Web Programming Tutorials12 Popular JavaScript Libraries to Know

12 Popular JavaScript Libraries to Know

It can be argued that JavaScript is the most popular programming language out there, it is definitely the most commonly used. One would be hard-pressed to find an application that does not incorporate some JavaScript in it, whether directly or using a module that is built on JavaScript. Not to mention that almost the entire World Wide Web is built on JavaScript, well in addition to HTML and CSS. But the point stays JavaScript is useful and handy to know as it is likely that you’d end up needing to know or even use JavaScript libraries at least once in your professional career, most likely more.

However, it is not easy to learn a whole programming language from scratch or master it. This is where libraries come in handy. There are numerous JavaScript libraries out there that can help you build an application. After all, why waste time writing code to develop something, if someone has already done it. Why not just use theirs and modify it to fit your own needs. Smart work, not hard work is a great motto to live by.

Read More: JavaScript: Technologies’ Very Own Mt Everest

In that regard, here are some popular JavaScript libraries which can help you in whichever way necessary:

1. FusionCharts

FusionCharts is one of the most extensive libraries for javascript, with over 100+ charts and 2000+ maps available right away. They claim to have the best visually appealing charts in the market and back it up with a rich reporting experience via their dashboards, which provide a bird’s-eye view across all the business departments.

FusionCharts is compatible with a wide range of platforms, from PCs and Macs to iPhones and Android tablets, and they go above and beyond to ensure cross-browser compatibility, even on Internet Explorer 6!

They’ve also covered all bases in terms of formats, accepting both JSON and XML data formats; rendering can be done with HTML5/SVG or VML, and charts can be produced in PNG, JPG, or PDF format. FusionCharts extensions make it simple to interface with your preferred technologies, such as jQuery, AngularJS, PHP, and Rails.

They’ve also covered all bases in terms of formats, accepting both JSON and XML data formats, rendering using HTML5/SVG or VML, and exporting charts in PNG, JPG, or PDF format. FusionCharts extensions make it simple to interface with your preferred technologies, such as jQuery, Rails, PHP, and AngularJS.

FusionCharts includes about every tool and format you could possibly want for creating attractive, intelligent charts for serious business analysis. The best part is the free trial, which you can download and use without any limits.

2. D3: Data-Driven Documents

Visualizing data becomes much easier in JavaScript thanks to the D3.js or Data-Driven Documents. D3.js is a popular JavaScript library for building dynamic, interactive data visualizations in web browsers. It uses widely accepted standards such as CSS, SVG, and HTML. The best part about D3 is that it allows developers to have greater control over the final result and is popularly used for creating interactive graphics, information dashboards, producing GIS map making data, and so much more. It’s a handy library to have if you love data and visual graphics.

3.  jQuery
The jQuery library makes DOM manipulation much easier and makes JavaScript friendlier to code. It is one of the most popularly used JavaScript libraries that has a simpler learning curve and makes the JavaScript syntax much easier for newbie developers. The jQuery syntax is designed to make it easier to navigate a document, create animations, handle events, select DOM elements and much more. It also offers cross-browser support for building robust websites.

4. Chart.js

If the occasion calls for the addition of beautiful charts to a website, Chart.js is a great library for developers and for those with a creative edge. It offers an abundance of designs for charts along with the ability to mix them in a single space to create a unique data set. The animation aspects of it make the data highly interesting to consume.

5. React.js

Since 2013, React.js has become one of the most popular libraries and is used in thousands of websites across the world. It is an open-sourced library and is backed by Facebook. It is also referred to as a single page application because this web application fits on a single web page and doesn’t require constant refreshes from the web browser.

6. Glimmer.js
Glimmer is a fairly new library and was built in 2017 by the creative minds behind Ember.js. It was designed for “fast and light-weight UI components for the web.” It was created to serve as a lighter and smaller Ember.js and can also be used with Ember.js as a component as well as run standalone. In order to make it run faster, Glimmer compiles your templates into low-level code without sacrificing the ease of use.

7. Bideo.js
Bideo.js is a JavaScript library that allows developers to add fullscreen video backgrounds to their websites or apps. It has been designed to look good on every screen size and is extremely scalable. The videos can also directly autoplay when the webpage loads.

8. Micron.js
Micron.js is a microInteraction library for JavaScript that allows you to add interactions such as shake, fade, jelly, and bounce to your project. It makes it simple to add interactions to the code and also gives greater control over the interaction behaviors like speed and effect.

9. Underscore.js
Underscore, first created in 2009, is a utility library which is primarily useful for manipulating arrays, objects, and other functions.It has over 100 different functions for that effect. One of the most powerful features of Underscore is its functional programming helpers. Functional programming has become increasingly popular in the last few years as it is a programming paradigm that avoids changing state and mutating data, which can be quite useful. The most popular Underscore functions are map, filter and reduce.

10. Lodash
Lodash is another JavaScript library that is quite helpful. It builds upon Underscore.js and tries to improve on it. In fact, it has now become more popular than Underscore. Lodash can be broken down into several different segments, such as utilities, function, string, array, collection, object, and seq. Lodash is quite popular because it really simplifies common programming tasks.

11. JsPHP
JsPHP is a handy JavaScript library, primary because it reads PHP code and converts it into JavaScript code. This means that you no longer have to manually rewrite something that you have already written in PHP, just import it. This library is really useful for PHP developers as it means that they can continue to work with PHP and then just run that code in a JS environment, rather than having to learn and work with JavaScript.

12. Socket.IO
Socket.IO is a JavaScript library that helps create real-time and bi-directional communication between the server and the browser. It supports all platforms, browsers, and devices and focuses on providing speed and reliability. It uses Node.js for the server and a JavaScript client library for the browser to build communication. It is used by popular companies such as Microsoft, Zendesk Trello, etc. Socket.IO offers amazing features such as auto-reconnection support, disconnection detection, binary support, multiplexing support, and room support.

13. Anime.js
Animation and microinteractions are really quite popular these days, which is where Anime.js comes into play. It features a number of functions that can really help you add some motion and animation to your project. Anime.js works really well with CSS, Individual Transforms, SVG, DOM attributes, and JavaScript Objects, making it really versatile and easy to use.

With the augmentation of JavaScript popularity, more and more developers are being inclined towards gaining its knowledge. The benefits of knowing JavaScript are innumerable. So, if you are interested in learning about JavaScript, you can try out ‘Advance JavaScript for Beginners‘ online tutorial.

Also, if you would like to suggest JavaScript libraries that you believe are more popular or should be included in the list, let us know in the comments below.

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