JavaScript News and Updates (November 2020)
Hello everybody! Welcome to the latest edition of our JavaScript news digest. We’ve been closely monitoring everything that has happened in the JavaScript world during the last month of autumn. Now it is time to share our findings with you.
This material can be interesting not only for web developers but also for internet users. In addition to new releases of popular frontend technologies and traditional tips and for web developers, we will highlight new JavaScript-related features introduced in commonly used browsers — Chrome and Firefox.
Let’s roll!
New Tools and Updates
Introducing Angular 11
Many entry-level web developers frequently complain about the complexity of Angular and opt for React or Vue.js when forming their first stacks for coding. But at the same time, Angular is still one of the most robust and mature technologies backed by a huge community. The Angular development team from Google is determined to continue its battle for supremacy with React and Vue.js in the niche of front-end JavaScript frameworks with the new version of its product.
Angular 11 is the result of an elaborate preparatory process and great engineering efforts. This major update covers different aspects of the framework including the CLI and components. For instance, Angular developers now can take advantage of automatic inlining of fonts for speeding up their web apps, refined reporting and logging, improved language service preview, and much, much more. Learn more details in the Angular blog.
What’s new in TypeScript 4.1
In recent years, TypeScript has gained popularity among web developers as a viable alternative to pure JavaScript. There are many good reasons for coders to shift to TypeScript. First of all, this programming language significantly expands the capabilities of JavaScript and it can be mastered much faster. But most importantly, TypeScript helps to detect possible errors and bugs in less time and makes the code cleaner and more readable, thereby accelerating the whole development process. And the TypeScript update to version 4.1 makes it an even more attractive option for web dev newcomers as well as experienced programmers.
Numerous novelties and enhancements included in this release expand the functional capabilities and speed of this modern programming language, providing coders with greater control over the development process. From now on, TypeScript allows making use of template literal types, removing some restrictions on conditional types, remapping keys in mapped types, etc. Find more detailed information in the release article and keep track of upcoming updates via the TypeScript feature roadmap.
Electron.js 11.0 is Here
If you have ever browsed the internet in search of a decent technology for developing a desktop application with JavaScript, then you’ve certainly heard about Electron.js. This open-source framework comprises Node.js for working with back-end and Chromium for web rendering. Introduced in 2013 by the development team from GitHub, Electron.js has recently reached its 11th iteration.
The release is packed with stack upgrades, new functionalities, numerous fixes, and performance improvements. The most notable novelties implemented in v.11.0 are the support for Apple silicon hardware and modifications to Chromium, Node, and its V8 engine. Additional information on the latest Electron version can be found in this release article.
New Firefox Browser Comes with Improved JavaScript Performance
This month Mozilla Corporation has presented the latest version of its popular web-browser — Firefox 83. Compared to the previous version, the new Firefox gained some important new features and improvements that will certainly appeal to common web surfers.
First and foremost, the new browser has become more performant thanks to the optimization of its SpiderMonckey JavaScript engine. It helped to improve such important parameters as page loading, page responsiveness, and reduce memory consumption. Other remarkable novelties include new search features, HTTPS-Only Mode, and many other changes. Read release notes to learn what’s new in the latest Firefox browser.
New Feature in Google Chrome to Handle Malicious JavaScript Redirecting
Google has always been paying great attention to providing the maximum security for users of its popular Chrome browser. Recently, it has transpired that the American software giant is going to enhance the protection of Chrome by adding a new feature capable of blocking JavaScript redirects when clicking on web links.
It specifically concerns links that open URLs in a new window or tab. The thing is that such links are frequently used by computer fraudsters for performing tab-napping attacks. It means that instead of the desired destination URL users can be redirected to pages with malicious behavior. The new feature is supposed to keep internet sessions of Chrome users safe from such attacks. Learn more about it in the report from Bleeping Computer.
Useful Tips and Articles
Creating Entity Relationship Diagram with DHTMLX
Many software engineers count on relational databases when it comes to storing and managing large amounts of data thanks to their flexibility and scalability. However, creating a complex relational database can be a time-consuming task. But the use of an entity relationship diagram (also known as ER diagram) can facilitate the whole process.
This type of diagram provides a clear understanding of the database’s logical composition. And the good news is that a basic ER diagram can be easily built with the help of DHTMLX Diagram. This diagramming JavaScript component allows creating various types of diagrams, including ER diagrams, via coding or using the built-in Diagram Editor. The latter option is described in detail in this article.
Why Develop SaaS Applications in JavaScript
The advent of cloud computing technologies has become a win-win option for many businesses looking for ways to add more mobility and flexibility to their workflows as well as for software development companies craving for more potential customers.
SaaS (software as a service) is one of the most popular cloud methodologies of web-based software delivery. SaaS applications are frequently developed with JavaScript due to the rich ecosystem of this programming language containing numerous frameworks, libraries, and other handy tools. This informative article will give you a deeper insight into the advantages of using JavaScript technologies for building SaaS-based apps.
Understanding Memory Management in JavaScript
The key objective of memory management in any programming language is to provide the system with dynamically allocated memory when necessary and free that memory, once it is not needed. JavaScript utilizes a special tool named garbage collector that manages memory allocation automatically.
Therefore, many web developers often do not give due consideration to peculiarities of memory allocation in JavaScript. It is a big mistake that can lead to negative consequences such as memory leaks. Thus, it is really important for web developers to clearly understand the memory lifecycle in JS and how the garbage collector really works. This article will help to learn core concepts on the topic.
How to Protect Your Web App from Clickjacking
The fast-growing world of web technologies is full of useful tools that can be used by developers to make their applications more visually compelling and performant. But it is also important to remember about the protection from malware threats such as clickjacking.
This malicious technique is used by cybercriminals to make end-users click on UI elements that will perform undesired actions on another hidden page. In such cases, both end-users and web applications are affected by the attack. Users can unknowingly reveal sensitive data to criminals, while web applications may lose reputation and SEO rankings, as apps are utilized as tools for such actions. Read this material to learn helpful info on how clickjacking actually works and how to protect web apps from such attacks.
No matter whether you are a web developer who employs Angular, TypeScript, Electron.js in web projects, or a common PC user utilizing Chrome or Firefox browser for internet surfing, we hope that you will make good use of updates reviewed in our digest. And we will continue learning new things about JavaScript in December.
