Microfrontends
Microfrontends are an architectural pattern where a web application's frontend is broken down into smaller, independent, and self-contained modules, similar to how microservices work on the backend. Each module can be developed, tested, and deployed independently by different teams, often using different technologies, to build a single, seamless user interface. This approach enhances scalability, flexibility, and the ability for teams to work more autonomously.
Key concepts
The UI is split into smaller, manageable parts, like a product listing, shopping cart, or user profile, each responsible for its own functionality.
Different teams can work on different microfrontends simultaneously without blocking each other.
While it's often practical to stick to a single framework, the architecture allows for different technologies to be used in different parts of the application if needed.
Each microfrontend can have its own repository, build process, and CI/CD pipeline, allowing for faster and more frequent updates.
Microfrontends communicate with each other and with the backend through well-defined APIs.
Benefits
Teams can deliver features and updates more quickly and frequently.
It is easier to scale the development of large and complex applications by dividing the work.
An issue in one microfrontend is less likely to bring down the entire application.
It minimizes the code shared between different functional areas of the application.
Drawbacks
Managing multiple repositories, build pipelines, and deployments can increase the overall complexity of the project.
There can be increased costs associated with the overhead of managing more individual projects.
Without strong governance, it can lead to an unmanageable "splatter" of versions and dependencies