With over 18 years of experience working with JavaScript, I've had the opportunity to work with a wide range of frontend frameworks and libraries, far more than I can easily list. My journey began in the early days of the modern web, working with libraries like YUI, Prototype.js, and jQuery UI, which shaped the foundation of how we build interactive interfaces today.
When I first began building websites, most frontend functionality was built with native / vanilla JavaScript, sometimes enhanced with jQuery. Many developers starting today may have never used document.getElementById, manually created an XMLHttpRequest, or realised that JSX isn't a native JavaScript feature. That foundation shaped how I work: understanding the BOM / DOM and core JavaScript deeply is invaluable and it continues to be essential for using today's modern frameworks effectively.
These days I tend to focus more on backend development and devops tasks, but I have a strong background in JavaScript.
Some of the more popular frameworks that are in use today are React, Vue.js and Angular. All of which I have used for some time throughout my career.
Most importantly, my exposure to such a diverse set of tools has taught me to stay adaptable. Tools change, best practices evolve, and new paradigms appear constantly, but the core goal remains the same: building clean, reliable, user-focused web experiences.
Essential for any modern web application, enhancing JavaScript with static typing and annotations.
React has a strong community support, making it easy to find tools, libraries, and solutions for almost anything.
Its seamless integration with Laravel makes building full-stack applications smooth, letting you combine reactive frontends with powerful backend logic effortlessly.
I find that Angular has the biggest learning curve, but with built-in dependency injection and TypeScript support make the code more maintainable and scalable.
Straightforward to work with, but native JS now supports most of the features that made jQuery so popular. Still used in legacy projects.
