Micro front-end is a modern approach to developing web applications. This architectural and organizational style involves decomposing the front-end of the application into smaller, independent components referred to as “micro-apps”. These micro apps can be developed, tested, and deployed separately, similar to the microservice architecture used in back-end development.

The present inclination is towards the creation of feature-packed and robust browser applications, particularly Single-Page Applications (SPAs), which are built on top of a microservice architecture. As the frontend layer, typically developed by a separate team, expands; it becomes increasingly challenging to manage and maintain, resulting in a frontend monolith.

However, the concept of micro-frontends is not a novel one. It shares several similarities with the Self-Contained System (SCS) approach, but the term “micro-frontends” is considered a more user-friendly and concise label.

Why micro front-end architecture?

The micro-frontend architecture closely mirrors the principle of microservices, in that loosely coupled components are managed by different teams. However, the micro-frontend approach extends this concept to the ream of the browser.

Technology Freedom:

Unlike monolithic frontends, micro-frontends allow for each component to be built using different technologies and frameworks. This provides teams with the flexibility to choose tools and technologies that best suit their needs and enables the use of new and emerging technologies without the constraints of a legacy.

Smaller Codebase:

The use of micro-frontends in frontend development offers several benefits, including smaller and more maintainable codebases for each component. With this approach, each micro-frontend component has its own distinct codebase, reducing the complexity and size of the overall codebase.

This makes it easier for new developers to join the project, as they are not required to understand their codebase from the outset. Instead, they can focus out on specific micro-frontend component that they are responsible for, reducing the learning curve and enabling them to quickly become productive.

Flexibility:

Flexibility is a major advantage of the micro-frontend architecture in frontend development. The ability to build each micro-frontend component independently, using different technologies, allows teams to have more control over the development process and to choose the tools and technologies that best suit their needs.

One of the key benefits of this approach is that each component can be tested, deployed, and updated independently, without affecting the functionality of other components. This eliminates the risk of unintended consequences and reduces the complexity of the overall development process.

Scalability:

Scalability is another key advantage of the micro-frontend architecture in frontend development. The ability to scale each micro-frontend component independently offers significant advantages over traditional monolithic frontend architecture.

In a monolithic architecture, the entire application must be scaled whenever a new feature is introduced, which can be time-consuming and cost prohibitive. In contrast, with a micro-frontend architecture, each component can be scaled individually, allowing teams to easily introduce new features and scale their applications to meet growing demand.

This flexible, modular approach to frontend development makes it easier to manage growth and respond to changing user needs, as teams can quickly and easily add new components or scale existing ones as needed.

Autonomous teams and systems:

With this approach, each product team is responsible for developing a specific feature, which can be operated with minimal dependencies on other components. This means that even if one feature is down, the others can still work, providing a more resilient and reliable application for users.

This autonomy also enables teams to work more efficiently and effectively, as they are not impacted by changes in other components. They can focus on their specific areas of responsibility, making changes and updates as needed without having to coordinate with other teams.

As we draw this blog to a close, we hope that the insights shared have been valuable and insightful. Today, we delved into the concept of Micro frontends and explored the rationale behind the growing popularity of this approach. Micro frontends break down the user interface into smaller, more manageable parts. Micro frontends offer several benefits such as improved scalability, flexibility, and ease of maintenance.