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How to build a single-page application?

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Single-page applications gain more popularity in using various business spheres. More details about what SPA and splendid examples of existing single-page apps you can find in the article on our blog. The key benefits of developing and explaining the popularity of SPA is saving money, work time, and attracting more users than, for example, multi-page apps.

Besides, it is one type of application that has many ways of development. These ways are called programming languages. Javascript is considered to be a cornerstone in developing a single-page app. There are many details and peculiarities in developing a single page application, its specifics, and needed tools for your project. We tried to combine all this information in general to widen your knowledge about production SPA and its benefits for your business.

Development of SPA

There are certain technologies and tools needed for developing a high-quality single-page app.

We are going to mention some of them to give you a general understanding of how a single-page application is built.

#1 Frameworks

For developing a SPA, the front end team can use different front-end frameworks such as:

  • Angular
  • Javascript
  • React
  • Vue

The choice of suitable programming language for your project is individual as your future app has its own needs and requirements, specifics, etc. 

#2 Back-end technologies

When developing a single-page application, the developers can choose any back end technology that suits the chosen front-end technology. Different back-end frameworks have to be combined with different front-end frameworks like Vue.js.

#3 Database

Choosing a suitable database depends on the specifics and functions of your single-page application. Here you will need the advice of your developer team on which database will fit your project. MySQL or MongoDB is one of the best to match a single-page development.

#4 AJAX

It answers for asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This tool is responsible for quick reloading and enabling data exchange between client and server. Only the required content is changed with the usage of this tool.

What are the developers involved in building a SPA?

A key feature in developing a robust and successful single-page application is choosing the right team of professionals.  The launching of your future project depends on the level of competence and experience of the developers` team. It is vital to find a suitable approach to your business and your demands and perform it accurately to the limit.

A business analyst is a key person. This person usually describes your future project, its weaknesses, and aims to solve them, your primary requirements, and specifics of your project. Then your communication continues with a project manager – the person that has to give certain tasks to developers, connect you with developers, and track the whole process.UIUX designers create the final look of your web application. Back-end developers and developers who are specialists in that programming language your app will be built in. And the final step goes to QA engineers to test your app, define errors and bugs, and eliminate all of them. Every specialist is responsible for their option and works to satisfy your expectations.

Which projects are SPAs good for?

Developing a single-page application has its advantages as well as disadvantages and suitable for all businesses. Before starting, you need to know all functions that your web app has to perform and what its aims are. After that, a business analyst with the help of developers will define the type of software you need. Here are several challenges of SPA you can face:

  • The single-page applications usually stay behind the search engine optimization that makes them invisible for most internet users, the reason for that is SPA is developed mostly on JS and the absence of the unique links;
  • SPA is a simple web app, and there is no way for complexity as it will be inconvenient because of its size;
  • First loading – when you go the single-page web app for the first time, it can take much time to load the whole page that can scare some users away;
  • Analytics – Google provides analytics on every loading page since there is a single-page application; it is hard to give accurate analytics for these websites.

There are many fewer disadvantages of creating a single-page application than advantages, so it involves many business owners. So the question that appears – when do you need to build precisely SPA? Does your case particularly need building a SPA? 

Here are some points that can help you understand if single-page software is suitable for your business:

  1. Native-like experience in a browser
    SPA is one of the variants of building a successful app that runs entirely on any device, in any browser. So it’s not only a way of creating a base for a mobile app but also a possibility to provide a native-like app experience within any browser.
  2. A fast and dynamic platform
    If your aim is reliability and speed, but you don’t want your website to be high-load, a single-page application is the best choice for it. As we all know, modern people don’t like to wait, and quick loading gives you the advantage of this SPA market.
  3. Fast result
    A single-page application is a right variant in the case when you need to launch your project as fast as it is possible. With the usage of SPA development, you set off a responsive website, gather users’ feedback, and widen your business rapidly.
  4. Client-side functionality
    A comprehensive, user-friendly interface is a verified and reliable path to attract attention and makes more users stay on your website. A single-page application can cope with this aim – to make people stay and want to come back to your web app.
  5. Have an API
    If there is already an API for internal or public use, you can develop a single-page application on its basis.
  6. Telling a story
    A single-page application perfectly suits online storytelling. It is used for promoting and widen knowledge about your brand among users or attract your potential users before setting off another sensational solution.

