How do you choose a framework for HTML templating?

1 Benefits of templating

HTML templating frameworks can offer several benefits for web development. They can make your code more readable, maintainable, and scalable. They can also improve your performance, security, and user experience. For example, some frameworks can handle data binding, caching, escaping, and rendering for you. Some frameworks can also support server-side or client-side rendering, or both, depending on your needs.

2 Types of templating

HTML templating frameworks can be classified into two main types: logic-less and logic-full. Logic-less frameworks, such as Mustache or Handlebars, only allow you to insert data and use simple expressions, such as loops and conditionals. Logic-full frameworks, such as EJS or Pug, allow you to use more complex logic, such as variables, functions, and custom tags. Logic-less frameworks are simpler and more consistent, but logic-full frameworks are more flexible and powerful.

3 Features to compare

When selecting a framework for HTML templating, it's important to compare the features and capabilities of different options. You should consider the syntax, performance, compatibility, documentation, and popularity of the framework. The syntax should be easy to write and read while integrating with HTML and JavaScript. Performance should be fast and efficient in rendering and updating HTML content, without negatively impacting page load time or browser memory usage. Compatibility with other libraries and tools is also key. Documentation should be comprehensive and clear, with an active and helpful community and support. Finally, it's important to consider the framework's popularity in the web development industry as well as its stability and updates.

4 Questions to ask

When looking for the best fit for your project, it's important to consider the scope and complexity of your project, the target audience and platform, your level of expertise and familiarity with HTML templating, as well as your personal taste and style. How much logic and data do you need to handle? How important are performance, security, and accessibility for your users? How much time and effort are you willing to invest in learning a new framework? What do you value most in your code - simplicity, flexibility, or consistency? Asking yourself these questions can help you narrow down your choices.

5 Examples of frameworks

A few of the most popular and widely used HTML templating frameworks in web development are React, Vue, and Angular. React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces that uses JSX to write HTML elements in JavaScript. It supports both server-side and client-side rendering with a virtual DOM to efficiently update the UI. Vue is a progressive framework for building user interfaces with HTML templates, directives, expressions, and components. It also supports both server-side and client-side rendering with a reactive system to automatically update the UI. Angular is a platform for building web applications using HTML templates with bindings, directives, pipes, and components. It also supports both server-side and client-side rendering with a compiler to optimize the UI.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?