Micro Frontends : Introduction

Blog post description.

5/29/20231 min read

orange plastic blocks on white surface
orange plastic blocks on white surface

Micro frontends is a technique for developing web applications as a collection of small, independent applications, each running in its own context, but all sharing the same user interface. This approach can help simplify the development process, improve scalability, and make it easier to maintain and update the application over time.

Advantages of Micro Frontends:

Flexibility: This approach allows each micro frontend to be developed in its own technology stack and programming language, giving teams the flexibility to choose the best tools for each part of the application.

Separation of Concerns: By hosting each micro frontend in a separate website or web application, teams can focus on developing and maintaining each micro frontend independently, without worrying about how it fits into the larger application.

Scalability: Using links and iframes can make it easier to scale a web application by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Each micro frontend can be developed, tested, and deployed independently, allowing teams to work more efficiently and reduce development time.

Disadvantages of Micro Frontends:

Performance: Because each micro frontend is hosted separately, using links and iframes can sometimes result in longer load times and slower performance. This can be mitigated through various techniques, such as caching and lazy loading, but it's important to be aware of the potential impact on performance.

Security: Using links and iframes for micro frontends can introduce security risks, such as cross-site scripting attacks and clickjacking. It's important to implement proper security measures, such as sandboxing and content security policies, to mitigate these risks.

Communication: Because each micro frontend is hosted separately, it can be more difficult to coordinate communication between them. This can require additional coordination and planning to ensure that the micro frontends work together seamlessly.