The entire world is experiencing a technological revolution, and web development as a creative field cannot be left behind because it is one of the most technologically contributing fields. In this article, we will explore what web developers need to know for the future.

 

It is difficult to make precise predictions about the future since things sometimes change quickly and in a lot of directions. However, on the basis of what is happening now, it is conceivable to make general predictions about the near future.

 

In the early stages of web development, the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) was popular for building websites and web applications. But in 2023, you will find a much smaller ecosystem for the LAMP stack, and it is replaced with the MEAN and MERN stacks, which are the most popular bundles of technologies to create modern websites and web applications. Therefore, it is not necessary that the technology that is currently trending will continue to dominate the market for so many years.

 

Therefore, rather than depending on the technology that everyone is using today, it is crucial to predict what technology will be popular in the future while developing a large-scale application.

 

 

How much has web development evolved in the last ten years?

 

Web development has evolved significantly over the past 10 years. Also, the community has become stronger, which provides a better ecosystem for the modern web development stack.

 

In the past, web developers had to create separate websites for desktop and mobile devices. Now, responsive design features have overcome the problem and allow websites to automatically adapt to the size of the user's screen, making it easier to create a single website that works on all devices.

 

Previously, JavaScript was only used on the client side to perform such a simple task and was limited to adding a little behavior to a web page. Now, JavaScript has enhanced functionality as well as advanced frameworks and libraries such as React, Angular, and Vue, which make it simpler to create complex and dynamic web apps.

 

Previously, web developers had to create the majority of a web application's functionality from scratch. Now, there are several APIs available that enable developers to simply integrate pre-built functionality into their web apps.

 

In the past, web development was a time-consuming process since the developers had to write code manually and test it in different browsers. Now, many coding tools, such as powerful code editors, debuggers, and browser dev tools, are available to help developers write code and test web applications more quickly and efficiently.

 

So that was a quick overview of how web development has grown over the last ten years. Now, let’s look at how you can prepare yourself for future changes as a future-ready developer.

 

 

Few upcoming trends to discuss on what will be the future of web development:

 

Here are a few emerging trends to consider while discussing the future of web development:

 

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
2. Serverless Computing
3. Progressive Web Apps
4. Rise of Voice Interfaces
5. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

 

Let's talk about each of the above topics and how they affect web development, as well as how to prepare for upcoming changes. We’ll also go through the JavaScript libraries and frameworks that are available to help you get started with the appropriate trend.

 

 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:

 

 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are already being used in web development, and their use is only set to increase. AI and ML models are being used in websites to make them more smart and interactive. Using AI and ML models, websites provide the best user experience based on the user’s behavior.

 

Some examples of how AI and ML are being used in web development include:

 

• Auto Suggestion: AI is being used to personalize a website for each individual user. A website is using AI and ML to recommend YouTube videos, products, and content that are more likely to be of interest to each individual user based on their past activities.
• Chatbots: Many websites are using chatbots that can communicate with the user using the chat interface. Chatbots can answer questions, provide customer support, and also collect data from users for their best experience.
• Abnormal Pattern Detection: The AI model can be used to detect and avoid fraudulent activities on websites. For example, some ML models can prevent robots from attempting multiple requests on a website, which can eventually crash the website.
• Sentiment Analysis: AI models are being used to analyze the user’s comments and feedback on websites, which can identify areas of the website that are causing frustration and confusion for users. This helps to improve the overall user experience.

 

So these were a few uses of AI and ML models in modern websites. The upcoming web development trend also requires a web developer to think beyond the traditional way of building websites. The future web developer needs to have a good knowledge of AI and ML.

 

Modern JavaScript offers libraries and frameworks to train and deploy AI and ML models in a browser. Here are a few popular ones:

 

1. TensorFlow.js: This is a JavaScript library to train and deploy machine learning models in the browser. It is developed by Google, and it provides a high-level API for building and training models as well as a low-level API to build custom machine learning algorithms.
2. Brain.js: This is a JavaScript library for building and training neural networks in the browser. It offers a simple API to build and train AI models. It also includes a few pre-trained models.
3. ML.js: This library helps to apply machine learning algorithms in JavaScript. It also includes some pre-trained machine learning models to do some specific tasks like image classification, clustering, and regression.

