Microfrontend — What is it and what are its benefits?

Monolithic applications have been the backbone of web development and offered a simple way to build applications for years. However, as features piled on, monolithic codebases became a nightmare to maintain, slowed deployments, and limited scalability. That’s where microfrontends came into the picture, offering a revolutionary approach to building complex UIs. By breaking down the UI into independent, feature-focused applications, microfrontends today offer a modular and scalable solution. Imagine building blocks, each with a specific purpose and the freedom to be developed and deployed independently. Simple, isn’t it, let’s explore how microfrontends work and how they empower dev teams by simplifying the large UIs.

What are microfrontends?

Microfrontends are an architectural approach that breaks down monolithic web applications into smaller, independent, self-contained units. Inspired by the success of microservices in backend development, a microfrontend architecture applies the same principles to the user interface. Each UI component or page becomes a mini-application, developed, tested, and deployed independently. Different teams can own these microfrontends, allowing faster development cycles and improved code maintainability. Furthermore, microfrontends can leverage different technologies based on specific needs, and individual updates don’t impact the entire application. This modularity also simplifies testing, as each micro frontend can be tested in isolation, leading to improved code quality.

Imagine building a bridge the old way: pouring concrete on-site and waiting for it to cure — slow and cumbersome. Microfrontends are like precast bridges: pre-built sections are developed independently and assembled quickly. This modular approach, like precast construction, offers speed, flexibility, and easier maintenance for complex web applications.

What are the key characteristics of microfrontends?

• Independent development and deployment: Microfrontend architectures are self-contained mini-applications. Each one can be developed, tested, and deployed independently of the others.
• Focused ownership of functionalities: Since microfrontends are responsible for specific functionalities, ownership becomes clear.
• Technology agnostic: (read more..)