What is a Web Framework?
A web app framework or web framework is a software framework that is created to support the development of dynamic sites, web services, and web applications.
A Web framework(WF) supports the creation, development, and publishing of web applications and web sites. This can include web services, APIs, and other resources. Web frameworks are software frameworks that offer a standard and accessible way to build and develop web applications.
Although web-enabled applications are commonplace on the Internet and are used every day by most Internet-connected individuals, they are still in their infancy when it comes to developing tactics and tools. This is why it’s so important to have a web framework to act as a support system for the development and deployment of such applications. A web application framework is one such tool, and this article shows how it can help to build a web app that complies with the most modern web standards.
Why are Web Application Frameworks useful?
A web framework is a code library that makes web development quicker and easier by giving basic patterns for building reliable, scalable and maintainable web applications. Web frameworks exist to make it easier for the developer to make a web application. Think of it as a way to create shortcuts that can prevent otherwise overwhelming and repetitive code. For example, you may have written a code to handle data validation for your web application. In order to prevent having to re-write that code from scratch each time you make a website or web service, the web framework does it for you.
A web framework differs from a web server in that a web server actually runs the web application, while the web framework is more like a virtual database or library that helps speed up the development and writing process.
Common Web Framework Functionalities:
Frameworks give functionality in their code or through extensions to complete everyday operations needed to run web applications. These operations involve:
- URL routing
- Input form managing and validation
- HTML, XML, JSON, and other product setups with a templating engine
- Database connection configuration and resolute data manipulation through an object-relational mapper (ORM)
- Web security against Cross-site request forgery (CSRF), SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting (XSS) and other frequent malicious attacks
- Session repository and retrieval
Examples of Web Frameworks
There are several web frameworks that have been designed to make coding and app development much easier for those in the industry. A few of the most popular and successful web frameworks include:
- Django
- Ruby on Rails
These frameworks assist codes such as HTML, Ruby, and Python when it comes to constructing web applications and web-based services. There are a variety of things that can be done with a web framework, such as the generation of HTML, the formation of default templates, and the ability to access a library of coding information to keep code simple and automated each time a developer makes a new web application.
Things to Keep in Mind
It is highly recommended that a framework be used to help streamline and speed up the process, and successful frameworks like Ruby on Rails are designed to be a powerhouse for the project. There are several things that should be kept in mind when a developer chooses to use a web framework for writing code.
When starting with a web framework, you should consider:
- Database Interaction – Many web frameworks have the ability to apply database interaction in an all-inclusive package.
- HTML Generation – Frameworks have the ability to generate HTML codes through templates, that can make it easier for developers to use when establishing values and setting standards.
- Routing – Most frameworks can handle the ability to map the URL requested by the user to the code that matches it.
Web frameworks help with a variety of tasks, from templating and database access to session management and code reuse. This is a great asset to the creation of dynamic web sites but can be used for more static web sites as well.