---
author: marco
categories:
- Comparisons
date: "2014-11-16T22:13:10Z"
title: 'PIcking Your Javascript Mobile Framework: Part 3 - Minimum Functionality'
---

If you are joining us now, this is a multi-part shootout of mobile Javascript frameworks. In the last instalment, we got a series of candidates, 77 long. In this instalment, we will look at functionality.

The **Todo app** pushed by the TodoMVC team is very simple, but pretty complete. In it you:

1. Create new todo items by entering them into a box
2. Display all available todo items
3. Alternatively, display only the active ones, or the completed ones
4. Mark a todo item as completed by checking a box to its left
5. Delete a todo item
6. Delete all completed todo items
7. Edit a todo item

**Bindings and behaviors** were refined further:

- Aside from clicking on the box to the left and the delete button to the right, a double click on the item would allow you to edit it
- Typing text into the edit box at the top would allow you to create a new item; hitting “Enter” would add the item to the list
- Three links at the bottom would route you to the list of all items, active items, and completed items
- A button on the bottom would allow you to delete all completed items
- When in Active mode and an item is cleared, the item should automatically disappear

That all seemed pretty simple. For it to work, I also made the assumption that I could load the test in a browser page and then on a phone, and it would all work.

It is at this point that I need to remark in general: **a knockout here doesn’t mean the framework has no merit**, or that missing functionality in the todo example has any real-life implications on the quality and capabilities of the framework as a whole!

On the other hand, though,** there are plenty frameworks to choose from**, and I can be picky. If something doesn’t work as expected in the demo, it obviously means it’s not trivial to implement. So you could say, well if the demo doesn’t auto-update to remove newly declared done items, it’s not a big deal. But the big deal is that the view and the model should always be in sync. If I have to do it manually, then the value of this framework goes down the hill.

Also, some of the frameworks have no other fault than requiring a particular server (like meteor). It’s not that it’s tragic: in general, you would have no problem providing a web server. But in the case of a mobile app, you don’t really have that option at all.

So take this whole series as it is: a **help in finding a mobile Javascript framework that makes it easy to write mobile apps using PhoneGap**. Nothing more, hopefully nothing less.

I armed myself and got the following knockouts. If everything worked as expected, there was no comment.

| Name | Res. | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| agilityjs | ✓ |  |
| ampersand | ✓ |  |
| angular-dart |  | missing routes |
| angularjs | ✓ |  |
| angularjs-perf | ✓ |  |
| angularjs_require | ✓ |  |
| ariatemplates |  | doesn’t start up from file:// |
| atmajs |  | doesn’t start up from <file://> and doesn’t show routing until todo is entered |
| backbone | ✓ |  |
| backbone_marionette | ✓ |  |
| backbone_marionette_require | ✓ |  |
| backbone_require | ✓ |  |
| batman | ✓ |  |
| canjs | ✓ |  |
| canjs_require | ✓ |  |
| chaplin-brunch |  | didn’t clear dynamically |
| closure | ✓ |  |
| componentjs |  | doesn’t start up from file:// |
| cujo |  | no routing |
| derby |  | requires server |
| dijon |  | no routing |
| dojo |  | no dynamic update |
| duel |  | no routing |
| durandal | ✓ |  |
| emberjs | ✓ |  |
| emberjs_require |  | “the use of EmberJS with RequireJS is not advised” |
| enyo_backbone | ✓ |  |
| epitome | ✓ |  |
| exoskeleton | ✓ |  |
| extjs_deftjs |  | no routing; in general doesn’t behave as expected |
| firebase-angular | ✓ |  |
| flight | ✓ |  |
| gwt | ✓ |  |
| jquery | ✓ |  |
| kendo | ✓ |  |
| knockback | ✓ |  |
| knockoutjs | ✓ |  |
| knockoutjs_require | ✓ |  |
| lavaca_require | ✓ |  |
| maria | ✓ |  |
| meteor |  | seems to require external server |
| mithril | ✓ |  |
| montage |  | requires web server setup |
| mozart | ✓ |  |
| olives |  | no routing |
| plastronjs | ✓ |  |
| polymer |  | no update on completion |
| puremvc | ✓ |  |
| ractive | ✓ |  |
| rappidjs | ✓ |  |
| react | ✓ |  |
| react-backbone | ✓ |  |
| sammyjs | ✓ |  |
| sapui5 | ✓ |  |
| serenadejs | ✓ |  |
| socketstream |  | client-server |
| somajs | ✓ |  |
| somajs_require | ✓ |  |
| spine | ✓ |  |
| stapes | ✓ |  |
| stapes_require | ✓ |  |
| thorax | ✓ |  |
| thorax_lumbar | ✓ |  |
| troopjs_require | ✓ |  |
| typescript-angular | ✓ |  |
| typescript-backbone |  | no routing and starts up sluggish |
| vanilladart |  | strangely, Enter doesn’t work, leaving you with no ability to actually enter a todo item |
| vanillajs | ✓ |  |
| vue | ✓ |  |
| yui | ✓ |  |