Framework – what is it and how is it used?

Automation of repetitive processes has become commonplace in almost every industry. Increasingly, we may encounter a situation in which machines or IT algorithms do some of the work for humans. Programming is no different, where a number of simplifications and improvements have been created. The vast majority of such solutions are frameworks, i.e. special structures with broad differentiation. What exactly is the framework and how can it help IT professionals?

What is a framework?

Framework is a tool that can be described as a “skeleton” for creating various IT projects. It allows you to write an application, website or program in much less time and with less chance of errors. Framework can be compared to painting a picture by numbers. The most tedious and, in many cases, the most difficult work – that is, the “skeleton” – is now complete. The task of the painter – by analogy, the computer scientist – is to fill the “skeleton” with the desired content. Since the framework is a proven tool, there are no errors or invalid commands in its code structure. This is a significant improvement for both the individual developer and the entire team working on a project. Due to the rapid development of the IT world, new frameworks appear on the market every now and then, while previous versions are extended and modified by the development community.

Example frameworks – how do they work?

Among the millions of frameworks, there are a few that are the absolute foundation of programming. The following are the most important of these and briefly describe what they are responsible for:

• React – the most popular JavaScript framework used for front-end work, allows you to create graphical interfaces for web applications;
• Angular – a frontend framework that allows you to quickly and easily build simple web applications, so called. Single Page Applications;
• Node.js – a cross-platform runtime environment written in JavaScript, so you don’t need to develop applications in other, additional languages;
• Django – a backend framework written in Python, which includes a number of tools that make it easy to write complex web applications;
• Vue.js – a popular frontend framework written in JavaScript, which, like React, enables the creation of interfaces and is responsible for the appearance of applications;

How to use frameworks?

There is no doubt that the use of frameworks in the daily work of developers is reasonable and completely justified. The 4B Systems team also uses such models, making our work more efficient. This benefits not only the programmer, but also the client – projects commissioned to us are created faster. However, frameworks should be used in moderation – you need to know when a framework can be used. For example, when writing a mobile application in JavaScript, we will not use Django, which is based on Python. It’s also hard to expect Vue.js, a front-end framework, to help solve back-end issues. Moreover, the framework itself is a facilitator, not a ready-made solution. After all, nothing can replace a programmer who is proficient in his field, who will fix any errors and ensure that the program meets the brief. The specialists at 4B Systems will make sure that the entrusted Fproject is executed exactly as the client expects it to be, and frameworks will undoubtedly help in this.

Advantages and disadvantages of frameworks

Frameworks are solutions that boast quite a number of advantages. The most important of these, of course, is to streamline the work of programmers – reducing the time it takes to complete a task and simplifying the process. This translates directly into the efficiency of the entire software house, which is also considered in terms of minimizing the occurrence of errors. The vast majority of publicly available frameworks are already proven and well-designed, saving time on testing. Another noteworthy benefit is the ease of use of the code structures, so that any programmer will master the use of the underlying frameworks. Unfortunately, like any solution, it has its downsides, the biggest of which is the vastness of the available frameworks. The exact number of all available “skeletons” is not known due to their numbers, but it is safe to assume that they are in the millions. It’s easy to get lost in this maze, which can ultimately make work unnecessarily complicated instead of streamlining it, especially for IT beginners.