Comparison of Single-Page Application Frameworks : A method of how to compare Single-Page Application frameworks written in JavaScript

Abstract: This degree project is a scientific study where the focus is to formulate a method of how to compare Single-Page Application (SPA) frameworks written in JavaScript. To solve the problem, an abstraction of SPA frameworks is required. This abstraction is completed using a criteria-based approach. Criteria are collected from literature and interviews with experienced developers. Every criterion is defined and has a set of questions evaluating it. In addition to the abstraction concepts are extracted from other comparative methods, such as performance testing and code comparison. The method is evolved into two separate parts, a theoretical and a practical. Finally, the method is tested on three different frameworks, AngularJS, Angular 2 and React, by implementing a prototype for each framework. From this prototype, code comparison and performance tests are conducted and evaluated. According to the method, AngularJS is suggested to be the best choice. However, the majority of the results from the theoretical part were more or less identical whereas practical part showed more differences. For future reference, this method could be evaluated to other comparative methods or be extended with more criteria and questions.