There are thousands of new JavaScript front-end frameworks being released every month, which is great from the perspective of developers; they have access to a variety of platforms and tools at their digital fingertips.
On the other hand, especially for beginners entering the Headless realm, it can be very overwhelming. So, let’s go back to the basics.
QUICK LINKS-
- What is a ‘Headless’ CMS?
- What are the benefits of using a Headless CMS?
- Why should you use a headless CMS?
- Vue.js
- Angular
- React.js
What is a ‘Headless’ CMS?
A Headless CMS is a content management system that separates where the content is stored (often referred to as the body, the back end of the website) from where it is presented (the head, or the front end). In layman’s terms, it separates the information from the presentation.
What are the benefits of using a Headless CMS?
It allows you to manage content in one place and deploy that content on any digital channel you choose. Equally, most developers would argue that a Headless CMS environment is more secure when compared to a traditional CMS.
Why should you use a Headless CMS?
A Headless CMS is a powerful and flexible way to manage content. It allows for faster editing experiences and the ability to manage content for multiple channels. Developers are also given the flexibility to choose their own frontend tooling which makes it easier to scale. Lastly, t also improves your Google Page Speed score as the front end loads before the back, and data is pulled as and when it is requested by the user on their journey of your website.
Now you know the basics, it’s time to choose which Headless CMS is right for you. Don’t worry, we’ve done the work for you! Here’s a guide on the top 3 Headless CMS frameworks and technologies to help you make your choice.
Vue.js:
This JavaScript framework is loved and used by popular sites such as Nintendo, Laravel, Alibaba, 9gag and GitLab. Vue.js provides developers with an adaptable architecture for creating UI components and apps that use declarative rendering, which makes it an incredibly powerful framework for dynamic and small web app development. It includes all the required functionalities with better documentation when comparing it to React.js.
The simplicity of Vue.js means it is more suitable for beginners due to the detailed documentation whilst also including a virtual DOM. It also allows developers to create both small and dynamic websites with the perk of being able to reuse code.
Due to its lack of popularity when compared to React.js, the community surrounding this platform is smaller, and has access to fewer plugins and components.
Angular:
Initially created by Google in 2010, Angular was redeveloped and deployed in 2016 and is one of the few front-end frameworks in the market based on TypeScript; a programming language that makes the whole coding process easier for developers. It holds similarities to React.js as it also offers a two-way data binding and real-time synchronization between modelling and viewing.
Due to the complexity of this function, it is not surprising that this solution is primarily targeted towards businesses with highly experienced development teams looking to create enterprise-based apps and dynamic websites without any special requirements.
Angular’s real-time model-view synchronisation allows developers to make changes faster than on other platforms with the virtual DOM allowing for richer HTML content creation. However, these unique perks come with a complex language which can cause obstacles for new developers. Furthermore, dynamic websites are susceptible to lagging which makes them unsuitable for large projects.
React.js:
Currently, the market’s leading open-source JavaScript library for developing interfaces, React.js is managed by Facebook and overseen by hundreds of developers and companies. This platform offers a Document Object Model (DOM) which makes it ideal for businesses who are wanting to create a single-page site or app with effortless traffic flow and rendering speeds.
As a website development agency, we recommend using React.js to our new clients due to the well-rounded support of the platform from its creators, Facebook, and the community. Due to its increase in popularity, it has beneficial resources that make it stand out from the rest.
React.js has simple functionalities for experienced JavaScript developers and allows them to reuse existing UI components – perfect for those looking to save time and improve productivity. However, it is a long learning curve for the new JavaScript developers joining the scene, and only has helpful benefits when building the user interface of a website. This means that you’ll need to utilise other development solutions.
Don’t let getting your head around React.js become a headache! Get in touch with us to convert your website to a headless CMS with React.js.
