Single-spa is a javascript framework that enables you to build micro frontends, bringing the microservices architectural pattern to front-end development. It allows you to combine multiple single-page applications (SPAs) built with different frameworks into a cohesive user experience. This approach offers significant benefits for large, complex front-end projects, enabling teams to work independently and adopt new technologies incrementally.

Micro Frontends: A Modern Approach to Web Development

Micro frontends are an architectural style where a front-end application is decomposed into smaller, independent units. Each unit, or micro frontend, can be developed, deployed, and maintained by separate teams. Single-spa acts as a container that orchestrates these micro frontends, allowing them to coexist within a single browser window. This contrasts with traditional monolithic front-end architectures where the entire application is built and deployed as a single unit.

Key Advantages of Single-Spa

• Framework Agnostic: One of the most significant advantages of single-spa is its framework agnosticism. You can use different frameworks like React, Angular, Vue.js, and others within the same application. This is particularly useful for migrating legacy applications or allowing teams to choose the best technology for their specific needs.
• Incremental Upgrades: With single-spa, you can rewrite parts of your application incrementally. Instead of undertaking a massive rewrite of your entire front-end, you can develop new features as micro frontends and gradually replace older sections.
• Improved Performance: Single-spa promotes lazy loading of micro frontends. This means that code for each micro frontend is only loaded when it’s needed, resulting in faster initial load times and improved application performance.
• Independent Deployments: Micro frontends can be deployed independently, allowing for faster release cycles and reduced risk. Changes in one micro frontend do not necessarily require redeployment of the entire application.
• Scalability and Team Autonomy: By breaking down the front-end into smaller, manageable units, single-spa enables better scalability and team autonomy. Different teams can own and operate separate micro frontends, fostering faster development and innovation.

Who Should Consider Single-Spa?

Single-spa is an excellent choice for organizations facing challenges with large, complex front-end applications. It is particularly beneficial for:

• Large Development Teams: When multiple teams are working on the same front-end, single-spa can provide clear boundaries and enable independent development and deployment.
• Migrating Legacy Applications: Organizations looking to modernize their front-end stack without a complete rewrite can use single-spa to incrementally introduce new technologies.
• Complex User Interfaces: Applications with diverse functionalities and sections that could be developed and deployed independently are well-suited for a micro frontend architecture with single-spa.

Getting Started with Single-Spa

To begin your journey with single-spa, the official documentation website https://single-spa.js.org/ is your primary resource. You’ll find comprehensive guides, tutorials, and API references to help you understand and implement single-spa in your projects. The “Getting Started” section provides a quick and easy way to grasp the fundamental concepts and set up your first single-spa application.

Community and Support

The single-spa community is active and supportive. You can join the Slack chat to connect with other developers, ask questions, and share your experiences. Contributing to the project is also encouraged; guidelines for contributing, bug reporting, and suggesting improvements can be found on the single-spa website. For those looking to support the project financially, consider donating through Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors.

Official Hosting with Baseplate Cloud

For a streamlined experience in deploying and hosting your single-spa applications, consider Baseplate Cloud. It offers official hosting specifically designed for single-spa, providing a seamless and optimized environment for your micro frontends.

Conclusion

Single-spa empowers front-end developers to embrace the microservices approach, bringing modularity, scalability, and flexibility to web application development. By enabling the composition of applications from independently developed and deployed micro frontends, single-spa provides a robust solution for modern, complex web projects. Whether you are building a new application or modernizing an existing one, single-spa offers a path to a more maintainable, scalable, and future-proof front-end architecture.