Lior Amsalem

In here I want us to take a look at javascript libraries, the Idea with this list is so we can see the size of javascript developers community of (mostly) open source projects and also learn what is missing in javascript as a web development language and is completed by open source projects as we’ll see in the list below.

Name	Description	Publish Date	When to Use	Key Features
React	A JavaScript library for building user interfaces	May 29, 2013	Building complex web applications	Component-based architecture, Virtual DOM for performance, JSX syntax for rendering
Redux	A predictable state container for JavaScript apps	Jun 2, 2015	Managing application state	Centralized state management, Immutable state, Time-travel debugging
Lodash	A modern JavaScript utility library	Apr 27, 2021	Manipulating arrays, objects, and strings	Functional programming utilities, Performance optimizations, Extensive documentation
GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP)	Professional-grade JavaScript animation for the modern web	Mar 31, 2022	Animations, Web design	High-performance animations, Timeline for sequencing, Plugins for enhanced functionality
Redux Saga	An alternative side effect model for Redux applications	Mar 1, 2022	Managing asynchronous operations	Declarative effects, Task cancellation, Testing utilities
Express.js	Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js	Apr 5, 2022	Building web applications with Node.js	Middleware support, Routing, Template engine integration, HTTP utility methods
Phaser	A fast, fun, and free open-source framework for Canvas and WebGL powered browser games	Feb 10, 2022	Game development	Powerful physics systems, Asset loader, Tilemaps, Device scaling
Moment.js	A JavaScript library for parsing, validating, manipulating, and formatting dates and times	Jan 29, 2020	Working with dates and times	Date and time manipulation, Timezone support, Locale aware, Relative time formatting
Socket.io	Real-time bidirectional event-based communication library	Mar 17, 2022	Real-time applications, Chat applications	WebSocket support, Room and namespace support, Custom events
GraphQL.js	A reference implementation of GraphQL for JavaScript	Feb 28, 2022	Building APIs with GraphQL	Query language for APIs, Type system, Introspection
D3.js	A JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data	Feb 26, 2021	Data visualization	Data-driven approach to DOM manipulation, Powerful transitions and animations, SVG and Canvas support
Chart.js	Simple yet flexible JavaScript charting for designers & developers	Nov 12, 2021	Data visualization	Responsive charts, Chart types (line, bar, radar, etc.), Customizable tooltips and legends
RxJS	Reactive Extensions Library for JavaScript	Mar 10, 2022	Reactive programming	Observable sequences, Operators for transforming and combining sequences, Error handling
Bootstrap	The most popular HTML, CSS, and JS framework for developing responsive, mobile-first projects on the web	Jan 27, 2022	Responsive web design	Grid system, Pre-styled components, Responsive utilities, Browser compatibility
React Router	Declarative routing for React	Jan 11, 2022	Routing in React applications	Declarative routing, Nested routes, Route matching, Redirects
jQuery	A fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library	Jan 14, 2021	DOM manipulation, Event handling	Simplifies DOM manipulation, Ajax requests, Animation, Cross-browser support
Firebase	A platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications	Mar 9, 2022	Building real-time applications	Real-time database, Authentication, Cloud storage, Hosting
Ramda	A practical functional library for JavaScript programmers	Apr 8, 2022	Functional programming	Immutable, Auto-currying, Composable functions, Focused on functional programming principles
Jest	Delightful JavaScript Testing Library	Mar 17, 2022	Unit testing, Integration testing	Built-in test runner, Snapshot testing, Mocking functions and modules, Code coverage
Popper.js	A library used to manage poppers in web applications	Feb 18, 2022	Creating popovers, tooltips, and dropdowns	Positioning engine, Flexible and extensible, Tethering to an element, Accessibility features
Immutable.js	Immutable collections for JavaScript	Sep 17, 2021	Managing immutable collections	Immutable data structures, Persistence, Deep equality checks, Lazy Seq
Axios	A promise-based HTTP client for the browser and Node.js	Nov 5, 2021	Making HTTP requests	Promise-based API, Automatic JSON data transformation, Intercept request and response
Cassowary (software)	Constraint solving toolkit	2010	When needing to solve complex constraints	Constraint solving
CHR.js	Constraint Handling Rules in JavaScript	2010	Declarative programming, rule-based systems	Rule-based programming
Google Polymer	JavaScript library for building web components	2013	Building web components with modern web standards	Web components, Polymer CLI
Dojo Toolkit	Modular JavaScript library for web development	2004	Building complex web applications	Modular architecture, Dijit library
jQuery	Fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library	2006	Simplifying HTML document traversing, event handling, animating, and Ajax interactions	DOM manipulation, Ajax requests
midori	Lightweight JavaScript library for DOM manipulation	2020	Manipulating DOM elements with a small footprint	Small size, DOM manipulation
MooTools	Modular, object-oriented JavaScript framework	2006	Building interactive websites and web applications	Modular architecture, Class system
Prototype JavaScript Framework	JavaScript framework for building dynamic web applications	2005	Simplifying web development tasks	Ajax requests, DOM manipulation
AnyChart	JavaScript charting library	2003	Creating interactive charts and dashboards	Wide range of chart types, Customization
Babylon.js	Powerful, beautiful, simple, and open game and rendering engine packed into a friendly JavaScript framework	2013	Building 3D games and applications	3D rendering, Physics engine
Cytoscape	Graph theory library for analysis and visualisation	2011	Visualizing complex network data	Graph layout algorithms, Custom styling
FusionCharts	JavaScript charting library	2002	Creating interactive and visually appealing charts	Wide range of chart types, Customization
Google Charts	Interactive charts for web pages	2010	Creating charts and graphs for web applications	Wide range of chart types, Customization
Highcharts	Interactive JavaScript charts library	2009	Creating interactive charts for web applications	Rich set of chart types, Customization
JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit	JavaScript toolkit for creating interactive data visualizations	2007	Visualizing complex data sets with interactive visualizations	Wide range of visualizations, Interactivity
p5.js	JavaScript library for creative coding and visualization	2013	Creating graphics and interactive experiences	Drawing, Animation, Interaction
Plotly	JavaScript graphing library	2012	Creating interactive plots and charts	Interactive plots, Multiple chart types
Processing.js	JavaScript library for visual programming	2010	Creating visual art, animations, simulations	Drawing API, Animation
Raphaël	JavaScript vector graphics library	2008	Drawing scalable vector graphics (SVG)	Cross-browser compatibility, SVG manipulation
RGraph	HTML5 canvas graph library	2009	Creating interactive graphs and charts	Wide range of graph types, Customization
seen.js	JavaScript library for 3D scene graphs	2013	Building 3D visualizations and animations	3D rendering, Scene graphs
Snap.svg	JavaScript library for SVG manipulation	2013	Manipulating SVG elements	SVG animation, Transformation
SWFObject	JavaScript library for embedding Adobe Flash content	2007	Embedding Flash content in web pages	Flash embedding, Cross-browser compatibility
Teechart	Charting library for JavaScript	2012	Creating customizable charts and graphs	Wide range of chart types, Customization
Three.js	JavaScript 3D library	2010	Building 3D visualizations, games, and simulations	3D rendering, WebGL support
Velocity.js	Accelerated JavaScript animation	2014	Creating smooth animations	Fast animation, Hardware acceleration
Verge3D	Toolkit for creating interactive 3D web experiences	2017	Building interactive 3D applications for the web	WebGL-based, Cross-platform deployment
Webix	JavaScript UI library with HTML5 and CSS3 compatibility	2012	Building web interfaces with responsive design	Rich set of UI components, Cross-browser support
Blockly	Library for building visual programming editors	2012	Creating visual programming interfaces	Customizable blocks, Code generation
Cannon.js	JavaScript physics engine	2012	Simulating physics in web applications	3D rigid body physics, Collision detection
MathJax	JavaScript library for displaying mathematical notation	2009	Displaying mathematical equations on web pages	LaTeX support, Accessibility features
Modernizr	JavaScript library for feature detection in HTML5 and CSS3	2009	Detecting browser support for modern web technologies	Feature detection, HTML5 and CSS3 compatibility
TensorFlow	Open-source machine learning library for JavaScript	2015	Implementing machine learning models in the browser	Machine learning, Neural network support
Brain.js	Neural networks in JavaScript	2015	Implementing neural networks and machine learning models	Neural network library, Easy to use API

