What is a Framework, and
How Does it Shape Modern
Web Development?

In today’s fiercely competitive online market, technology plays a crucial role. Choosing the right tool for a web project guarantees smooth operation, future scalability, and a competitive advantage.

Frameworks are utilized worldwide for fast and high-quality development today. Developed at different times and in different languages, these tools are always geared towards a specific type of website or application, each with unique features. We’ll detail what a framework is, how it differs from building from scratch, and why selecting the right solution is crucial for a web project.

Benefits for online businesses: a practical perspective

Let's check out the practical value of frameworks in web development.

✓ Cost efficiency: reducing expenses, time, and workforce

Frameworks use open-source code, ready-made components, and built-in infrastructure, making it much faster to develop web apps than starting from scratch. Reducing the time spent on basic tasks speeds up the time it takes to get your product to market.

✓ Quality: reliability, clean code, and latest tech

Frameworks structure the code, making it easier to maintain, update, and evolve with market demands. Their libraries feature top-notch code examples developed and tested by the community, ensuring high quality and standardization.

✓ Performance: speed, stability, and excellent UX

Frameworks have numerous ready-made solutions and libraries for a wide variety of tasks. Adding a new feature to your website is not a problem. Therefore, developers can immediately focus on creating unique functionality, perfect navigation, and fast page loading.

Popular frameworks are optimized for high performance due to particular components, built-in caching mechanisms, and data processing speed due to asynchronous operations. They already contain error management systems and support automated testing. Any bugs are detected and fixed at the early stages of development.

✓ Reliability: stability, cybersecurity, and data protection

Most modern frameworks are equipped with built-in mechanisms to protect against cyberattacks and various SQL injections when foreign code is added to the website’s code. These security mechanisms are constantly updated and are always one step ahead of cybercriminals’ intentions.

Additionally, regular updates of frameworks and the activity of their communities in this matter improve the stability of such development.

✓ Development: scaling, support, and improvement

All frameworks are designed to integrate with other services and business applications, which makes web solutions even more complex and efficient. Such websites are easy to develop further, scale, and increase their load. Coding standardization will make your product’s code more understandable to other specialists who can be contacted in the future.

The differences between working on a project from scratch and creating one on a framework are significant. Suppose the website is built on a well-known framework. In that case, its basic functionality will be precise, and well-documented parts of the code will enable you to immediately study business logic without delving into technical issues. The IT team handles the code with custom-built sites, frequently rewriting inefficient parts and sometimes wholly rewriting everything. Developing without frameworks can be costly and problematic in the long run, especially when the most qualified developers abandon the project because of the poor quality of self-written code.

What is a framework?

We offer you a peek behind the scenes of the IT world. Learn what a framework is, why it is needed, why it is valued, and the basic terminology for working with it. This will greatly facilitate communication with IT teams and clarify the main processes involved in working on your project.

The term framework means ‘working frame’ or a structured basis for software development. Simply put, a framework is a collection of tools for web development. It resembles the city’s infrastructure, which is also an ecosystem of interacting components:

• web application configuration as a “city plan”;
• routing as “roads”;
• principles and approaches as “city laws”;
• error and bug fixing services as “utilities”;
• components like “buildings” as independent code blocks that can be combined into packages;
• dependency management system as “energy.”

The structure of a modern framework can be described as follows:

Frameworks are most convenient because they look like the city’s infrastructure to the developer. They give a complete picture of future development, how various parts interact and function together, and how resources are apportioned. Developers receive ready-made tools immediately when they deploy a web project on the framework.

On the front side:

• logical structure of the site with the ability to create menus and routes;
• user interface components: buttons, tables, forms, etc.;
• visual effects for attractive animation of navigation elements;
• tools for creating adaptive designs; for different screens;
• form validation mechanisms that check the correctness of the entered data;
• tools for creating and running tests that quickly detect errors during development.

On the backend side:

• routing to determine the routes of requests and their processing;
• templating to create dynamic HTML pages for the website;
• ORM (Eloquent), an object-relational mapper — an interface for working with databases, as well as migrations and sysadmins for managing its structure;
• authentication systems — turnkey solutions for logging and managing user sessions;
• support for queues for asynchronous processes (especially thought out in Laravel);
• an interface for managing files on local and remote storage;
• a notification system for various channels such as email, SMS, work messengers, etc.;
• tools for writing and executing various types of tests, which is vital for quality development;
• tools for creating APIs and integrating with other web resources. Laravel, for example, is known for its powerful RESTful API tools.

