Head-to-Head: Backbone (deprecated) vs Ember Analysis
backbone.marionette
v4.1.3(almost 4 years ago)
Backbone.Marionette is a composite application library for Backbone.js that simplifies the development of complex web applications. It provides a set of robust components and tools to help structure your Backbone application, including views, regions, and modules. Marionette enhances Backbone's capabilities by offering features like view management, event handling, and memory management.
Ember Source is the core library of the Ember.js framework, providing a robust set of tools and conventions for building ambitious web applications. It offers features like two-way data binding, computed properties, routing, and templating, making it ideal for large-scale projects requiring structure and organization. Ember Source follows the convention over configuration principle, reducing the need for manual setup and configuration.
Both Backbone.Marionette and Ember.js are popular JavaScript frameworks, but Ember.js (ember-source) has a larger community and is more widely adopted. It has been around for longer and has a strong following in the web development community.
Architecture
Backbone.Marionette is a lightweight framework that builds on top of Backbone.js, providing additional abstractions and features to simplify the development of complex applications. Ember.js, on the other hand, is a full-featured framework that follows the convention-over-configuration principle and provides a complete solution for building ambitious web applications.
Learning Curve
Backbone.Marionette has a relatively low learning curve, especially if you are already familiar with Backbone.js. It provides a set of opinionated abstractions that make it easier to structure and organize your code. Ember.js, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve due to its comprehensive nature and convention-based approach. It requires learning Ember's specific concepts and conventions.
Developer Experience
Ember.js provides a more integrated and opinionated development experience. It has a powerful CLI tool that automates many common tasks and enforces best practices. It also has a rich ecosystem of addons and a well-defined architecture. Backbone.Marionette, while providing useful abstractions, may require more manual configuration and setup.
Scalability
Ember.js is designed for building large-scale applications and provides built-in solutions for managing state, routing, and data persistence. It has a strong convention-based approach that promotes consistency and scalability. Backbone.Marionette, while suitable for smaller to medium-sized applications, may require more manual effort to handle complex application structures and state management.
Community and Ecosystem
Ember.js has a larger and more active community, which means more resources, tutorials, and community support. It also has a rich ecosystem of addons and plugins that extend its functionality. Backbone.Marionette has a smaller community and ecosystem in comparison, but it still has a dedicated user base and a set of plugins available.