The MEAN stack is a set of JavaScript-based web technologies that allow developers to create full-fledged web and mobile applications. The MEAN stack comprises of four technologies, namely MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS.
There are several full-stack technologies that developers use to create fully functional and feature-rich applications from scratch. However, when it comes to JavaScript, the two most popular full-stack technologies are the MERN stack and the MEAN stack.
In this article, we will help you to get an overview of the MEAN stack along with the benefits that it offers. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
MEAN Stack Components
| Parameters | MongoDB | ExpressJS | Angular | NodeJS |
| Released in | February 2009 | November 2010 | September 2016 | May 2009 |
| Type | NoSQL Database | Backend web application framework | Frontend web application framework | Runtime environment for JavaScript |
| Used for | Creating and managing JSON-like documents. | Designing the server-side of a web application. | Designing the client-side of a web application. | Facilitating executing JavaScript code outside a web browser (on a server). |
1) MongoDB
MongoDB is an open-source document-oriented database management system designed for easing database development and scaling. It is a NoSQL database that stores data in JSON-like documents with dynamic schemas (MongoDB calls these “Collections”). This allows developers to create robust, flexible, and rich applications while handling massive amounts of data.
2) Express.js
Express.js features a rich library, simple APIs, and support for basic middleware functionality. It encourages the creation of server-side reusable components through the use of Express Middleware, which are small functions that handle specific bits of functionality.
3) Angular
Angular is among the most useful web development frameworks available today. It has significantly improved the performance, usability, and structure of web applications by introducing new powerful concepts to front-end development. Angular is an open-source JavaScript framework for dynamic web apps that allows you to extend HTML for your application by creating your own directives.
4) Node.js
Node.js has been making a lot of noise in the world of web development for over a decade now. Originally conceived as a near-perfect solution to build real-time web apps, Node.js has since evolved into a solid alternative for any backend task you can throw at it.
Benefits of MEAN Stack for Web Application Development
The MEAN stack is becoming more and more popular for building web applications in 2022 and beyond. It’s getting more and more attention from developers and business owners alike, and it’s not hard to see why. It allows you to build web applications with ease using Express.js (backend framework), MongoDB (database), Angular (front-end framework), and Node.js (server).
1. It is Economical!
Mean stack development is economical. This has made it easy for small businesses to hire small development groups to create software solutions at a very reasonable cost. Its power stems from its simplicity, scalability, and flexibility. It offers a framework to handle client requests, data storage, displaying data with client-side rendering, and building services with API-oriented backends.
Development with the technology stack is done in different techniques that you can use for scaling startups on a low budget or in startups in which you are not allowed to spend more money for development.
MEAN stack is very good for developing applications in the initial stage. With the advent of the MEAN stack, a new platform for building websites and web applications has been realized. This stack comprises frameworks and platforms that are optimized for each other. It is a quick and cost-effective solution to create a website or a web application.
2. One Programming Language for Everything: JavaScript
JavaScript plays a crucial role in MEAN stack application development. With its help in application development, we can leapfrog in terms of the testing and debugging processes. JavaScript helps to perform a lot of important tasks such as avoiding conflicts within web pages, dealing with dynamic data, and undertaking ‘user action events.’ JavaScript helps in building single-page applications and performs a lot of other significant tasks.
3. Flexibility to Switch Between Codes
MEAN Stack is a full-stack JavaScript platform for building robust, scalable, and maintainable web apps. This is done by taking advantage of MongoDB as the database, Express as the web framework, Angular as the front-end framework, and Node.js as the server-side runtime environment. These technologies work well together and provide a good starting point to build any type of application.
4. Easy Testing
Testing is important for overall website performance and to keep up with personal preferences. The MEAN stack offers easy testing and development methods, making it a top choice for developers. MEAN stack development environments are naturally friendly to a testing process, because they’re highly standardized and all adhere to an abstraction layer standard.
Building on the speed and standardization of the MEAN stack makes it simple for you to write tests and build fast and secure web apps. With the help of the Express testing framework, it’s rather easy to test your code before putting it to use.
5. Fast-tracking the Development Process
We live in an era of technological advancements and innovation. The ever-evolving digital landscape makes it all but impossible to ignore how fast everything is growing. Development processes have been keeping up according to the changes in technology.
To put it simply, the rapid development of technologies has led software development processes to also focus more on speed and productivity. This is due to the fact that a lot of startups prefer a lean model without sacrificing quality or functionality. They already have enough things to deal with IT budget constraints and competition from big players.
The tech stack is a pre-configured set of tools for web development. These are tools that are known to work well together right out of the box. You can use the MEAN stack to speed up your development process by avoiding problems that might arise due to the different versions of the libraries used.
Conclusion
MEAN is a full-stack javascript solution on top of which you can easily add components to create your web app. It makes it easy to use MongoDB, NodeJS, Express, and Angularjs in tandem. By using these technologies, you can deliver a great app that will give maximum performance and scalability.
We also looked at how you can save time with the popular tech stack and what are other potential benefits that you can get while working with the technology stack. Hope you get a good idea about the MEAN stack from this guide. However, we would recommend trying it yourself to know better. Wish you luck!
Hi! I am Shekhar, a professional web & mobile app developer with expertise in MEAN Stack, Next.js, React.js, and React Native. Being interested in working with different IT technologies, I always look forward to learning something new and challenging. Along with JavaScript, I also know several other programming languages, including Python and TypeScript.