 

There are many libraries and frameworks being deployed for using AI and ML in a website using JavaScript. And the increasing trend of AI and ML in web development will continue to encourage JavaScript contributors to develop more efficient libraries and frameworks to build and train AI and ML models. So, to keep yourself ready for the upcoming web development trend, start exploring AI and ML technologies.

 

 

Serverless Computing

 

 

Serverless Computing is a modern way to run and build applications without having to think about the infrastructure. This means that a programmer can focus on writing the application’s code rather than worrying about the underlying infrastructure that the code will run on. Here is the definition, according to Amazon AWS:

 

 

Serverless doesn’t mean deploying applications and services without having a server; it means developers don’t need to worry about servers. The traditional method of deploying applications and services requires a lot of effort to prepare and maintain servers. Serverless computing simplifies the difficulties of the process and makes a developer more focused on writing business logic. According to the above definition, a programmer does not need to manage the infrastructure; the service provider handles the server.

 

This method of deploying applications is very cost-efficient because you only pay for the computing time that your functions use. And it can also be scalable since the server is automatically scaled to meet the demands of your application. In serverless computing, there is an event-driven architecture, which means it only functions when some event is called. Let’s take a very simple example to understand it:

 

Let’s say you’ve created an application, and rather than using a VPS server to deploy the application, you’ve chosen serverless computing. So, unlike the VPS server, where you install the OS and necessary software and prepare the server yourself to run the application, in serverless, you only give your code to one of the service providers, and they deploy your application and manage the server. These servers scale up and scale down according to the number of application visitors. The service provider charges depending on how much RAM is consumed. So these services are very cost-efficient and also time-efficient since you don’t have to spend your time preparing and managing the server.

 

This service is provided by companies such as Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. However, this approach is not effective from every angle. Using serverless computing has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, this trend is still in its early stages, and it will have an impact on how future web development will look. As a result, web developers should start exploring serverless computing to prepare for future changes.

 

 

Progressive Web Apps

 

 

These web applications offer push notifications and offline capabilities, like native mobile apps. They are created to offer a seamless user experience across platforms and are probably going to gain popularity as more people use mobile devices to access the internet.

 

Progressive web apps help the web platform grow in popularity and reach the near future. The Twitter PWA can be installed similarly to a native mobile application, and it can operate without an internet connection while still providing users with cached data. Additionally, it has the ability to access the file system, camera, and push notifications on the smartphone. Since it uses browsers to function, it can run on any device and on any operating system with a single codebase.

 

Converting a website into a PWA is much easier than you might think. The process involves steps like:

 

• Create a manifest file that contains the JSON-formatted PWA’s metadata.
• To register a service worker, which is a JavaScript file that runs in the background and enables offline capabilities and other native app-like features, you’ll have to create a service worker JavaScript file and pass this file to navigator.serviceWorker.register() if the browser supports it.
• Then test your PWA, which can be done using the Lighthouse tool on the browser console. Open the browser console and generate a lighthouse report under the lighthouse tab. This report verifies that the web application satisfies all prerequisites.
• The final step is to deploy your PWA to a server when you’ve completed all the checks and verified that it has the functionality of a mobile native app.

 

You can write your own code into your service worker JavaScript file, or you can use external libraries like Workbox. Workbox has CLI tools that help generate all the necessary files needed to create a PWA in a more reliable way. With only a few lines of code, WorkBox can take you through the setup required to build a PWA.

 

PWA can also be uploaded to Google Play, Apple Store, and the Microsoft Store. So, start learning about PWAs since their rise can lead to a brighter future for web development.

 

 

Rise of Voice Interfaces

 

 

A voice interface allows users to engage with computer programs by talking to them. Using voice commands, the user may control how the program runs. The voice user interface is becoming more popular, and it is also becoming more common in websites and web apps. The rise of virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri has resulted in a greater focus on developing voice-controlled websites and web apps.

 

Here are several benefits of using voice interfaces in web development:

 

• Every user can simply utilize the voice interface, and they can make decisions more rapidly, which is helpful to businesses.
• It can result in a high conversion rate since voice interfaces are more effective and simple to use, and users find them more attractive to use.
• The voice interface is more time-efficient for users since they don’t need to type manually to submit data or information on a website.