The “city” also has “residents” — users who will enjoy the appearance of the frontend (UI) and the coherence of the city’s communications (UX). The entire IT team has been assigned to this task: architects, backend and frontend developers, UI/UX designers, and QA testers who will evaluate the build’s strength.

During development, the IT team employs an already-established infrastructure in a framework most appropriate for a specific web project. Since there’s no need to start from scratch on the basics, this saves time. The team can concentrate on more significant aspects such as business requirements, implementing new features, and integrating with other systems.

Libraries

Each item mentioned above, including routing and data handling, has its code library (or libraries). What is it?

At one point, developers noticed they were writing the same code for similar tasks and created ready-made kits. A structured approach to development becomes more critical as websites become more complex, with more data types, functions, and architecture. It’s especially essential when a team, instead of just one person, is working on the project.

It was a step towards modular development. Each library is responsible for a single, well-defined function, such as networking, image optimization, data caching, etc. The “Single-responsibility principle” is a rule in object-oriented programming that, when followed, enlightens the code, making it more understandable and easy to carry on.

Each framework has code libraries, including programmatic control interfaces and connection mechanisms. The libraries contain the best, proven solutions for typical tasks, enabling you to start development immediately with first-class and optimized code, instilling confidence in your development process.

Concepts

At one time, the Model-View-Controller (MVC) concept appeared, which became the basis for many frameworks and made the code even more organized. Familiarity with it will also help you understand what a framework is and why it is called a miracle in the development world:

The MVC architecture involves dividing a web application into three components: model (data), view (interface), and controller (logic). Take, for instance, a financial management application. With the aid of libraries, it crafts specific Models to house transaction data in the database, View templates of HTML pages to display transaction information on the device screen, and a Controller to oversee all application logic. Using libraries within the MVC framework has led to more organized code and simplified work processes.

Frameworks, the primary tools for web solution development, are constantly evolving. They vary in programming language, purpose, architecture, and frontend or backend implementation. The most popular ones boast large communities that actively solve problems and share experiences, ensuring the frameworks are always up-to-date and relevant.

Specific frameworks may be more or less suitable for a particular type of website depending on its performance requirements, product complexity, and market launch timing.

What tasks are frameworks suitable for?

From a technical point of view, a framework is, in simple terms, ready-made code templates written in one of the programming languages (rarely in several). The first ones designed specifically for web applications appeared in the 2000s: Ruby on Rails, Django (Python), Spring (Java), Symfony (PHP), and some others. With the development of JavaScript and Single-Page Applications concepts, frameworks for dynamic and interactive web interfaces appeared: AngularJS, Vue.js, and React.js. Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.

PHP frameworks: reliability and high performance

PHP has a long history. It is a mature language on which high-quality websites and web applications are built today. These frameworks have built-in solutions for many typical business tasks, such as payment processing, social media integration, and well-thought-out user management. They are almost unlimited in the choice of databases, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, and others, and the right choice of databases directly affects the site’s performance and its ability to grow. Hosting offers unique plans for sites based on PHP frameworks.

The most popular PHP frameworks for web development are:

• Laravel, with its elegant architecture, provides the highest quality web solutions. It has incorporated the best programming practices and standards, and thanks to the built-in functionality of the Artisan CLI and Blade Template Engine, it speeds up website development by 30% and reduces development costs by up to 40%. Laravel is considered an ideal framework for businesses and startups because it provides everything you need.
• Symfony — for large projects that require complex architecture and integration with many third-party systems. Known for its flexibility and modularity, it has a bundling concept that allows developers to use not all components but only the necessary ones.
• Yii2 stands for “simple and evolutionary,” thanks to the ability to modify the core, it is suitable for simple sites where maximum speed is essential. It is not as modern as Laravel and Symfony but still popular.

If we compare Laravel and Symfony, Laravel is more advantageous in many cases, especially when development speed is significant. Let’s also mention a few less common PHP frameworks:

• CodeIgniter is for the lightest web applications, prioritizing speed and minimalist configuration. This framework has a small core but can be easily integrated with third-party libraries.
• CakePHP is for small and medium-sized projects that need to be released quickly. Its main principle is “convention over configuration,” which means smart default settings. It looks like a travel package with everything already thought out.
• Zend is for large enterprise applications and is designed to integrate specific functions.

