What Is the MEAN Stack?
Developers have always valued the ability to build their applications on integrated stacks of foundational technology. By beginning the development process on top of a set of standardized building blocks, developers can spend more time working on applications that differentiate the business, rather than starting from scratch and gluing a bunch of separate components together.
FAQs
Is the MEAN stack easy to learn?
The MEAN stack foundation is built on intuitive JavaScript development and is a natural database for JSON structures such as MongoDB, making this solution easy to adapt and maintain. Many developers find the MEAN stack easier to learn than other options.
The ease and speed of learning the MEAN stack also depends upon a few factors:
The ease and speed of learning the MEAN stack also depends upon a few factors:
- JavaScript proficiency: Given the reliance on JavaScript by MEAN developers, a strong understanding of JavaScript is very helpful.
- General web development experience: Previous web development experience, as well as any familiarity with frameworks or libraries such as AngularJS, ReactJS, Vue.js, or Express.js will make learning the MEAN stack more intuitive.
- Asynchronous programming: Having familiarity with asynchronous concepts such as callbacks, promises, and async function/await keyword is helpful since Node.js is based on asynchronous, event-driven programming.
- NoSQL databases: An understanding of NoSQL databases is helpful as MongoDB is an object-oriented, NoSQL database.
With that said, it is certainly not necessary to have all of this knowledge to learn the MEAN stack. There are a vast number of tutorials, courses, and communities online to help gain the knowledge and skills needed for MEAN stack development.
Is MEAN a full-stack solution?
Yes. MEAN follows the traditional three-tier stack pattern, including the display tier (Angular.js), application tier (Express.js and Node.js), and database tier (MongoDB).
What’s the difference between full stack and the MEAN stack?
What's the difference between full stack and the MEAN stack? Both the MEAN stack and full stack encompass front-end (e.g., client-side), back-end (server-side), and database development. However, a full-stack developer's knowledge often includes greater breadth and depth of skills and technology than the MEAN stack building blocks. Some examples of additional full-stack developer knowledge include:
- Languages: Full-stack developers rely on front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and back-end languages such as Python, PHP, Java, C+, and Ruby. MEAN developers familiarize themselves with MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js.
- Knowledge breadth: Full stack developers work with the entire spectrum of web development, such as user interface design, server-side logic implementation, database administration/management, and overall application performance and security. MEAN developers focus more closely on the MEAN building blocks alone.
- Databases: Full-stack developers must have a good understanding of both SQL and NoSQL databases whereas MEAN stack developers need only have proficiency in MongoDB (e.g., NoSQL database).
Is the MEAN stack better than MERN?
MEAN and MERN are both valuable frameworks. Developers consider factors such as expertise with AngularJS vs ReactJS, necessary project requirements, environment size, performance needs, and scalability considerations when making a choice between the two.
Is the MEAN stack still in demand?
The simple answer is yes. The demand for MEAN stack developers and the use of the MEAN stack is high in 2024, and demand is anticipated to grow. In addition, since MEAN software is cost-effective and easy to use, many small- and mid-size businesses are depending on MEAN stack developers more and more.
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