Comparative Analysis of 16 Front‑End Development Frameworks and Selection Guidance

As web technologies evolve, numerous front‑end development frameworks emerge, making technology selection challenging. IBM senior engineer Wang Fangxia evaluates sixteen domestic and international frameworks, providing a detailed comparison useful for developers.

Bootstrap targets desktop but adopts a mobile‑first approach in version 3, relies on jQuery, supports LESS (and Sass via Bootstrap‑Sass), and offers extensive layout, component, and effect options, though configuration can be intricate.

jQuery UI extends jQuery for desktop with a rich set of widgets and effects, seamless compatibility, multiple pre‑defined themes, and a visual configuration tool.

Sencha Ext JS provides an extremely rich component library, supports Sass/Compass, and is commercial‑licensed; all commercial applications require a paid license.

Dojo rivals Ext JS with a comprehensive product line, its own DOM parser (Nano), extensive layout, widget, effect, multilingual, chart, and map support, plus the Maqetta visual design tool; styling is applied via CSS imports.

MooTools is a lightweight framework (core ~8 KB, full ~100 KB) with an object‑oriented core but limited widget and effect capabilities.

Prototype JS offers concise DOM manipulation, strong Ajax/JSON support, and is the default JavaScript framework for Ruby on Rails.

YUI is a mature open‑source framework with its own DOM core, extensive effects, animations, charts, and YQL for Yahoo! data access; it emphasizes rigorous code organization.

For Chinese frameworks, the author notes:

Kissy (Alibaba) mimics jQuery with its own core, provides rich widgets, animation, and an abc build tool for automation.

Qwrap (originating from Baidu, now part of 360) combines features of jQuery, Prototype, and YUI but remains a JavaScript library rather than a full framework.

Tangram (Baidu) and its derivatives Magic and Baidu Template extend JavaScript but are relatively thin as full‑stack frameworks.

For desktop development, the author recommends Bootstrap or jQuery UI for most needs; Dojo for complex widgets; Sencha Ext JS for intranet applications requiring rich UI; Flex or SilverLight for very high‑end requirements; Mootools for lightweight, fast loading; YUI for a rich, classic experience; Prototype for Ruby on Rails developers; and suggests trying domestic frameworks before revisiting the above options.