29.1. Why Use JavaScript Libraries

We use libraries to make our lives as developers easier. We can focus on solving our specific problems if we don't have to spend time figuring out how information flows throughout our project.

When it comes to web based applications, there are two very different places code can exist: in the user's browser (front end) and on the host's server (back end).

For web app development, consider the front end as what the user interacts with and sees, while the back end contains the logic and manipulations that the user doesn't need to worry about. Similar to how an old mechanical clock works. The front end would be the face with the 12 numbers and the two moving hands. The user only needs the clock face to determine the time. The back end for the clock would be the various cogs, wheels, and power source.

In this chapter, we will use Angular as our front-end JavaScript framework. Angular dictates how to structure our files, as well as how the information flows between them. It also contains a number of tools to help us build the part of the application users see in their web browsers.

Note

There are many other ways to create front-end web applications with JavaScript. Popular frameworks for JavaScript include React, Vue, Ember, and others.

Angular is a framework that breaks the overall project into smaller pieces, each with their own code and styling. Angular then combines all of the pieces to create the full web page.

Taking this modular based approach allows us to separate the individual pieces of our application so we can focus on them one at a time.

Through the next three chapters, we will look at the basic building blocks of an Angular application.