Other PHP-based frameworks are also being actively developed and offer the latest opportunities in web development.

JavaScript frameworks: versatility and dynamism

JavaScript is considered to be one of the most suitable languages for dynamic web pages. Its slogan is “Make the web interactive”. JavaScript can work both on the browser side, without any third-party plugins, and on the server side, which provides complete versatility. Its most popular frameworks:

• Vue.js is one of the most advanced frameworks. It combines the most successful approaches of React and Angular while offering high flexibility and simple syntax. This unique framework is suitable for projects of any complexity, from light to large and enterprise.
• React.js is a tool for high-performance applications with a fast and responsive interface. Its advantage is the ability to create complex UIs and use a virtual DOM, allowing you to update page elements much faster without reloading than a regular DOM.
• React Native is comfortable for creating simple applications with an attractive, harmonious design. This framework’s particular strength is in the identity of the iOS and Android versions of mobile applications, which is due to a single code, which saves development time. The user interface looks the same on each platform due to native components.
• Angular meets all the needs of dynamic web applications through two-way data binding and TypeScript, which provides the benefits of static typing and object-oriented programming, in simple terms — less risk of failure, faster time to market, and more straightforward downstream support.
• Svelte is for simple but productive web projects. Unlike others, it creates applications with minimal code because the main action takes place at compile time, not in the browser, which has advantages.

Python frameworks: flexibility and functionality

The slogan “Readability matters,” which is appreciated by developers worldwide, has led to the popularity of Python. The popular frameworks:

• Django is a powerful framework that emphasizes clean code. Its main principle is “batteries included,” which means it includes everything you need to develop and maintain top-level security. The only downside is that none of this functionality can be removed.
• Flask is a microframework with a minimal set of tools but maximum flexibility. Its small, lightweight kernel allows for expansion possibilities through a free choice of libraries.
• FastAPI — for creating highly loaded APIs. It contains automatic documentation generation and creates call asynchronization, so it is convenient to build complex business tools that integrate with other services, such as a payment system and others.
• Tornado is an asynchronous framework that is perfect for streaming services. It specializes in numerous simultaneous network connections.
• Pyramid is both flexible and modular, works with different databases, and has the function of supporting transactional configuration management.
• Bottle is a microframework for single-file web applications where minimal load and lightness are important. It integrates with other libraries.

Java frameworks: scalability and security

Java was created to provide code portability between different Java Virtual Machine platforms and devices, but it has also been praised for its reliability, security, and scalability:

• Spring is a popular framework for enterprise applications due to its high level of security. Its powerful architecture and native features make it easy to configure and deploy, i.e., to get up and running.
• Struts is also suitable for enterprise web applications, has built-in form validation tools, and integrates with Spring.
• JavaServer Faces (JSF) — for component-oriented user interfaces, with a set of visual components and a focus on interactivity, facilitated by two-way data binding. It is interesting because it supports third-party components.
• Vaadin supports a component-oriented approach, but it also allows UI development on the server side, which is a good solution for complex interfaces.

We also want to mention Ruby frameworks with simple syntax, Microsoft’s C#, Go with a combination of simplicity and performance, Apple’s Swift, and TypeScript for large projects. Each tries to provide best-in-class, ready-made code and a balanced approach to the application’s internal logic.

But we want to warn you here. We advise you to choose a popular framework like Laravel, as less popular ones may not always be supported by other systems and may be too specific. It is not uncommon for contractors to offer development on a little-known framework for curiosity and new experience; over time, the client company faces serious problems supporting the project. This framework’s developers are scarce due to their high cost or limited availability through intermediary companies. Hosting and scaling is problematic, mainly when developers need to create exemplary project architecture. By deciding on well-known PHP or JavaScript frameworks for your project, you can be confident that adding new features as you expand won’t be a challenge, as communities regularly release new solutions for various tasks.

That’s why our favorite is Laravel, which is globally recognized as the gold standard in PHP web development. We specialize in various industries, and I’ve been delivering high-quality solutions to companies for nearly a decade.

We are confident that you have found the information on what a framework is and what it does useful and have made a decision. However, we understand that choosing the right software framework can be a complex task. That’s why we offer our professional assistance. A skilled IT team and a technology that is perfectly matched with your business can guarantee the latest security standards and the highest performance of your web resource. Reach out to us, and we’ll develop the perfect tool for your business tasks!