JavaScript MVC 1.2 - Why AngularJS beats the **** out of knockoutJS

This is part 2 of my short series about JavaScript MVC Frameworks. It will explain why of all the existing frameworks, you should really focus on AngularJS.

Choosing the right JS MVC Framework

If you're just starting with JavaScript MVC-Frameworks you'll feel the need to use "the right tool" so that the time use is well invested. This post should help you choose AngularJS - and only AngularJS - and feel good about it.

The Really Relevant Criteria

Let's skip the religious parts of the discussion for now and decide what should determine the ideal solution:

1. We want a solution that's simple enough to start with
2. …but that still works when things get complex as the customers wishes accumulate
3. We want a solution that has wide adoption - thereby ensuring thousands of examples and answers online, and ensuring that we'll find employees and consultants that can help us when we need help
4. We want a solution that will still exist and be popular and updated - in five years' time
5. We want a solution that is so widespread, that many helpers/plugins exist
6. …ideally it would be something of an industry standard
7. …and work well with other industry standards like jQuery etc.
8. …and has reached the critical mass of followers that is hard to beat

Some not so important criteria

1. Microsoft promoted it for a while, so it must be good
2. It support IE6
3. I know a guy that likes it
4. I once heard that Google is as evil as Microsoft…
5. I like the syntax of something
6. It supports feature x a bit better than the other one

What are the Options?

Basically, there are more than 25 JavaScript MVC frameworks. The most popular by far is AngularJS, with emberJS and a few others still developing strongly. The most popular in the Microsoft universe of communication is knockoutJS. We'll focus on these two, and I'll tell you more about it later.

Let's look at the score

In case you have some doubts about my answers above, here an additional note: knockoutJS is basically just a templating engine. It doesn't even provide a real view management, let alone route management or many other things you would need in complex environments. The only reason most Microsofties know about knockoutJS is because it was made by an MS employee and promoted at many MS events.

Just for comparison: this is what knockout calls itself: Knockout is a JavaScript library that helps you to create rich, responsive display and editor user interfaces with a clean underlying data model .

Am I just promoting AngularJS because I'm biased?

Absolutely not! We (2sic) started with knockoutJS because we heard of it as Microsoft-events. We actually created some very complex solutions using knockoutJS - including a very powerfull help/faq system. But with time, we had to admit that it's very limited. Then AngularJS documentation finally got good. It was time for us to switch.

What about KendoUI or EmberJS?

Parts of KendoUI were made open source by telerik - I guess to stay in the market. I believe they are doing an amazing job, and they finally changed their communication to be less Microsoft-focused. So in general, I do believe it has lots of potential since it's a very good product, and it's great that it can be integrated into AngularJS. But in terms of industry-wide-adoption it's too far behind. So if you like it, use it as an AngularJS add-on.

EmberJS is also gathering momentum - but nothing compared to AngularJS. I'm convinced it's great - but Angulars Head-start is amazing. Since I have to focus my energies, it's not an option.

And some Google-Trends

As you can see - very, very clear.

The clear winner: AngularJS

You may have other opinions based on specific needs - that's great. My focus is on making a living based on my work - and this requires a clear future-focused strategy. The same logic that made me chose DNN in 2003 - namely the core question of "what will make it" also defines AngularJS as the one and only clear answer. So even if another framework has some technical superiority - the sheer mass of Angular-believers will ensure that this will be corrected.

Why not learn both knockoutJS and AngularJS?

This question popped up once after a blog I wrote - and the answer again is simple if you look at the big picture:

1. If you are working only by yourself and you're good with programming, then your brain can easily handle multiple tools and you may even feel joy in mastering diverse tools and technologies. So you would do this for the heck-of it, not for strategic reasons - go ahead.
2. If you are budget and success focused, and need to work in a team, then multiple technologies mean that every team member has to spend time learning each technology. Each member will waste time making mistakes with each technology. You will also need to standardize various ways to handle the same problem (based on combinations of technologies already in use in a specific project). And you will need to document a lot of things, because of these many toys in use…
3. …which is simply not cost effective, and will also cause lots of problems in the future, when you finally decide to focus on one system, but still have lots of hybrid solutions out there which you must maintain. 

Next steps

In the next parts of this series we we'll look into

1. What is it and why you need it (done)
2. Comparing the currently most popular frameworks AngularJS and knockoutJS (done)
3. A simple example how to use such a framework
4. The entire setup with data-delivery from the server - ideally without server code
5. Discovering some sample Apps for you to adapt to your needs

With love from Switzerland,
Daniel