The field of web development is dynamic and continuously evolving, affected by technological advancements, user preferences, and industry needs. No wonder that web development trends are changing with time. Web developers have to adapt to the latest changes and new requirements to remain effective in their work. Specialized JavaScript libraries can facilitate this process.

I selected several trending topics in web development in recent years and collected packs of useful JavaScript libraries related to them. Using these libraries, you can implement highly requested functionalities much faster.

AI and machine learning

Today, it is hard to find someone in the IT world who knows nothing about the AI tool called ChatGPT. It is a vivid example of how the machine-learning approach works in practice. Despite the novelty of AI technologies and the potential risks associated with them, programmers are already actively using AI tools in their day-to-day activities.

Participants of the latest Developer Survey from StackOverflow predict that AI tools will considerably impact various aspects of the development workflow. The State of Octoverse report talks about the striking growth of generative AI projects on GitHub that started in 2023, namely 65,000 projects, indicating a 248% year-over-year increase. Here is the list of useful JS libraries for AI web projects.

TensorFlow.js

TensorFlow.js is a WebGL-accelerated JavaScript library that brings machine-learning capabilities to the web. Using this tool, you can build, train, and deploy machine learning models right in web browsers or in the Node.js runtime. It supports deep learning, neural networks, and a variety of model architectures. Apart from that, TensorFlow.js enables you to run and retrain existing models. There are plenty of available models, modules, and datasets created by the TensorFlow community.

ml5.js

ml5.js is a JS library that offers a simplified approach to integrating machine learning models and related features into web apps. It allows working with machine learning algorithms and models in the browser, building on top of TensorFlow.js. With ml5.js, you can benefit from pre-trained models for detecting human poses, generating text, styling an image with another, and much more. ml5.js is suitable for newcomers to machine learning.

Brain.js

Brain.js is another good option if you need to perform some simple tasks or prototype machine-learning models. It is a lightweight and user-friendly tool used for creating neural networks in JavaScript for browsers and Node.js. It has a modular implementation for easier extendability and uses GPU for calculations. Brain.js offers a range of neural network implementations since different neural nets can be trained for different purposes. It is possible to export and import trained models via a JSON format or as a function.

Synaptic.js

Synaptic.js is a JavaScript library for building neural networks and implementing machine learning algorithms in web browsers as well as in Node.js. It is notable for a generalized and architecture-free algorithm. This peculiarity makes this library suitable for creating and training any type of first-order or second-order neural network architectures. Synaptic.js comes with several pre-defined architectures (such as multilayer perceptrons, LSTM, etc.) and a trainer capable of training any given network.

Tracking.js

Tracking.js is a good option in case you need to complement your web project with something from the realm of computer vision and real-time object tracking. Designed with a lightweight core (~7 KB) and an intuitive UI, this library equips you with computer vision algorithms and techniques that can be used in the browser environment. This library enables you to add great features to your app, such as real-time color tracking and face detection, thereby creating a more engaging and interactive user experience.

Project management

In the current economic and political disruptions, the integration of productivity software remains crucial for the success of today’s businesses. According to Statista, the revenue in the productivity software market is projected to reach 79.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

In this software segment, we should point out the popularity of project management solutions. Most of the respondents in Capterra’s 2024 Tech Trends survey assume that their organizations are looking to increase spending on PM software in 2024.

If you need a project management tool for your app but ready-made products do not meet your requirements, check out popular JavaScript libraries that will help you implement a custom solution.

DHTMLX

If you plan to build a modern project management app, you will most likely need some advanced functionalities such as a Gantt chart, scheduling calendar, Kanban board, to-do list, etc. DHTMLX provides JavaScript UI components for integrating these capabilities into your app with less time and effort.

Each product comes with a solid feature set and ample opportunities for customization. For instance, as the DHTMLX team says, the Gantt component with auto-scheduling and critical path features enabled renders up to 6000 tasks in under a second without impacting the UI performance. Extensive APIs, detailed documentation, numerous demos, and live samples will help you get started faster and make the most of DHTMLX libraries. All these JavaScript products can be easily combined in a single app as a comprehensive project management solution.

Socket.io

Project management apps are frequently used by multiple users at the same time, therefore you will certainly need a reliable mechanism for implementing real-time collaboration features. Socket.io is a JS library that enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication between a client and a server in apps. Based on the WebSocket protocol, it provides support for auto-reconnection, disconnection detection, multiplexing, arbitrary channels (rooms), etc. Therefore, Socket.io can be very helpful in delivering project management apps with real-time communication and data streaming.

Highcharts.js

When managing data-rich projects, it can be hard to do without some visual media such as a KPI dashboard, risk matrix, etc. It is hard to find a JavaScript library with predefined solutions for such scenarios. Therefore, you will need a highly customizable library like Highcharts.js. Developed on the basis of native browser technologies, this library presents a collection of interactive charts (bar, pie, spline, etc.) with ample customization options for integrating required visualizations into your app. Here, you can count on a considerable resource base and support from a vibrant community. Also, there is a new version of the Highcharts editor called Highsoft Lab - a special playground powered by ChatGPT, where you have an opportunity to experiment with various visualizations.

