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about 5 years ago by Becca Woods

JavaScript: What to look out for in 2019!

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JavaScript: What to look out for in 2019!

Web development: An industry where change is the most consistent factor and industry defining technologies are evolving on a daily basis.

Over the years, JavaScript has become a fundamental aspect of web development, evolving into an essential technology when talking about interactivity and supported by all of the most popular web browsers around. A base knowledge of the language has become crucial for anyone looking to pursue a career in web development.

So, with the recent growth in popularity of JavaScript frameworks, we’re going to explore some of the top JavaScript developments to look out for in 2019.

  1. GraphQL

GraphQL is a query language which is commonly used alongside React through the Relay framework. It's similar to REST in that it deals with fetching data from a database, but it's very effective at "stripping out" the data that you don't necessarily need so can be a huge help in speeding up GET requests etc. 

GraphQL has become widely considered as the future replacement for REST APIs. The concept is relatively simple: replace the multiple end points of the old REST method, with a single intelligent endpoint which takes in complex queries and shapes the data output into whatever shape is needed.

However confusing it seems at first, it’s definitely a language worth trying your hand at!

This is one that we are seeing creep more and more into the tech market here at Chassam. It seems that there is a growing need for GraphQL but limited resources available, with few people opting to pick it up at this early stage. If you’re interested in chatting more about this one, we’d definitely be keen on hearing your thoughts/opinions! We also have a couple of companies offering full GraphQL training to all new developers.

  1. React

React is a JavaScript library which, similarly to GraphQL, was created by Facebook. It is used for creating user interfaces and is well suited to large web applications which use sizable data sets, allowing changes over time without reloading the page.

React simplifies the creation of interactive user interfaces and is used for handling the view layer for web and mobile apps. At the core of all React based applications are components. It allows you to create reusable UI components, such as input fields or buttons, with all components being composable. This means that components can be selected and assembled in various combinations dependant on the specific user requirements.

Our prediction: React continues to dominate in 2019!

React is very popular amongst the contract market and ever increasing in popularity for perm roles too. This is one of the techs that is becoming most frequently requested, both from clients and candidates, meaning our shop is well and truly stocked and ready for Reacts influence over the industry to continue!

  1. Vue.js

Like React, Vue.js is a JavaScript library used for building interactive user interfaces and has become increasingly popular. One of the highlight benefits of Vue is that it has been able to observe and learn from the mistakes and successes of React and Angular and adapt accordingly.

Vue is a progressive framework which adapts to the specific needs of the developer. Rather than requiring you to do a full rewrite of an existing application as some other frameworks do, Vue happily settles inside your app using a simple script tag. It then grows along with your needs, spreading from a few lines to eventually managing your entire view layer.

All in all, Vue is lightweight, easy to learn and comes with very little baggage.

Here are a few features of Vue.js to look in to in 2019:

  • Enhanced performance with Vue.js 2.x
  • Vuetify - for clean, semantic and reusable components
  • Nuxt - similar to Gatsby for React
  • Stable API’s
Vue.js seems to be experiencing a significant rise in popularity, particularly across Yorkshire and the North West, with a huge number of our clients opting for the Laravel/Vue combo. Plenty of open roles and searching devs in this space at the moment which makes for a happy recruitment industry!

 

  1. Angular 7+

Angular is the other hard-hitting JavaScript framework on the market and has come on leaps and bounds since Google first initiated Angular.js.

Angular combines dependency injection, end to end tooling and has a built-in best practices feature. The dependency injection can be particularly well suited for developers looking to gather data services for applications, working alongside a HTML template to compose components.

New features to look out for with Angular 7:

  • Support of TypeScript 3.1
  • Improved Angular compilation options
  • Improved decision making with Angular CLI

The other major thing worth noting is the fast approaching release of Ivy, the next generation of Angular Renderer!

We find that Angular tends to be more prominent in a .Net environment, however is still very much present across the board. We have a relatively high influx of frontend and full stack roles with Angular lying at the top of the list when it comes to desired skills.

  1. Reason

Reason lets you write simple, fast and quality type safe code while leveraging both the JavaScript and OCaml ecosystems.

Reason can be described as a functional/static type programming language, which is used to drive single page web applications. It allows you to write code that links up well with both JavaScript and OCaml. It also includes a Reason React feature, allowing developers to write the Reason code that is compiled into React.

This one is definitely worth keeping an eye on and playing around with, for seasoned and upcoming JavaScript developers alike!

With the consistency of change, keeping up can become an overwhelming challenge, but it’s also extremely important for the developers looking to really excel and be ahead of the rest of the pack. When looking into new opportunities, it’s important to have someone on hand to understand exactly what it is that you want to get out of the role, as well as being able to tap in to their knowledge of the marketplace. Although the tech is important, we also place a high priority on correctly matching up cultural fit, philosophy and attitude in order to make sure you secure the best possible role to hit your future goals!

And that’s all for now! We’re set up for an exciting 2019 in the tech sector and I’m sure that there will be plenty more to write about in the very near future.

If you would like a free consultation on the current market from one of our consultants, whether you’re looking to hire or be hired, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!