The React MongoDB MERN stack is one of the most widely used technologies for developing modern single-page apps. It is built with MongoDB, Express.JS, React.JS, and Node.JS, The MERN stack’s best feature is that all of these technologies support the same language for both front-end and back-end development.
The third letter of this abbreviation changes to reflect the JavaScript framework that is being used. MEAN was the first JS stack to use Angular instead of React in 2013. In this blog, you’ll learn more about the React MongoDB MERN Stack and the components which are involved as well as its key features.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- MongoDB: Document Storage System.
- Express js: A Web Framework is written in Node.js.
- React js: A JavaScript Framework that runs on the client-side.
- Node js: JavaScript Web Server.
What is MERN?
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React MongoDB MERN is an ideal tool kit for full-stack development, with each component chosen for efficient work with JavaScript. Its name is made up of the first letters of the technologies that make up the framework: MongoDB, Express.JS, React.JS, and Node.JS.
Each of these four technologies is critical in providing developers with an end-to-end framework. Even these four technologies play an important role in the web application development process.
React MongoDB MERN Stack was previously known as MEAN Stack, MEAN Stack is one of the variations of MEAN, here MEAN is also comprised of four components or say four different technologies, namely, M is for MongoDB,’ E‘s for Express,’ A‘s for Angular, and ‘N ‘is for Node, here if you will observe, then you can identify that in MEAN,’ A ‘, Angular js Smaller applications, however, require more time to develop. They also have very different structures in comparison.
Components of MERN
So, let’s go over the MERN stack in detail.
MongoDB
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MongoDB is a popular C++-based open-source NoSQL database. MongoDB is a Document-Oriented Dynamic Schema Database that stores data in JSON-like documents. It means you don’t have to worry about the Data Structure, the number of fields or the types of fields used to store values when storing your records. Documents in MongoDB are similar to JSON objects.
Express.JS
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This is a Server Development Framework written in JavaScript that operates within Node js. It is widely regarded as the market leader in server development frameworks. Developers like it because of its Simplicity, High Performance, Routing and HTTP support, and quick application generation. It served as the foundation for the development of the slightly more advanced back-end frameworks Nest js and Koa js.
React.JS
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This is a Facebook JavaScript library that can be used to create user interfaces with a large number of interactive elements. React creates a virtual page structure (Virtual DOM), changes only the elements whose states are affected by the user’s actions, and then lays the changes over the real page structure.
A web developer who is well-versed in React will complete the task more quickly and save the project budget. If the developer lacks expertise, there is no need to worry; React has a low entry barrier and a large community that has created many ready-to-use components and can be contacted for assistance if anything goes wrong. And, because Facebook is the main developer of the library, you can expect new features to appear quickly and security gaps to be filled quickly.
Node.JS
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This is an environment for running JavaScript code on a server rather than in a browser, created with Google’s JavaScript engine V8. This component is critical to the stack because it heavily incorporates the previously mentioned Websockets technology.
This is the component that allows tasks to be executed in parallel (or multi-threadedly). To allow the server to process multiple parallel queries, Node js creates an event loop in which time is allotted to process each query; if no queries are present, no time is allotted.
As a result, the single-threaded JavaScript becomes conditionally multi-threaded, and the application can withstand heavy loads and be easily scaled up in the future.
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- Real-Time: Hevo offers real-time data migration. So, your data is always ready for analysis.
- Schema Management: Hevo can automatically detect the schema of the incoming data and map it to the destination schema.
- Connectors: Hevo supports 100+ Integrations to SaaS platforms FTP/SFTP, Files, Databases, BI tools, and Native REST API & Webhooks Connectors. It supports various destinations including Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, Firebolt, Data Warehouses; Amazon S3 Data Lakes; Databricks; MySQL, SQL Server, TokuDB, MongoDB, PostgreSQL Databases to name a few.
- Secure: Hevo has a fault-tolerant architecture that ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.
- Hevo Is Built To Scale: As the number of sources and the volume of your data grows, Hevo scales horizontally, handling millions of records per minute with very little latency.
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Understanding the MERN Architecture
The MERN architecture makes it simple to build a three-tier architecture (frontend, backend, and database) entirely out of JavaScript and JSON.
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React MongoDB MERN: Front End React.JS
The MERN stack’s top tier is React.js, a declarative JavaScript framework for creating dynamic client-side HTML applications. React allows you to create complex interfaces by connecting simple Components to data on your backend server and rendering them as HTML.
React’s strong suit is handling stateful, data-driven interfaces with minimal code and pain, and it has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern web framework: great form support, error handling, events, lists, and more.
React MongoDB MERN: Node.JS and Express.JS Server Tier
The Express js server-side framework, which runs inside a Node.js server, is the next level down. Express.js bills itself as a “Fast, Unopinionated, Minimalist Web framework for Node.JS,” and it is. Express js includes robust models for URL routing (which matches an incoming URL with a server function) and handling HTTP requests and responses.
You can connect to Express js functions that power your application by making XML HTTP Requests (XHRs), GETs or POSTs from your React js front-end. These functions, in turn, use MongoDB’s Node js drivers to access and update data in your MongoDB database, either via callbacks or Promises.
React MongoDB MERN: MongoDB Database
If your application stores data (user profiles, content, comments, uploads, events, and so on), you’ll need a database that’s as simple to use as React, Express, and Node.
That’s where the MongoDB comes in: JSON documents generated by your React js front end can be sent to the Express js server, where they can be processed and (if valid) stored directly in MongoDB for later retrieval. Again, if you’re building in the cloud, Atlas is a good place to get started.
Why Choose the MERN Stack?
