We’re getting a lot of wonderful feedback now that the first Kendo UI beta is out. According to early responses, many people are still trying to properly understand why you would want to transition to JavaScript development instead of using traditional server-side technologies. It’s a good question. Therefore I’ll go over five advantages of the updated JavaScript method today.
“JavaScript Sites & Apps” Definition
Before I go into detail about the advantages, let me clarify what I mean by “JavaScript sites and apps.” Web developers have traditionally used server-side technologies like PHP, Rails, or.NET to create websites (at least for the last decade).
These dynamic runtime engines handle everything. They’re looking for information. They provide end-points for web services. Front-end HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are frequently rendered (or at least “composed”) and sent to the browser.
This model is effective and has several advantages.
There are some disadvantages to it as well. Everything must be “cooked” in one place (the server) and then shipped to another because the server is responsible for much of the UI rendering (the browser). It’s the same as trying to cook dinner at a local restaurant and then bringing the plates home. If you cook in your kitchen, your dinner will be hotter and served faster.
The server is entirely removed from the front-end rendering process with the new “JavaScript” (also referred to as “HTML5”) approach to development (it is still required for other activities like data persistence, services, and so on). Instead, data is received from the server by a sophisticated JavaScript layer running in the browser, which handles all front-end rendering and logic.
The name “apps” is also used because this approach can be used to generate a new generation of “packaged apps,” freeing HTML and JavaScript from browser constraints.
Quick and Reliable
It is important to perform well. The car is the fastest. The blender with the most power. Search results that are the quickest. We want the greatest, fastest experience possible in all we do, especially when it comes to software.
The name of the game in JavaScript programming is speed.
Network latency is a major impediment in modern web development. The time it takes to request the server and receive the results can account for a significant amount of page load time, and the problem is exacerbated by hit-or-miss mobile internet. Every byte that passes from the server to the browser is significant. Users will perceive your program to be faster if it can accomplish more with fewer bytes from the server.
Instead of providing a mix of data and markup HTML to the client, this is accomplished with JavaScript development by sending JSON (or sometimes XML) data to the client. All HTML rendering takes place in the browser, reducing time spent communicating with the server. Just look at how quickly the Kendo UI grid can show data from a remote JSON data source using this method.
JavaScript development like at https://waverleysoftware.com/javascript-software-development-services/ also means that modifications to the user interface (that do not affect the data) can be made without requiring further server communication. The Kendo UI chart, for example, can be changed from bar to line without contacting the server. The application can now respond to user input very instantly.
A platform for Universal Front-End Development
Rail Java and ASP.NET. JavaScript and HTML5 can be utilized to deliver a rich front-end regardless of the server technology employed. This not only makes your front-end work more reusable and resistant to changing server environments, but it also allows you to optimize server-side code for “backend” duties.
ASP.NET, for example, may make some front-end chores “drag-and-drop” simple, but it may not be the greatest platform for raw service speed (too much overhead). Perhaps a simple, quick service provider would be a lightweight NodeJS server.
Tablets, Phones, and Other Electronics
The next generation of rich mobile experiences will not be powered by plug-ins. There are simply too many devices and platforms for the plug-ins to achieve the required uniform distribution.
The same can be said of “native” applications. Businesses will become tired of rewriting an app three to five times merely to make it mobile-friendly. It’s a necessary evil of today’s phones and tablets (thanks to the app store distribution strategy). Still, there’s a growing consensus that HTML5 will become the new “standard” in “native” app experiences as well.
Standards-based programming, with supporting technologies like SVG, Canvas, and WebGL, is positioned to do anything a plug-in or native app can do, with all of the reaches a plug-in can’t have and all of the convenience native apps can’t provide.
Sure, you can utilize server-side runtimes to generate HTML5 for various platforms, but can you package and “install” that HTML on a mobile device? Most likely not. As a result, implementing the JavaScript paradigm is necessary, and it provides advantage number four (number four).
App Stores and Offline Support
One of the most compelling arguments to use javascript development services/HTML5 programming instead of traditional server-side development is this. For “web development” to succeed in replacing previous “desktop” platforms, it must provide experiences that work simultaneously, with and without active Internet connections. The apps must work on plane travel to use the standard scenario (not some fancy plane with WiFi).
The requirement of talking to the server after most user activities is a crippling requirement of server-side programming. When you remove the server, the site or app becomes a paperweight.
Apps developed using JavaScript/HTML5 can be useful and responsive even with no active Internet connection. JavaScript front-ends, such as those created with Kendo UI, may draw and update the app using locally cached data until network connectivity is restored. And, in the future, something like the Kendo UI DataSource will help track changes to objects locally and then persist those changes to the server.
