Web application development initiatives can come with their fair share of challenges. Almost always, there is no time and we need to be prepared for the next project. In order to streamline the process, development teams are always looking for new strategies and approaches to achieve a faster time to market. Through several experiences they start to give some value to the toolset they use to solve problems. That is where MEAN stack comes in handy.
MEAN stack explained
MEAN stands for the four components of the stack, entirely based on JavaScript: MongoDB, Express, AngularJS and Node.js. Each one serves different purposes in the development of a web application, but why those specific ones? Because they are stable, well recognized and supported by the community.
This toolset establishes the initial infrastructure and gives you the opportunity to grow solid and faster. It is already tested and working on different production environments. Go ahead and make your fork of the official repository.
What makes MEAN beneficial?
- Testing is pretty easy: there are several frameworks that fits in this stack. It doesn’t matter if is a unit or functional test, developers only have to write their test cases, the rest is already resolved by the frameworks.
- Automation is also well integrated. There are plenty of tasks that are being achieved through Grunt, Gulp or any automation tool you want. With the help of these tools your team could focus on the business solution instead of doing repetitive tasks.
- What about UI? With a stack you could integrate a third party library in order to solve different interfaces or even give a default aesthetic and improve it later in the next development cycle.
Our recipe
This stack isn’t a rule. Maybe there is another framework that fits better for your project, that is ok. Or maybe you like a different setup, that is ok too. Check our open source stack, still a work in progress. It is our own recipe for a solid and scalable starting point for full stack web development, using not only the above cutting-edge technologies, but also some other tools that we found useful in our own experiences.
Why use MEAN for development?
MEAN can offer a range of benefits for development, but what is the draw to utilize it? In addition to including technologies that are well-known in the development sector, the stack also allows for a Web app that is easy to maintain. MEAN stack also accelerates the initial process of development, helping to achieve a faster time-to-market.
To find out more about our own MEAN stack and how it could benefit your development project, contact Making Sense today.