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How can MERN Stack Prove to be a Better Option for Mobile App Development?

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Technology stacks are the most efficient way to program a mobile application. These stacks include components to build an application’s front-end, connect the user interface to a back-end and create seamless communication between the front-end and the back-end using scalable APIs that can coordinate between the UI and the database.

The MERN stack enables programmers to develop high-quality, customized web and mobile applications that can be churned around quickly to completion.

This article will take you through the components of the MERN stack, their advantages, and the business benefits of using the MERN stack to develop mobile applications.

What is the MERN Stack?

MERN stack comprises an assortment of technologies with front-end, back-end, and database components. This stack consists of MongoDB, Express, React JS and Node.js (MERN) technologies that are used extensively to create dynamic mobile applications and websites.

How does the MERN Stack work?

Source: MongoDB.com

As seen from the flowchart above, the user will interact with the ReactJS UI components at the application’s front-end. This interaction with the UI will send a data change request to the NodeJS based Express server. Express then retrieves the data from the MongoDB database ( if required) and returns the data to the frontend of the application, which is then shown to the user.

Popular examples of applications developed using the MERN stack include- Instagram and UberEats. Both of these applications are designed to have an exceptional UI/UX experience and a robust database that can scale as the data it holds expands daily! Thanks to the MERN stack, these are some of the most user-friendly applications to use.

Let’s take a look at the individual components of the MERN stack and their benefits:

#1 MongoDB

MongoDB is an open-source, cross-platform database management system that stores data in the form of documents and collections. The data is queried, fetched, and displayed using the JSON format. JSON enables a quick exchange of information between server and client. MongoDB scales with the amount of data to be stored.

Advantages of MongoDB:

  1. Flexible document structure used to store huge amount of data
  2. MongoDB is schema-less, which gives developers the freedom to store any type of data in various documents.
  3. MongoDB scales horizontally as the amount of data to be stored increases
  4. Data is divided across several replicated clusters which helps in backup and recovery in case of security issues
  5. Create and indexing extensive documents is very easy in MongoDB

#2 Express

Express is a lightweight and modular Node JS, back-end and server-side framework, which is based on JavaScrip. Express is designed to code quick, simplified, and secure apps.

Advantages of Express:

  1. It is very easy to write server-side code in Express as the language is based on Node JS
  2. Code that is programmed once can be reused in different parts of the application
  3. APIs created using Express deliver scalable and robust applications
  4. Express has a simple, minimal architecture that is easy to configure and customize – which is why developers prefer working with it
  5. Express has various middleware modules and components that can be used to customize certain tasks in the application

#3 React

React is an open-source JavaScript library created by Facebook and used mainly for creating user interfaces in single-page apps. React facilitates code reusability on various platforms. According to a Stack Overflow survey, almost 75% of the developers choose to use React for developing apps due to its scalable nature.

Advantages of React:

  1. React makes use of repetitive Document Object Model (DOM) elements
  2. A Virtual DOM is created as a lightweight replica of the original DOM object. Whenever a user wants to make certain alterations to the code, the two DOMs are compared, and changes in the virtual DOM are then replicated in the original DOM. This helps developers write and execute code changes faster.
  3. React supports code reusability which helps the program to be coded quite simply and makes it easier for the user to understand.

#4 Node JS

Node.js is a cross-platform and open-source runtime environment for JavaScript to be operated on the server-side and outside the browser.

Advantages of Node.js:

  1. Node.js is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine which supports fast code execution.
  2. Node.js APIs are asynchronous and perform the task without waiting for the API to return data.
  3. Executing JavaScript code outside a browser creates scalable network applications.
  4. Code can be executed quickly using the Node.js library
Summarized Advantages of MERN Stack in Mobile Application Development
  1. MERN technologies cater to the entire cycle of comprehensive mobile app development.
  2. The development process is made faster and smoother and the application can be quickly released into the market since all the components of the MERN stack work together comprehensively.
  3. MERN has an accessible setup, huge open-source support, and minimized learning curve which makes it easier for developers to learn on the job while building the app- thereby saving the overall app development time.
  4. Developers have the flexibility to create customized and dynamic applications using the MERN stack
  5. Developers need to be proficient only in JavaScript (one of the easiest languages to learn) as this framework is the basis for the MERN stack.
  6. The MERN framework comes with a range of inbuilt testing tools and your business need not invest capital in specialized or external mobile app testing tools.
  7. The four technologies in the MERN stack cater to effortless integration with cloud platforms allowing the application to benefit from the advantages offered by cloud storage.
  8. MERN Stack is backed by a great community that provides access to commonly used JS codes and resources.
Final Thoughts

MERN stack introduces accuracy, compatibility, and scalability in mobile application development. MERN can save a business time and capital invested in developing mobile applications as well as provide customers with customized solutions depending on their requirements.

Our seasoned professionals are well versed in the MERN stack and can help your business build scalable mobile applications. For more information, send an email at contact@fargowiz.com or submit the below quotation form.

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