Exploring MEAN Stack
The only time when mean is good is when you’re talking about MEAN Stack.
MEAN is the abbreviation for MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS and Node.js, the JavaScript frameworks which form the software stack. Here’s a brief about each of these frameworks:
MongoDB
Traditional relational databases require programmers to first carefully design a data schema and then place the required data in tables. While NoSQL databases don’t have strict schemas, it would be unwise to say that you don’t need any schema in such databases. If you ever wish to use that data, have some sort of schema applied on it to ensure that the data can be worked upon in an efficient way. NoSQL are databases which have the capability of storing a lot of different data models in the same database, not only SQL (which is what NoSQL stands for, NoSQL = Not only SQL).
MongoDB is one of the most popularly used NoSQL databases. MongoDB owes its popularity to a few of its features. It can store humongous amounts of data mostly having almost no structure. Having a cloud-based storage is also impressive since it saves you a lot of expenses. Moreover it gives you availability and a lot of flexibility. In fact, the flexibility is so much that you can make changes in your data everyday and still be on time with your Agile sprints. And it isn’t just the development that’s quick, the release is pretty quick as well. One of the most useful feature of MongoDB is the scalability it provides while being inexpensive.
Express.js
It is a highly flexible and fairly minimal web application development framework providing users robust features for developing mobile and web applications. Express.js allows you to build websites by layering in built-in functions and structures you would need to build a website. It is lightweight and has built-in web app features which give the developers a great of ease and flexibility.
When used with Node.js, Express.js changes the way you would build a website. It even has a special Express API which works flawlessly without having to override the feature-filled, robust Node.js platform. Express.js is as vital to the software stack as the other frameworks are.
AngularJS
If you’re making a dynamic website, there isn’t any structural framework better than AngularJS. AngularJS allows designers to use HTML for writing templates. It even allow the users to extend the syntax of HTML for conveying the components of the application rather effortlessly.
One of the main benefits of using AngularJS is the way it implements the MVC and data models. The data models are POJO and are hence easier to work with. With AngularJS, the amount of code that you need to write decreases as well. It doesn’t just benefit the developers but also the testers since it is unit testing ready.
Node.js
To put it simply, Node.js is a JavaScript run-time environment. It is built on the V8 engine Chrome is built on, so you can bet that it’s fast. It converts your regular JavaScript code into a machine code native to the platform it is being made to work upon. This allows it to reach speeds which you wouldn’t expect it to reach.
When it comes to multi-tasking, Node.js stands out as one of the very best. Moreover, based on JavaScript, it is quite easy to learn and work on. All you need is your regular take on JavaScript, and you’re good. As a web developer, you would already know JavaScript since it is one of the first languages you would learn.
Mobile and web development companies are now leveraging the software stack to develop amazingly spectacular solutions. And it is only due to the advantages that MEAN Stack has to offer. Some of the advantages it offers are:
- Use of JavaScript
Being one of the core languages which every web developer knows and is adept at, the fact that every technology of MEAN Stack uses JavaScript is one of the primary benefits of using it. From back end to front end, you can cover it all using JavaScript. If that isn’t an inviting offer, I don’t know what is.
- Easy on Pockets
Large-scale companies often have to hire many different specialists for working on a single project since the projects calls for both, back end as well as front end. With MEAN Stack, though, they would no longer have to do so. Anyone working on the software stack becomes a full-stack JavaScript developer, since it is a complete software stack. Moreover, if you look at it from a team management and collaboration point of view, it is pretty convenient to have multiple JavaScript developers work in the same team since they have similar backgrounds.
- Extensive Use of JSON
For interchanging data on all layers, MEAN Stack uses JSON (JavaScript Object Notification). Using JSON means using lesser tags than XML, and making your code transportation-independent. Moreover JSON is a lot better at supporting procedural decisions in JavaScript based objects. Another great reason for using JSON is that the data can be received not just from your own domain but from anywhere, removing the need of proxy servers. Using it in MEAN Stack allows you to work with external APIs relatively easily. What’s more is that it also removes the need for using libraries to convert data while there is an interaction going on between the client and the server.
- Open-Source
Each of the technologies in the software stack are free and open-source. Any developments or version upgrades done to the software stack are done by the MEAN Stack developers. Its community of developers is enthusiastic and is more than enough to sustain the whole project.