As you can see, there are years where we see explosion of a lot of front end web development open source libraries following by a few dead years with no too many new publication of open source libraries. The reason is because the market of products and services changes all the time and sometime you’ll need different tools and libraries to solve different market products. Fo example some years you might see an increase of AI/machine learning related libraries (e.g around 2015-2018) and sometime you’ll see increase of performance oriented libraries (around 2013-2015) because products become more UI complicated and busy with a lot of data on the front end, the client.

But Why ?

Knowing a variety of open-source libraries can be beneficial for several reasons:

1. Efficiency: Libraries provide pre-written code for common tasks, saving time and effort in development. Instead of reinventing the wheel, developers can leverage existing solutions.
2. Functionality: Libraries often offer features and functionalities that may not be readily available in core programming languages. They can extend the capabilities of a project without having to build everything from scratch.
3. Community Support: Popular open-source libraries have active communities. This means developers can find help, documentation, and even contribute to the library’s development, enhancing their own skills and knowledge.
4. Best Practices: Libraries often follow best practices and industry standards. By using well-maintained libraries, developers can ensure their code is reliable, secure, and follows recommended practices.
5. Learning and Growth: Exploring different libraries exposes developers to new concepts, techniques, and approaches. This continuous learning is essential for personal and professional growth in the field of software development.
6. Collaboration: Using open-source libraries promotes collaboration among developers. By sharing code and contributing to open-source projects, developers can benefit from each other’s expertise and create better software together.

In conclusion, knowing a variety of open-source libraries can enhance a developer’s productivity, improve the quality of their code, and contribute to their overall growth and success in the field.