Knockout vs Angular vs JQuery – Which Framework Is the Best for Your Project?
With multiple JavaScript frameworks used in software and web development, it can be quite challenging to keep up. As of today, the word ‘framework’ is used in a much broader sense whether to denote a user interface (UI) library or a full-blown framework. Today we are going to compare Knockout vs Angular vs JQuery and come up with the idea which framework would be a better suit for your next project.
For instance, Angular JavaScript frameworks include Mobile Angular UI, Angular UI Bootstrap, Ionic, Supersonic, etc. Angular and Knockout frameworks are currently in demand for UI development. Both JavaScript UI frameworks ensure effortless interaction between an app and its user. Another aspect of the problem is choosing between the Angular framework and jQuery library. In this respect, drawing a comparison between Angular vs JQuery is not technically correct. Already feeling confused? Then buckle up, for we’re going to sort the differences out!
Basic Things You Should Know About Knockout vs Angular JS
Truth be told, there isn’t much difference between Knockout vs Angular JavaScript frameworks in how they’re used. Both tools are aimed to for user interface creation. Still, a particular framework may be more appropriate to employ in a particular project.
What is Angular JavaScript?
Developed by Google, AngularJS is an open-source JavaScript framework. It is used in front-end development, mainly for building web applications. Owing to the vast community of contributors, this framework is constantly improved.
Among the biggest advantages of Angular JavaScript are its cross-platform nature and convenient testing. AngularJS is compatible with both Model View Controller (MVC) and Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architectures.
This JavaScript framework is compatible with the majority of modern web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Also, it is compatible with mobile browser versions, however doesn’t support Internet Explorer below IE9.
What is Knockout.js?
Knockout is a Model-View-View-Model (MVVM) JavaScript framework with the inherited JavaScript features. This JavaScript UI framework allows creating rich, display and editor responsive interfaces with a clean underlying data model.
KnockoutJS employs the data attributes of HTML5 for binding HTML elements to JavaScript data objects. This saves developers the time needed to specify where the JavaScript data should be bound. The data bindings are intuitively done in the HTML code itself in a specific location where it should be bound. KnockoutJS has the support of the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari for iOS/Mac OS, Opera, and IE.
What Are the Pros & Cons of Using Knockout vs Angular JavaScript UI Frameworks?
Both JavaScript UI frameworks are highly in demand, so choosing in favor of either one will positively impact the development process. Take a look at the list of key features for each tool to understand the pros & cons of using them for your project:
Popularity
Which of the frameworks is more popular? The number of GitHub Stars and StackOverflow questions can be the somewhat of an answer. At the time of writing, Angular JavaScript had 58,9k stars and is discussed in 254,032 questions. As for Knockout, it had 9,1k stars and is mentioned in 19,439 questions. As you can see by the metrics, AngularJS is leading in popularity.
Data Binding
Data binding is responsible for establishing the connection between the app’s user interface and business logic. In other words, any changes in the back-end data result in UI changes. Data binding processes in Knockout vs Angular have considerable differences.
In Knockout, data-bind attribute and binding type are mainly responsible for the process. At that, mapping is required for JSON data loading which makes the overall process rather complicated. Knockout performs data binding to a special model.
In Angular, data binding is relatively less complicated owing to the compact and clear syntax. Angular uses $scope object to perform data binding, and its views may be reusable.
Use of Templates
Web developers optimize the process of development by breaking the code into smaller parts (templates). In this respect, AngularJS is handier compared to Knockout, since the former keeps the templates stored in external HTML files. As a result, the development process is facilitated by the dynamically loaded templates.
Functionality Enhancement
The possibility to throw in extra functionality is important. Knockout vs Angular allow throwing in some extra features but in different ways. AngularJS allows amplifying the HTML part of your app, while in Knockout.js developers have to create custom bindings.
Variables
Knockout employs the Observable pattern to manage the changes, while Angular uses plain objects. This is why dirty checking will be the most helpful for observation and comparing objects to one another.
Routing
In JavaScript UI framework, routing is a method of managing application states and navigating through the browser history. Knockout.js doesn’t have the support of routing, while Angular utilizes its own AngularUI Router routing framework.
Testing
As for the Knockout vs Angular testing, the code written in AngularJS is a lot more testable. Still, to run testing on AngularJS apps, one needs to use a third-party Protractor framework. Testing the Knockout.js code may present an inconvenience. Still, developers perform unit testing with Jasmine and PhantomJS.
Angular vs JQuery: Which One Works Best for Your Project?
Drawing AngularJS vs JQuery comparison isn’t technically correct, with the former being a framework, and the other being a Javascript library. JQuery is a Document Object Model (DOM) manipulation library simplifying the JS use on a website. Here are the features available in the jQuery library:
- HTML/DOM/CSS manipulation
- Ajax/JSONP
- Event Handling
- Effects and animations
- Cross-browser compatibility
Angular vs JQuery: Pros and Cons of Using
PROS: The absence of binding structures in jQuery allows developers to create a project the way they see fit.
CONS: Having no binding structures may lead to the problem of a “Spaghetti Code” resulting in a lack of clear design and code management for a bigger project.
For this reason, the dilemma of AngularJS vs jQuery resolves in favor of Angular for using in huge projects. Another thing challenging the legitimacy of this comparison is a fact that both AngularJS and jQuery can be interdependent on one another.
To sum up, jQuery works best for website creation, allowing flexibility, visual effects and animation. With its help, embellishing a website with elements like an image slider or accordion, is a matter of a few minutes. All in all, it comes down to project requirements and personal preferences of a developer.