Why Choose Mean Stack For Your Web & Mobile App Development Projects?
There is no argument that we are living in a digital era and this is the time of right use of technologies to benefit our lives. Today there is more focus on to make web development better and precise to match world-class standards. And so, if you plan to build a website or an app from scratch, you need to be using a software stack which is consistent as well as standardized in nature. For right development, you need to have the right set of tools which can help you streamline the resources while reducing the development time.
Currently, you will find a number of technology stack out there, which has crowded the field. Keeping the options in mind, developers are now using the combination of different technologies to get faster and better results for their web, mobile and app development. We can say that MEAN stack is one such prominent technology which can be used for your project.
What is MEAN stack?
MEAN is in actual sense an acronym which stands for MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js. Here MongoDB is the database system, and Express works as the backend web framework, frontend development is carried out by AngularJS while Node.js takes care of backend runtime environment. All these technologies were developed separately, but today together they form one of the strongest stack technologies of the time — MEAN stack. It has to be said that JavaScript binds together all these four technologies together. No doubt MEAN stack comes with a number of attractive features which makes it the most favored solution of the time.
Why Mean Stack for your Project?
There are a few things which will support your decision to take MEAN stack for your web app development project and the same has been explained here:
JavaScript Everywhere
One of the prominent reasons to choose MEAN stack over other technologies is that it makes use of the same language for frontend and backend development. Here all the technologies are written in JavaScript, which makes it possible to have neat codes during development. The server-side coding is taken care by Node.js, which brings JavaScript to the backend while the client-side coding is taken care by AngularJS, which makes it possible for the developers to reuse the codes from backend to frontend.
It is Cost-effective
For the companies, they don’t have to go behind hiring specialists to take care of the different needs of the project. Simply hire MEAN stack developer and they are done. MEAN stack has just come up with a new profile which is nothing but full-stack JavaScript developer. Here you can have a team of JavaScript developers so as to have better team management and collaboration for the project.
Node.js
Node.js is a runtime environment for JavaScript which works as a web server. When you plan to go ahead with MEAN stack you will be able to have easier deployment as you will have web server included in the app. Node.js currently runs on Windows, Linux, and OS X which brings on table operating system independence. In order to process HTTP requests, Node.js operates on a single thread. To handle multiple incoming requests efficiently, it makes use of non-blocking I/O calls. Node.js is very much fast and scalable compared with other web servers like Apache and it supports a large number of concurrent connections. Without having the client to request data, Node.js sends it by enabling web sockets. So if you are planning to build real-time web applications, then Node.js is an ideal choice.
AngularJS
Angular.js is a JavaScript framework which is used for frontend development. It is used to build single-page applications. You can easily add AJAX-driven rich components and interactive functions on the client-side using Angular.js. Since you have a server-side solution provided by Node.js, both server and client-side has JavaScript implementation. This way, MEAN applications becomes quite effective.
Use of JSON
For data-interchange across different layers MEAN stack makes use of JSON format. So during the client-side and server-side interaction, the data can be converted without using any libraries. Moreover, with JSON, you can easily work with external APIs.
Importance of MongoDB
When you have large volumes of data on huge tables, then for managing them, you need the right database system like MongoDB. Adding a field in MongoDB is easier compared to any other database as there is no need to update a complete table. Moreover, it comes as a document model database, which makes it easier to be used across different applications. Just like the objects in the object-oriented programming language, MongoDB works.
Free and open source
All the technologies which you use MEAN stack is open source in nature and free to use. So if any developments or updates take place in this area, then you can get the benefit of the same as it has the support of a large community.
Pros of choosing MEAN stack for your project
Like any other technology, MEAN stack comes with its set of benefits, which makes it the best choice for web and application development. Keeping that in mind, some of the pros of MEAN stack web development have been explained here.
Highly flexible
As MEAN stack makes use of JavaScript throughout, the developers have an amazing time carrying out development. This helps them to develop isomorphic code efficiently. Say, for example, you start writing the codes in Node and then later you feel to move the development to AngularJS, you can do that easily without facing any complications. Again, the flexibility of MEAN stack gets improved by MongoDB. This robust database layer comes with full cluster support and automatic sharing features. This will help you to host a project on the cloud easily.