Begin with MongoDB, the document database at the heart of the MERN stack. MongoDB was built to store JSON data natively (it technically uses a binary version of JSON known as BSON), and everything from its command-line interface to its query language (MQL, or MongoDB Query Language) is built on JSON and JavaScript.
MongoDB integrates seamlessly with Node js and makes storing, manipulating, and representing JSON data at every tier of your application a breeze. MongoDB Atlas makes it even easier for cloud-native applications by providing an auto-scaling MongoDB cluster on the cloud provider of your choice with just a few button clicks.
React MongoDB MERN’s JavaScript/JSON application is full-stack thanks to Express js (running on Node js) and React js, Express js is a server-side application framework that wraps HTTP requests and responses and allows URLs to be easily mapped to server-side functions. React js is a JavaScript front-end framework for creating interactive HTML user interfaces and communicating with a remote server.
React MongoDB MERN is the stack of choice for today’s web developers who want to move quickly, especially those who have experience with React js.
Key Features of MERN
Here are a few key features of MERN Stack
- All tools are open source and have a long history, ensuring the presence of a large developer community.
- JavaScript can be used for both client and server development. To learn new skills, you only need to find a full-stack developer or train a front-end developer.
- Because of the JavaScript foundation, developers who have experience with one tool will find it simple to learn the rest.
- The projects are easily scaled, thanks in part to the use of Node js.
- The technologies that comprise the stack are easily integrated into cloud platforms.
7 Benefits of React MongoDB MERN Stack
Here are some major benefits from the React MongoDB MERN Stack!
1) Technology that is Open-Source
- Startups prefer MERN because it is an open-source code that is constantly improved by tech experts from all over the world. Because the MERN stack’s components are all open source, you can use it to build robust web apps.
- AngularJS, for example, is an open-source front-end framework that was specifically designed to address some of the issues inherent in earlier versions of HTML and JavaScript. Frameworks like these improve coding efficiency and provide a plethora of tools to assist you in developing more advanced apps faster.
2) Free Templates Available Online
- You can find free templates online, which will save you a lot of time. Customizing a theme would have taken me at least three times as long as downloading an off-the-shelf solution. You’ll also receive assistance from experts if you run into any problems along the way.
- Many platforms have online communities where you can ask questions and get feedback on your code from other developers who use the platform. It’s always easier to learn when experts are on hand to guide you!
3) Allows you to Build Quickly
- The React MongoDB MERN Stack stacks are based on open-source technologies that developers can freely use, so you don’t have to build everything from scratch. If you want a blogging platform, for example, chances are someone has already created a popular framework like WordPress.
- All you have to do is follow any setup instructions carefully and customize as needed. This type of plug-and-play approach gives you an advantage over larger corporations that may not understand (or care about) such emerging platforms. After all, the larger they are, the more likely they are to stick with tried-and-true solutions.
4) Simple to Use
- The underlying technology becomes so well documented that it is simple to deploy. It’s easy to learn and use, making it an excellent choice for beginners learning web development.
- With so many tools available to developers, deciding which ones to learn about can be difficult. Because there are fewer moving parts to understand in order to use these tools effectively, their minimalist nature makes them easier to learn.
- If you’re just getting started with web development, I recommend starting with a MERN stack app, which will provide you with an accessible introduction to web application development without being overkill right away.
- Once you’ve figured out how these tools work together, you can broaden your knowledge by adding new features or swapping out components as needed.
5) Development Across the Board
- React MongoDB MERN Stack uses a full-stack development approach, you are responsible for both the frontend and backend components of an application. This approach is based on UI design and software engineering principles.
- It is becoming increasingly popular among startups because it can save them money by eliminating the need to hire separate frontend and backend developers.
6) Excellent Community Support
- This set of technologies is supported by a strong community, making it easier to find answers to any technical questions that may arise. As a result, if you’re not sure how something works or why it works, chances are someone else has encountered (and solved) a similar problem.
7) Provides Users with a Native Experience
- Native applications are more robust, secure, and can provide a more engaging user experience. As a result, when startups create mobile apps, they typically build them on top of hybrid frameworks such as Ionic or React Native.
- Although these frameworks are impressive, they are built on web technologies that provide little performance or deep device integration. A mobile application built on MERN will be able to seamlessly sync data between offline and online states within an app by leveraging native features such as camera access.
- It makes it easier to monetize and allows developers to focus on features that add real value rather than just getting it to work! Unfortunately, when developing apps on top of hybrid technologies, this is not possible.
Conclusion
The technology stack used to develop a product is determined by the product’s purpose and future. Several thousands of users are already in a large number, but keep in mind that you may achieve global success one day, and you should be prepared for it.
The stack of MongoDB, Express.JS, React.JS, and Node.JS is a foundation for ambitious goals that can be easily scaled up using a Node js server and developed at a low cost due to the popularity and simplicity of the JavaScript language.
To meet the growing storage and computing needs for your data, you will have the need to invest some of your engineering bandwidth in integrating data from all sources, cleaning and transforming it, and finally loading it into a Cloud Data Warehouse for further Business Analytics. A Cloud-Based ETL tool, such as Hevo Data, can efficiently handle all of these challenges.
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Hevo Data, a No-code Data Pipeline provides you with a consistent and reliable solution to manage data transfer between a variety of sources like MongoDB and a wide variety of Desired Destinations, with a few clicks. Hevo Data with its strong integration with 100+ sources (including 40+ free sources) allows you to not only export data from your desired data sources & load it to the destination of your choice, but also transform & enrich your data to make it analysis-ready so that you can focus on your key business needs and perform insightful analysis using various BI tools.
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Share with us your experience of learning MERN Stack in the comments below!