MERN vs MEAN: Choosing Your JavaScript Stack for Full Stack Web Development Success

When you hear "Mern" and "Mean," you might wonder what they are. They're actually examples of software stacks used in web development. A stack is a group of technologies that work together to run an application and website.

Think of it like building a sandwich. The bottom layer (back-end) does all the hard work, like handling requests and sending back responses. The middle layer (front end) is what you see and interact with, like buttons and menus. The top layer (database) stores all the information.

For MERN, we have MongoDB (the database), Express.js (back-end), React (front-end), and Node.js (to tie everything together). For MEAN, it's the same, except instead of React, it uses Angular for the front end.

These stacks help developers build dynamic websites and applications by organizing the different parts of the technology they need. It's like having a recipe for a delicious meal – each ingredient plays a specific role, and when you put them together in the right way, you get something amazing!

So, whether you're into tech or just curious, understanding these stacks can help you appreciate the complexity behind the websites and apps you use every day. It's like peeking behind the curtain to see how the magic happens!

Let’s know more about these technologies!!

React vs Angular:

 First, we will know our common technology, both are used for user interface. MEAN and MERN are popular stacks because of these front-end libraries/frameworks React.js and Angular.js. 

React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for making website components, especially for single-page websites, created by Facebook. It's like building with Lego blocks because you can make reusable pieces for your website.

React uses a smart system to show changes quickly, which makes websites faster. It also makes it easy to describe how the website should look without doing every small thing.

There are many helpful tools to make working with React easier, but it doesn't have everything. You might need to add more tools like React Router and Redux for moving between pages and managing information i.e., it lacks routing and state management. Adding these can make things a bit more complicated, but they help make bigger projects easier to handle.

So, React is like having special building blocks for building websites, but sometimes you need extra tools to make it work just right.

 

Angular is a platform and framework for building single-page client applications by Google for building websites using TypeScript, a type of JavaScript. It comes with lots of helpful features like handling data, moving between pages, and managing forms.

One cool thing about Angular is that it helps keep your code organized, making it easier to manage as your project grows. It also lets you connect what you see on the website with the information behind it. So, when you change something on the website, it automatically changes the information too, and vice versa.

But, Angular can be a bit tricky to learn at first, and it might make your website load a little slower because it's quite big. Also, because it gets updated often, it might not always work perfectly with older projects, so you might need to make some changes.

 

Node.js:

Node.js is like a special tool that lets developers run JavaScript not just in web browsers, but also on servers. This means they can do more complicated things, like talking to the computer's operating system, reading and writing files, and creating APIs.

An API is like a way for different programs to communicate with each other and share information. With Node.js, developers can use JavaScript for both the front end (what you see on websites) and the back end (the behind-the-scenes stuff), which makes things simpler and faster.

But, there are some tricky parts too. Sometimes, the way Node.js handles tasks can get a bit messy, with lots of nested steps that make the code hard to understand. Also, because Node.js is always changing and improving, it can be hard to keep up with all the updates, and sometimes things that used to work might stop working in newer versions.

MongoDB:

MongoDB is an open-source document database that stores lots of data in JSON format and without strict rules. It uses a format similar to how we write information in emails or on social media.

In MongoDB, data is organized into groups called collections, which are like folders for keeping things together. Inside these collections are documents, which are like individual files containing different pieces of information.

One cool thing about MongoDB is that it can handle all kinds of data, even if it doesn't fit neatly into categories. Plus, it's easy to use because you don't need to plan everything out in advance.

But, there are some downsides too. For example, it could be better at putting together information from different documents, which can make things messy. This can also use up a lot of memory because the same information might be stored in different places.

Overall, MongoDB is popular because it's flexible and fast, even though it has a few challenges. Many companies choose MongoDB for storing their data because it's reliable and easy to work with.

Express.js:

Express is like a helper for Node.js that makes it easier to manage websites. Instead of writing lots of complicated code, Express lets developers quickly set up how the server should respond to different requests, like showing a webpage or saving information. It helps to manage routes and servers. Express offers functions to define which function should run for specific actions (like getting data with GET or sending data with POST) and specific URLs.

One cool thing about Express is that it's flexible, meaning developers can decide how to organize their code. Plus, there are lots of extra tools (called middleware) that can add extra features, like checking if someone is logged in or handling errors.

But sometimes, too much freedom can be tricky. It's easy to make mistakes or end up with messy code. Also, learning how to use all the extra tools in Express can be tough.

Overall, Express is great for building websites because it's fast and lets developers do things their own way, but it can take some practice to get used to.

Conclusion:

In the end, it's important to pick the right stack, like MERN or MEAN, based on what the client needs. We consider things like what the project does, what the client wants, and how much money is available.

This blog looked at just two stacks and their good and bad points. Thinking about these can help you choose the best one for your project. Remember, there's no one "best" stack – it depends on what you need and what works best for you. So, take your time and pick wisely! You can learn these stacks by joining the best full stack web development courses. In these courses, you will learn all about these stacks with practical knowledge.