Cost-effective
For your business, using MEAN is cost-effective. Here the company is saved from hiring different specialists for the company as it makes use of a single language throughout. This means the company will only need to have JavaScript experts on board. This will save the company a lot of money and time. Again, with only JavaScript experts to be selected, you can take your time to find and choose the best people, which will ensure the developed solution is best in quality.
Open-source
In MEAN stack development, all the technologies available are open source and can be used for free. It helps the developers to go ahead with the development process by making use of public repositories and libraries that are available on the internet. Many queries may come up during the development and the open-source feature will let the developer find the solution by making use of different available open portals. This means the developers will be able to know about new other ways in which they can resolve a problem. Being an open-source technology, you will be able to carry out development to build high-quality applications as well as save enough time during the development.
Easy to switch between client and server
As everything here is written in a single language, MEAN is fast and simple. This makes it easy to move between the client and the server. Say, for instance, if you are making use of Node.js for the webserver, there is no need for LAMP stack or Apache. The full-stack developers, without having to use a stand-alone server, can easily deploy the application directly.
Right for real-time web applications
In the current scenario, there is a trend to demonstrate real-time applications. If you are planning to build any such application, then you should definitely think about MEAN. Compared to other traditional technologies out there, it makes use of single-page applications. Therefore for each server request, the web pages do not have to be updated constantly. In short, this technology helps the developer to make real-time changes quickly in order to update important details during the process of development.
Time-saving
You should choose MEAN if you have a limited timeline to complete the development of an application. It is here you will find an infinite set of module libraries which are available for Node.js and can be used any time. Now, this single process helps you save a lot of time which would otherwise be spent on developing such modules from scratch. If a particular feature is broken, it will be instantly notified as there is an automated testing feature. This will let to have more time to work on the project so as to make it perfect. This way, you will be able to develop quality applications all the while saving much time.
Drawbacks of MEAN stack
Every technology comes with its own set of pros and cons and so is MEAN stack. You will find a number of reasons to choose MEAN while there are some others which may confuse you and stop you from going ahead. The same has been explained here:
Too much hype
One of the main disadvantages of MEAN stack is to fall prey for the hype that comes with it. Developers go-ahead to use this technology because they feel that it is popular and trendy but tend to forget that this comes with support less than MySQL, Apache, and PHP. No doubt MEAN is faster to deploy but when it comes to customization, it does not have the ability like Ruby or LAMP and this is because of the lack of proper widespread documentation and support.
Security exploits
MEAN stack is still considered as less safe from the point of data security even when Google offers it with framework and runtime environment. Many experienced developers may not agree to the fact but with MEAN having its core architecture just more than 10 years old chances are more that it will become the main target for the hackers who are looking for ways misuse its advantage.
Lack of wide support
All the developers agree that when it comes to carrying out frontend and backend development of the application, MEAN works perfectly well. Still, there are technologies like Ruby, PHP, MySQL, Linux, Perl, Apache and Python around here for a long time and you can put them to use for the needs of your application.
You may lose records
MongoDB is claimed to be consistent, but things can change too. When carrying out network partitioning especially when a heavy load is involved, you may lose records which you had entered into MongoDB successfully earlier. Now, this is just a probability and there is no necessity that it will happen always.
Isolation of server from business logic in a poor manner
In case of Express.js, you will experience poor isolation of server from business logic. Because of it, you may not be able to carry out certain services like batching operations. You will have to make use of the Express middle chain to carry out the internal work and this can turn out to be cumbersome.
Relational databases are still powerful
When compared with relational databases, the MEAN stack is said to offer less level of functionality. A number of big names in the game still prefer to go for relational databases for their project as they consider it more stable and reliable.
Wrapping it up
Even with some disadvantages, MEAN stack is used today across different sectors and industries by many companies. Some of the top names you will find in the list are Netflix, Paypal, New York Times, etc. One of the main reasons for this move is the ease of using JavaScript for frontend and backend development. With a single layer present in case of MEAN stack, developing and deploying an app becomes easy here. Still, what you choose for your project development completely depends on the kind of the project you have in hand and it’s needed. This decision can be taken by choosing best MEAN Stack development company for your project.