Markwhen

A project timeline is a chronologically organized visual roadmap with all activities (tasks, milestones, deadlines, etc.) scheduled to be completed within a project. The Markwhen tool allows you to build a cascading timeline by writing markdown-like text that is converted into a good-looking visualization. To enable you to conveniently switch between the text editor and the timeline view, the library includes the VSCode extension. It also comes with multiple useful features such as American/European date styles, real-time collaborative editing, recurring events, comments, tags & filters, markdown-style images, and much more.

Cybersecurity

In a global digital environment characterized by an ever-growing number of cyberattacks, dev teams have to take serious measures to protect sensitive data.

According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigation Report, web application attacks are involved in 26% of all breaches, ranking them second in attack patterns. Statista’s list of the main sources of web application critical vulnerabilities in 2023 includes SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and malicious file uploading. No wonder that dealing with these security concerns remains one of the main requirements in modern web applications. So it is nice to have some ready-made tools that can help strengthen the security of your app.

DOMPurify

DOMPurify is a DOM-only library used to sanitize and clean up HTML, especially user-generated content, thereby preventing XSS attacks. Written in JavaScript, this tool operates with a secure default but still provides a number of configuration options and hooks. When DOMPurify encounters a malicious HTML string, it will exclude everything that contains harmful HTML and return a string with safe HTML.

XSS module

This JS module is dedicated to sanitizing suspicious HTML by filtering user input and eliminating the possibility of XSS attacks. The module helps control the usage of tags and their attributes following the predefined whitelist of allowed items. You can extend the module by adding custom rules or modifying the default behavior to suit the specific requirements of your app. For instance, you can customize the XSS filter or add custom whitelist rules.

Knex.js

Knex.js is an SQL query builder for Node.js that supports various database systems. While Knex.js itself is not specifically designed for security, it encourages the use of parameterized queries and can help prevent SQL injections by handling query generation securely. This tool also offers fluent query builder syntax, transaction support, execution of custom raw SQL, and query logging that can facilitate app security.

JsonWebToken

JsonWebToken is an implementation of JSON Web Tokens for Node.js. JSON Web Tokens operate as a self-contained means of transmitting information between parties (a web browser and a server). This library serves for creating (signing) and validating tokens used to authenticate and authorize users.

Retire.js

Some JavaScript libraries can be very useful in the development process but, at the same time, contain vulnerabilities that may compromise app security. The Retire.js library helps avoid such unpleasant situations. It is a scanning tool used to detect the usage of JavaScript libraries with known security issues. You can employ Retire.js in many ways: as a command line scanner, grunt plugin, gulp task, Chrome extension, Burp, and ZAP add-on.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency integration

Today, blockchain may seem to be outshined by much-hyped AI technologies, but in fact, blockchain continues to evolve and be actively applied in various domains.

Forecasts from Statista back up this point, saying that global blockchain technology revenues will experience massive growth in the coming years, with the market expected to climb to over 39 billion U.S. dollars in size by 2025. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the most common use of blockchain technology. If you are interested in adding such functionalities to your app, the following libraries can help you.

Web3.JS

Web3.js is a collection of libraries that enables you to connect and craft web apps within the Ethereum ecosystem. Using web3.js, you’ll be able to interact with smart contracts, listen for on-chain events, fetch data from the blockchain, simplify your code with built-in utilities, and much more. Moreover, you can extend the functional capabilities of web3.js with additional plugins.

Ethers.js

Ethers.js is one more noteworthy tool designed to cover your needs in the Ethereum blockchain. It is commonly used to build decentralized apps (dapps), wallets (e.g. MetaMask), and other tools that require reading and writing to the blockchain. There is a playground tool that allows you to play around with the ethers.js API.

CCXT

CCXT is a JavaScript library that simplifies cryptocurrency exchange integration in web applications. It supports many popular cryptocurrency exchange markets and merchant APIs. The CCXT library also offers access to real-time market data for market analysis, price monitoring, and programming of trading bots. This library can help deliver trading platforms or market analysis tools.

xrpl.js

The xrpl.js library provides a handy toolkit for integrating XRP Ledger functionality into web projects. XRP Ledger is a decentralized public blockchain network focused on cross-border payments, smart contracts, and digital currencies. Using the xrpl.js library, you will be able to manage keys & create test credentials, submit transactions to the XRP Ledger, send requests to observe the ledger, subscribe to changes in the ledger, and more. The library also helps get access to numerous advanced features such as payment paths and channels, account settings, escrows, etc.

bitcore-lib

Bitcore-lib is a JavaScript library that comes with a reliable API that allows web apps to interact with the Bitcoin blockchain. This library is a part of the Bitcore platform, which features a complete infrastructure for delivering blockchain-based apps. Bitcore-lib supports addresses and key management, payment handling, scripting, and more. Some features, such as peer-to-peer networking, blockchain explorers, and mnemonics, are implemented as modules and can be installed separately.

Wrapping Up

As you can see from the above, the web development community keeps pace with trending technologies in the IT world, providing useful JavaScript libraries, tools, and extensions in response to emerging needs. Therefore, web developers don’t need to build everything from scratch to enrich their web apps with increasingly popular functionalities.

With libraries highlighted in this article, you have useful resources for enhancing security, incorporating AI capabilities, integrating blockchain technology, or building project management solutions on the web.

The article was originally published on Hackernoon.