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  1. Stackups
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  5. ExpressJS vs Spark Framework

ExpressJS vs Spark Framework

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

ExpressJS
ExpressJS
Stacks35.1K
Followers24.0K
Votes1.6K
Spark Framework
Spark Framework
Stacks39
Followers91
Votes7
GitHub Stars9.7K
Forks1.6K

ExpressJS vs Spark Framework: What are the differences?

Introduction:

When comparing ExpressJS and Spark Framework, it is essential to understand their key differences to choose the right framework for your web development projects.

  1. Language Support: ExpressJS is written in JavaScript, making it compatible with Node.js, while Spark Framework is written in Java, making it suitable for Java-based projects. This difference in language support determines the developers and projects that each framework is best suited for.

  2. Complexity: ExpressJS is known for its simplicity and flexibility, providing minimalistic features that can be extended with middleware, while Spark Framework provides a more opinionated structure with built-in functionality for common web development tasks. Developers who prefer more control and customization may lean towards ExpressJS, while those who prioritize speed and efficiency may prefer Spark Framework.

  3. Community and Ecosystem: ExpressJS has a larger community and ecosystem with a wide range of plugins, middleware, and resources available, making it easier for developers to find solutions and support for their projects. On the other hand, Spark Framework may have a smaller but more focused community due to its Java-based nature, which can offer more tailored support for specific needs.

  4. Performance: ExpressJS is known for its speed and efficiency in handling requests due to its lightweight architecture, making it a popular choice for high-performance applications. In contrast, Spark Framework, being based on Java, may offer a more robust performance in handling complex tasks and heavy workloads due to Java's inherent advantages in resource management and optimization.

  5. Scalability: ExpressJS provides scalability through its middleware architecture, which allows developers to add or remove components as needed for scaling their applications. Meanwhile, Spark Framework offers scalability through its support for Java's multi-threading and concurrency features, which can help in handling large volumes of requests and processing tasks efficiently in a scalable manner.

  6. Learning Curve: ExpressJS has a relatively low learning curve, especially for developers familiar with JavaScript and Node.js, making it accessible for beginners and rapid prototyping. On the other hand, Spark Framework, being Java-based, may have a steeper learning curve, requiring a solid understanding of Java concepts and practices, which can be challenging for newcomers but beneficial for experienced Java developers looking for a robust framework.

In Summary, ExpressJS and Spark Framework differ in language support, complexity, community and ecosystem, performance, scalability, and learning curve, making each framework suitable for specific types of projects and developers.

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Advice on ExpressJS, Spark Framework

Juan José
Juan José

May 1, 2020

Decided

I developed Hexagon heavily inspired in these great tools because of the following reasons:

  • Take full advantage of the Kotlin programming language without any strings attached to Java (as a language).
  • I wanted to be able to replace the HTTP server library used with different adapters (Jetty, Netty, etc.) and though right now there is only one, more are coming.
  • Have a complete tool to do full applications, though you can use other libraries, Hexagon comes with a dependency injection helper, settings loading from different sources and HTTP Client, so it comes with (batteries included).

Right now I'm using it for my pet projects, and I'm happy with it.

35.9k views35.9k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

ExpressJS
ExpressJS
Spark Framework
Spark Framework

Express is a minimal and flexible node.js web application framework, providing a robust set of features for building single and multi-page, and hybrid web applications.

It is a simple and expressive Java/Kotlin web framework DSL built for rapid development. Its intention is to provide an alternative for Kotlin/Java developers that want to develop their web applications as expressive as possible and with minimal boilerplate.

Robust routing;HTTP helpers (redirection, caching, etc);View system supporting 14+ template engines;Content negotiation;Focus on high performance;Executable for generating applications quickly;High test coverage
Built for productivity; Lets you take full advantage of the JVM
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
9.7K
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
1.6K
Stacks
35.1K
Stacks
39
Followers
24.0K
Followers
91
Votes
1.6K
Votes
7
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 381
    Simple
  • 336
    Node.js
  • 244
    Javascript
  • 193
    High performance
  • 152
    Robust routing
Cons
  • 27
    Not python
  • 17
    Overrated
  • 14
    No multithreading
  • 9
    Javascript
  • 5
    Not fast
Pros
  • 2
    Very easy to get up and running. Lovely API
  • 1
    Fast
  • 1
    Java
  • 1
    Native paralelization
  • 1
    Ideal for microservices
Integrations
Node.js
Node.js
Kotlin
Kotlin
Java
Java

What are some alternatives to ExpressJS, Spark Framework?

Django REST framework

Django REST framework

It is a powerful and flexible toolkit that makes it easy to build Web APIs.

Sails.js

Sails.js

Sails is designed to mimic the MVC pattern of frameworks like Ruby on Rails, but with support for the requirements of modern apps: data-driven APIs with scalable, service-oriented architecture.

Sinatra

Sinatra

Sinatra is a DSL for quickly creating web applications in Ruby with minimal effort.

Lumen

Lumen

Laravel Lumen is a stunningly fast PHP micro-framework for building web applications with expressive, elegant syntax. We believe development must be an enjoyable, creative experience to be truly fulfilling. Lumen attempts to take the pain out of development by easing common tasks used in the majority of web projects, such as routing, database abstraction, queueing, and caching.

Slim

Slim

Slim is easy to use for both beginners and professionals. Slim favors cleanliness over terseness and common cases over edge cases. Its interface is simple, intuitive, and extensively documented — both online and in the code itself.

Fastify

Fastify

Fastify is a web framework highly focused on speed and low overhead. It is inspired from Hapi and Express and as far as we know, it is one of the fastest web frameworks in town. Use Fastify can increase your throughput up to 100%.

Falcon

Falcon

Falcon is a minimalist WSGI library for building speedy web APIs and app backends. We like to think of Falcon as the Dieter Rams of web frameworks.

hapi

hapi

hapi is a simple to use configuration-centric framework with built-in support for input validation, caching, authentication, and other essential facilities for building web applications and services.

TypeORM

TypeORM

It supports both Active Record and Data Mapper patterns, unlike all other JavaScript ORMs currently in existence, which means you can write high quality, loosely coupled, scalable, maintainable applications the most productive way.

FeathersJS

FeathersJS

Feathers is a real-time, micro-service web framework for NodeJS that gives you control over your data via RESTful resources, sockets and flexible plug-ins.

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