 

SPA popular frameworks

Vue.js

Vue.js is a progressive framework created by ex-Google employee Yuxi You. It is considered to be the youngest framework used for developing single-page applications. It is only gaining popularity and extensive usage among software developments.

Today such companies as GitLab, Baidu, and Alibaba use the Vue.js framework.

Vue.js is a perfect variant if you want to simplify and fasten the development of your project.

Angular

Angular is considered o be a SPA framework. Therefore, all websites developed on Angular are single-page applications. So how does it work and where is it used?

Angular is a JavaScript framework introduced by Google. Angular is the oldest framework used for software development, and it is based on TypeScript. Due to TypeScript, Angular is widely used by large developers` teams and companies that already use this technology in their other developments. Also, creating an Angular SPA, it will have native mobile apps with strategies from Ionic Framework, NativeScript, and React Native.

It’s the most mature among the frameworks and has a decent number of contributors on GitHub. Talking about successful Angular SPA, we should mention Google and its other products like Gmail or Google Drive. So the Angular framework has a lot of benefits like quickness, simplicity, breathtaking UIUX, and flexibility. If you chose this one, you would have a prosperous project for sure. Our developers mostly use the Angular framework as it is worthy and most suitable for developing SPA.

React.js

React.js is also a JavaScript framework created by Facebook. The aim of creating this framework was to develop their projects – single-page applications that we use every day. For example, the most known of them are Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. React is rather popular in the usage of new developments, as GitHub shows. It has more than a thousand contributors. React.js is not as old as Angular, but it is verified and reliable for developing single-page applications too. This framework has a high level of integration with different other frameworks and technologies used for your software. Also, it is appropriate for startups as React.js is considered to be the best variant to start working with JavaScript front-end frameworks.

Choosing the API

If we are talking about a single-page application, there is one integral API for this software – this is REST. This type is considered to be easy and quick to build. More about APIs architecture protocols, you can read in the article “Comparing API Architectural protocols” on our blog. 

In this case, the client-side is a combination of static HTML, CSS, and JS files (frameworks) that communicate with the server-side (API).SPA + REST gives clear separation between the worlds of the server (i.e., transactions, entities, business domains, background tasks, consistency) and the client (i.e., forms, charts, styles, UX, responsiveness, clarity).

Rest API is a flexible and accurately recognized interface for third parties. 

Conclusion

If you decided to develop a single-page application, you have to understand that the composition, level of complexity, all features and options that will be performed depend on you. Developers` team can find any approach and solution precisely for your sphere of business and know how your business can profit from using SPA. Every new function or button can influence the final result, so all steps have to be structured and planned. Also, the duration of development depends on the multiplicity of your single-page application. After launching your web app, you will still need support and professional help in any error or bug that appears while users surf the site as it makes your reputation and gives a special loyal and reliable status.

Besides, the development of a single-page app only seems to be fast, simple, and somewhat affordable; however, you should carefully pay attention to the organization. Like any other software development, it needs the full description of your requirements and aims, analyzing the statistics and popularity of existing SPA in your sphere, planning and creating unique content to win the advantage on this market. With the team of professionals, you can always improve your single-page application and turn cons into pros for your business.

FAQ

It depends on the complexity of your project, it takes from 2 months to more than one year.
The single-page application is simple in development and use. As it doesn’t reload the whole page but the required content, it works quickly and gives the users a great experience and desire to stay or come back to the website.
As SPA is a simple development, Angular is more suitable for it as this framework is used for software of low or medium level of complexity, and will be more effective for this type of web app.

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