Don't listen to these framework agnostic dudes.

It's fantastic to live in a world where you want to "learn all the frameworks" or just bounce around when you need it.

But that doesn't produce a master of craft. You don't learn to create a fully scalable SEO-friendly React-based SSR PWA without learning the ins and outs of React and it's inherent limitations compared to other frameworks. It takes practice, experience, and tons of time digging through docs and Medium blogs.

And once you've walked down that road, it takes time and energy to walk down another labeled something like Vue or Angular.

Choose Wisely

Pick one that you enjoy working with, and make sure you can see yourself getting paid to bang your head against it.

I'd recommend Vue for more frontend based developers. It's easier, and more hands off than other complex frameworks like React. The community has been growing steadily, and it's been implemented by default in frameworks like Laravel, so the demand has been higher in the industry.

If you want more of a challenge, or you want to build a more complex app, I'd recommend picking up React and Flux/Redux/RxJS. React does an amazing job of handling incredibly complex DOM interactions and managing state. And Flux/Redux/RxJS will help you keep your state global across the app.

If you want to build economic JS apps for things like embedding on websites try using Preact, it's a lightweight version of React.

If you want to build cross-platform applications try picking up Electron.

So basically pick React

As you can see there are a lot of choices with pros and cons, and plenty of opinionated code decisions. Find one that you can tolerate the most and that you see the brightest future for and contribute to it. No one is a clear winner in the JS framework war, we're all just foot soldiers pushing the frontline further with each conversion and commit.

Mark

Mar 17, 2018

I like this answer. I don't get the framework hate, or why you'd want to become a vanilla master before using a framework. You don't need to know how everything works that you use, that's why there are abstractions.

Mark Oscar Diaz So Matt Strom I guess Sandeep Panda put it the best and in most elaborate way, yet I would like to emphasise a bit further on what essentially is the problem with learn "framework x or y".

The problem with driving a car and fixing an engine analogy is, the best drivers of the world actually know a lot about how engine of car works. Every formula 1 driver knows what would possibly happen if you say, changed the spark plug of his car.

As I said before to Jae Allen Nuguid, biggest problem I see right now is the quick and dirty attitude towards getting something done. Developers don't actually understand why two way binding is needed, yet they rave on about React or Angular.

Wondering and knowing why these frameworks were written is the first step (IMO) in writing a good app. Then and only then you can truly take a decision on picking what suits you or works for you the best. I am not saying, everyone should re-invent the wheel. Don't! Pick what works, and use the framework, but before you do understand the problem. Find the right approach and pick a framework which aligns with that approach.

For instance, I would happily write in Angular JS in-spite-of it being highly opinionated. My reasoning is that, I know that framework and I can build stuffs much faster in it. Anything else, I will have to divulge more time. But then that is my reason, your reason could be anything else.

Whatever it might be, make an informed choice, and to do that you need to understand the basics, which IMO is all about

understanding the core language
understanding the problem with language + frameworks that solve it
understanding the requirement + framework that solve it
adjusting everything for constraints

PS: There is no hate for framework, but too much framework and little core understanding is harmful for a software engineer

PS: Pardon me if I said something wrong about JS, my knowledge is pretty old and last time I used JS for anything was 4 years ago.

PPS: Here is my old answer from a year ago, see if it helps. hashnode.com/post/what-should-i-do-if-i-am-strugg…

Edit: Formatting & link to old answer

Search Hashnode

Don't listen to these framework agnostic dudes.

Choose Wisely

So basically pick React