Approaches or models of isomorphic JavaScript

Our lives have been profoundly altered by the Internet. In a matter of seconds, information on virtually any topic can be accessed. When a browser requests a certain web page, the server produces an HTML page for that request and then transmits it over the wire in fractions of a second (hopefully).

Back in the Internet’s infancy HTML pages weren’t dynamic and self-contained. Browsers were slower and less effective than they are now. Developments like JavaScript have allowed web pages to take on more dynamic behavior, making more things possible online.

Today, robust browser experiences aren’t the only technological development. Full-featured applications, swift JavaScript runtimes, and HTML5 standards have been tremendously helpful in the creation of isomorphic JavaScript apps. Many have already been built, and more isomorphic JavaScript applications are currently being developed. Below are some common approaches that are taken to develop JavaScript apps. 

Single-page applications (SPAs)

Web applications are now typically developed in JavaScript. Single-page applications like Gmail are popular because they provide instantaneous results to user searches without requiring them to load additional pages. Ember.Js, Angular.Js, and Backbone.Js are commonly considered MVC and MVVM libraries.

Data is accessed via an API, while application functionality (models, templates, views, controllers, internationalization, etc.) is stored locally on the client. Wireframe pages are rendered by servers written in Python, Ruby, and Java.

Client applications are launched once the browser has loaded the necessary JavaScript files and run through them. This API then loads the data, and HTML is rendered.

Thanks to the app’s definitive loading process, which eliminates the need to refresh the page, navigating to different pages is much more secure and swift. Assuming all goes smoothly, it can even function without an Internet connection.

The hybrid approach

The hybrid strategy should produce a win-win situation. There’s fully-formed HTML generated server-side for optimal search engine optimization and performance. The logic of the client-side application can be flexible and quick. Because of this, Airbnb has developed a few isomorphic JavaScript applications using a hybrid approach.

This is what’s known as isomorphic JavaScript. This complicated-sounding term refers to a process that combines client and server rendering. In some circles, it is also referred to as Universal JavaScript. Indeed, developers may easily maintain markup templates thanks to the fact that it employs the same rendering engines.

The following is an example of the structure of an isomorphic JavaScript client-server MVC application:

Within the confines of this situation, certain view logic and application logic can be carried out on either the server or the client. This approach improves search engine optimization, performance, and more feature-rich applications with less extensive maintenance.

Final word on isomorphic Javascript approaches and models 

Hopefully this has explained models or approaches of isomorphic JavaScript and their applications. Which approach or model will work best isn’t going to be the same for every web page. But it’s good to know there are two solid options with single-page applications and the hybrid approach.

If you’re looking for SEO project management software to better manage your workflow, clients, and business – evisio.co is your solution. Try evisio.co for free here!