Use of MERN stack in Mobile and Web app development: Everything you need to know about MERN stack

As technology is evolving with every passing day, the demand for highly efficient web and mobile applications is also increasing. Developers are now looking for new and better ways to create products that are creative and stand out. New frameworks and platforms are being introduced in the market.

Development stacks, especially, have made the work of developers quite simple. They are a combination of technologies, such as frameworks, libraries, databases, etc, and provide total structural development. One of such stacks is MERN. A variation of MEAN stack, it is a modern, and dynamic full-stack used by developers to create feature equipped apps. Let’s first understand what it is.

What is the MERN Stack?

Comprising front end, backend, and database components, the MERN stack is an open-source development stack. It is a JavaScript technology stack making it user-friendly and is exactly why preferred by a lot of startups. It makes the three tiers architectural construction easy. Let’s break down what the name means. MERN is an acronym for four technologies.

1. MongoDB – A Document Database

2. Express JS – Node.js web framework

3. React JS – Client-side JS framework

4. Node JS – A JS web server

A closer look at MERN stack components

Let’s take a detailed look at all the technologies that together make the MERN stack.

MongoDB

It is a not relational (NoSQL), document-oriented database that stores the data in BSON form. The document means a data structure that stores names-value pairs, just like JSON documents. It is a cross-platform database and can store large amounts of data with ease. MongoDB is primarily known for its high scalability and flexibility.

Why use MongoDB?

-> One of the prime reasons to use MongoDB is that since it is a schema-less database which gives you the freedom to store any type of data in different documents.

-> Storing large amounts of data is easily possible with MongoDB as the data gets distributed across multiple servers. This process is called sharding.

-> This database is also very highly scalable since the data isn’t stored in rows and columns

-> The feature of indexing also increases speed because you don’t have to search the whole document.

-> The environment setup is easier than RDBMS and the community is very wide and active and always ready to help.

-> The fact that it uses JavaScript makes it simpler to use and comprehend.

MongoDB does not support all the complex joins but one can simply type in the code for the same. Big giants like Adobe, LinkedIn, McAfee, etc are all using MongoDB.

Express JS

Express JS is a middle or application tier/backend Node.js framework. It saves us from going the extra mile of writing the web server code, simplifying things for the developers. You need not repeat the same as you would with the Node.js HTTP module. It lets you build web applications and APIs. Being short and fast, this is widely used.

Why use ExpressJS?

-> The support of Node.js is very convenient and NPM packages make the development process easier.

-> The debugging mechanism is very fast. It helps users find the error easily in no time.

-> Another advantage is that it is asynchronous.

-> Being single-threaded makes the developing and testing process simpler.

-> This again has a widespread and active community.

-> Code reusability is possible because of built-in routers in the framework.

-> The framework has robust APIs.

React JS

This is the change that makes MERN a variation of MEAN stack. Instead of using old-fashioned AngularJS, developers use ReactJS. This framework was introduced by Facebook and is used for frontend development. To build single-page applications and creative user interfaces rendered in HTML, people make use of this library.

Breaking down React JS

-> JSX or JavaScript XML is an extension of HTML. It is used in React to write components with ease

-> Virtual DOM, a lightweight replica of the DOM object, is inbuilt and is used when a user wants to make alterations. The virtual DOM will have to be rendered all over again and then the two are compared and changes in the virtual DOM are made according to the original DOM.

Why use React JS?

-> The single direction flow of the date makes the code stable.

-> Because of the above-mentioned components, the performance rate is very high for React JS.

-> Due to code reusability, it contributes to the logic and UI of mobile or web development.

-> Virtual DOM makes the user experience smoother and developers work faster.

React is the most loved framework because of large community support. It is also open-sourced. A survey showed that almost 74.5% of people prefer using React.

Node JS

This is a cross-platform JS runtime environment. It is also open source. The framework has a multitude of modules available for the developers to choose from, albeit it works best when enclosed with HTML.

Why use Node JS?

-> Since it is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine, the code execution is very fast.

-> The APIs are asynchronous which means Node.js based server never waits for an API to return data.

-> Like any other component of the MERN stack, this is also highly scalable.

-> Being single-threaded, it is very simple to use.

The fact that every line of code is written in JavaScript, both on the client-side and server-side, makes this stack very convenient and works as a big advantage for developers. The open-source support makes it cost-effective and reduces the learning time. To build a feature-loaded, robust, scalable, and competent mobile and web application, the technology stack to go for is MERN stack.

Also Read: Major Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Tools Guide 2020

What Is Cross Platform? Is It The Best Choice For Mobile App Development?

How Cross Platform App Development Can Bring Profit For The Business?