For now, using the MEAN stack is a very efficient approach to web development. Are you well aware of mean stack development meaning? If not, then you’re on the right spot to find that out.
What is the MEAN Stack?
In web development process various technologies are used. It depends on the project and its complexity, budget and other criteria. Among them are web servers, libraries, front-end environments, and database systems. Developers these days are using the strategy of using a combination of such tools and technologies to speed up and improve the web development process. MEAN stack is one of them.
Mean Stack Components
MEAN technology stands for:
- Mongo DB (database system)
MongoDB is a free, document-based database designed for both scalability and development flexibility. Data in MongoDB is not written in tables and columns as in a relational database. Instead, MongoDB stores JSON-like documents with dynamic schemas.
- Express (web backend)
Express.js is a Node.js application server framework for building single-page, multi-page, and hybrid web applications. It is the de facto standard server-side framework for node.js.
- js (front end)
AngularJS is a structural framework for dynamic web applications. It can use HTML as a templating language and extend the HTML syntax to clearly and concisely describe the components of your application. Data binding and dependency injection in Angular allows you to get rid of a lot of code that you would have to write otherwise.
- and Node.js (backend runtime)
Node.js is a free, cross-platform runtime for developing server-side web applications. Node.js applications are written in JavaScript and can run in the Node.js runtime on OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, NonStop, IBM AIX, IBM System z, and IBM operating systems.
These technologies were developed at different times. But today, they are grouped to form the MEAN stack, and the reason is quite clear. JavaScript unites them. SInce JavaScript is a dynamic programming language for developing client-side and server-side web applications, it’s also one of the most popular languages for web development of all time.
Pros and Cons of the MEAN Stack
Pros
The main reason for preferring the MEAN stack over others is to use a common language for both client and server side. Since all these technologies are written in JavaScript, your web development process becomes neat. Node.js is a platform that hosts a server-side implementation of JavaScript. With Angular.js using JavaScript in the frontend, it becomes easier to reuse code from the backend to the frontend. It’s effective and cost-saving.
So, owing to the JavaScript versatility (the core programming language here), it is highly adaptable for a vast range of web apps.
Cons
Among the disadvantages of the MEAN stack you may find the following:
- MEAN stack is not a feasible option for large-scale applications.
- During heavy load scenarios, there may occur a potential loss of records written by MongoDB.
- There are no particularly established JavaScript guidelines for coding.
At the same time, despite the high versatility JavaScript tends to make websites slower to load, and this could reduce its popularity. However, it’s still an issue of controversy.
Mean Stack Usage
Where is mean stack development mostly used?
- Build scalable applications optimized for cloud deployment
- Streamline development by using one language across the entire application
- Simplify deployment with the built-in webserver
- Managing large amounts of data with the flexibility of MongoDB
The MEAN stack is not suitable for all applications, but there are many situations in which it works great. Here are some examples of using MEAN:
- Calendars
- Expense Tracking
- News aggregator sites
- Maps and location
When you create an application from scratch, it’s important to use a consistent, standardized software stack. Building the back end with collaborative tools reduces development time and optimizes resources.
Skillsets of Mean Stack developer
When using mean developer skills, you do not need to hire different specialists to develop each part of the application. Instead, you can use one group of JavaScript developers, using them where and when you need them. Using JavaScript as a standard language also makes it possible to reuse the entire application’s code without reinventing the wheel repeatedly.
Large companies benefit from working with the MEAN stack, as they do not need to hire mean stack developers with different skill sets to work on the same project. The MEAN stack has introduced a new career profile, which is a full-featured JavaScript developer. It is also convenient to have multiple JavaScript developers on a team in terms of collaboration and team management due to their similar backgrounds.
Mean stack challenges
To get the most out of mean development for software development, you need to understand when to use it, study examples of its use, architecture, and become more familiar with its individual components. That’s still a challenge.
Conclusion
What is the mean stack? The MEAN stack offers a modern approach to web development. It also takes advantage of the power of modern single-page web and apps design, which do not require a complete refresh of the web page for every server request, as most traditional web applications do, etc. Using the mean strategy as a combination of practical tools and optimal technologies to speed up and improve the web development process remains the key to success for many product development projects.
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