN stack is a better option for mobile development while MEAN stack offers better productivity. In the end, project requirement drives you to the right choice of the technology stack.

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