 

Along with the positives, there are a few drawbacks to integrating voice interfaces into a website. One challenge is that most voice assistants have a restricted vocabulary, making it difficult for developers to design complicated voice-based interactions. Another challenge is designing for various accents and dialects, since voice assistants may struggle to recognize spoken language that differs from their normal language.

 

There are several APIs and libraries available in JavaScript for creating voice interfaces. Let’s look at one of them and make a simple speech recognition input box out of it. We will use the Web Speech API to create a simple voice interface that will identify the voice.

 

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html lang="en">

  <head>
      <title>Building a Voice Interface</title>
  </head>

  <body>

      <h3>Speech Recognition:</h3>
      <textarea type="text" rows="10" cols="50" id="myInput" placeholder="Click on me and say something..."
        onclick="recognize()"></textarea>

      <script>
          function recognize() {
              var recognition = new webkitSpeechRecognition();
              recognition.lang = "en-GB";

              recognition.onresult = function (event) {
                  document.getElementById('myInput').value = event.results[0][0].transcript;
              }
              recognition.start();
          }
      </script>

  </body>

  </html>

 

When you click on the text area, it may ask for permission to use the microphone; allow it and say something, and the input will be shown as a value. This was only a brief overview of how to use the Web Speech API to create a JavaScript voice interface. There are several features and options available to help you create more reliable voice interfaces. So, start exploring how to use voice interfaces in web development since the usage of voice interfaces in websites may be essential in the near future.

 

 

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

 

 

Immersive technologies are not new to us; they have been around since the early 1800s. By merging the physical and digital worlds, immersive technology creates a unique experience. AR and VR are the two most common types of immersive technology. VR technology immerses users completely in a digital environment, while AR technology augments the actual world with digital features. VR and AR both have the potential to change the way we interact.

 

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have made impacts on the web development business, and their popularity is only likely to grow in the future. Websites may become significantly more interactive and immersive using VR and AR technologies, allowing users to fully interact with digital content in ways that traditional websites cannot.

 

Here are some benefits of using AR and VR on websites:

 

• It enables e-commerce websites to showcase their items. Rather than displaying a simple 2D image, customers can explore a 3D model of a product in VR or AR, gaining a far greater idea of its size, form, and features.
• A better explanation of concepts can be possible in the field of education. By using VR and AR technologies, websites can create interactive and immersive learning experiences that let learners explore 3D models, simulations, and other digital content in real-time.

 

Overall, the incorporation of VR and AR into websites has the potential to significantly improve the user experience by making it more engaging, interactive, and immersive. Now, let’s look at how you can integrate basic VR and AR technology into your website to get started.

 

Here are some JavaScript libraries, frameworks, and APIs to integrate the basics of VR and AR into your website:

 

• WebXR Device API: The WebXR device API provides the compatibility of finding AR or VR output devices, renders a 3D image to the device, and creates vectors that represent the movement of input controls.
• AR.js: AR.js is a JavaScript library that enables developers to create augmented reality experiences using web technologies.
• Three.js: Three.js is a JavaScript library that allows developers to create 3D graphics using web technologies.
• A-Frame: A-Frame is a JavaScript framework that enables developers to create virtual reality experiences with simple syntax.

 

By using any of those libraries or frameworks, you can create interesting and immersive AR and VR experiences within a website. As a forward-thinking developer, you should start looking for new and innovative solutions to incorporate AR and VR technology into your projects.

 

So, these were all about the emerging trends that web developers should start exploring.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Initially, websites were static and nearly lacking in complexity, but modern web applications are quickly catching up to desktop software and applications in terms of complexity. As a result, browsers can compete with app stores and installers due to the complexity of web applications.

 

Web development has a bright future ahead of it due to a number of innovative technologies and upcoming trends. In order to remain competitive and give users the greatest experiences possible, it is important for web developers to keep up to date with these changes.

 

There are certain things happening across the world that create a lot of uncertainty when predicting what the future of web development will be. However, in this rapidly changing world, one thing is certain: we will continue to provide you with the most recent content.