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Underscore.js VS Ramda

Compare Underscore.js VS Ramda and see what are their differences

Underscore.js logo Underscore.js

Underscore is a utility-belt library for JavaScript that provides a lot of the functional...

Ramda logo Ramda

Javascript Utilities & Libraries, Backend Development, and Frontend Development
  • Underscore.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-17
  • Ramda Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-24

Underscore.js features and specs

  • Utility Functions
    Underscore.js provides a wealth of utility functions for common tasks such as map, reduce, filter, and more, making it easier to perform operations on arrays, objects, and collections.
  • Consistency
    The library offers a consistent API, which can make your code more readable and maintainable by providing a standard way to perform common programming tasks.
  • Lightweight
    Underscore.js is lightweight compared to full-featured libraries like Lodash, which can be a benefit if you're looking to minimize your application's footprint.
  • Browser Compatibility
    It supports a wide range of JavaScript environments, making it a good choice for projects that need to work across different browsers and Node.js.
  • Quick to Learn
    Easy to pick up for developers with even a basic understanding of JavaScript, due to its straightforward documentation and familiar function names.

Possible disadvantages of Underscore.js

  • Performance
    Underscore.js may not offer the same level of performance optimizations as more modern utility libraries like Lodash, potentially leading to slower execution for some tasks.
  • Limited Functionality
    While it covers many basic utility functions, its feature set is not as extensive as Lodash or other similar libraries, which provide a broader range of capabilities.
  • Outdated
    With the advent of ECMAScript 5 and later versions, many of the functions provided by Underscore.js are now natively available in JavaScript, reducing its necessity.
  • No Modularization
    Underscore does not support modular builds in the same way Lodash does, meaning you might end up including the entire library even if you only need a few functions.
  • Community and Maintenance
    While still maintained, Underscore.js has seen less active development and contributions compared to newer libraries, which could impact its long-term viability and support.

Ramda features and specs

  • Immutability
    Ramda is designed with immutability in mind, ensuring that your data structures remain unchanged throughout your application's runtime. This can lead to fewer bugs and easier reasoning about data flow.
  • Function Composition
    Ramda allows for easy function composition, enabling developers to build complex operations from simpler functions. This results in more readable and maintainable code.
  • Point-free Style
    Ramda promotes a point-free coding style, which can lead to more concise code by eliminating unnecessary variable declarations. Functions are composed together directly, making the logic clear and direct.
  • Lazy Evaluation
    Ramda supports lazy evaluation, which helps in improving performance by deferring the computation until it's actually needed. This can result in more efficient use of resources.
  • Rich Documentation
    Ramda's website and documentation are comprehensive and well-organized, providing users with clear examples and explanations for each function, making it easier to learn and use.

Possible disadvantages of Ramda

  • Learning Curve
    Ramda requires a learning curve for those unfamiliar with functional programming concepts, which can be challenging for developers who come from an imperative programming background.
  • Performance Overhead
    Due to its immutable behavior and functional nature, Ramda might introduce some performance overhead compared to imperative code, which could be a concern for performance-critical applications.
  • Bundle Size
    Inclusion of Ramda in a web project might increase the bundle size, especially if not carefully managed or if the whole library is imported, impacting load times.
  • Verbosity for Simple Tasks
    For some straightforward operations, Ramda's functional approach might introduce more verbosity compared to simple imperative code, potentially reducing readability for those specific cases.
  • Lack of Side Effects
    While immutability and lack of side effects are generally seen as a benefit, there are scenarios where side effects are necessary, making Ramda less suitable without additional tools or libraries.

Analysis of Underscore.js

Overall verdict

  • Underscore.js is a reasonable choice if you need a lightweight library for concise, functional programming helpers. While newer libraries or vanilla JavaScript have made some of its functions less essential, Underscore.js remains useful for its simplicity and comprehensive utility set.

Why this product is good

  • Underscore.js is a popular JavaScript library that provides a comprehensive set of utility functions for common programming tasks. It is valued for its simplicity and ease of integration, especially in projects that require functional programming patterns but do not need the full capabilities of larger libraries like Lodash. Underscore.js is lightweight and can significantly enhance productivity by offering functions for tasks such as object manipulation, array operations, and function binding, making code more readable and maintainable.

Recommended for

    Developers working on smaller projects or legacy codebases that require a reliable utility library with functional programming techniques. It’s also suitable for those who prefer a minimalistic approach and don’t require the extensive features of heavier alternatives.

Underscore.js videos

Introduction to Underscore.JS

Ramda videos

Ramda Plaza Review/Tour😀

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Underscore.js and Ramda)
Javascript UI Libraries
80 80%
20% 20
Development Tools
83 83%
17% 17
Libraries And Widgets
100 100%
0% 0
Front-End Frameworks
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ramda should be more popular than Underscore.js. It has been mentiond 51 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Underscore.js mentions (23)

  • JavaScript evolution: From Lodash and Underscore to vanilla
    Underscore was created by Jeremy Ashkenas (the creator of Backbone.js) in 2009 to provide a set of utility functions that JavaScript lacked at the time. It was also created to work with Backbone.js, but it slowly became a favorite among developers who needed utility functions that they could just call and get stuff done with without having to worry about the inner implementations and browser compatibility. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • KlongPy: High-Performance Array Programming in Python
    There was a step-change improvement for me when I tried expressing some JS patterns via `underscore.js` instead of procedurally: eg: http://underscorejs.org/#each Thinking of something as `each | map | filter | sum` is waaay less buggy than writing bespoke procedural code to do the same thing. No doubt there is a "cost" to it as well, but the _abstraction_ is valuable. Now, if there were a "compiler" which could... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    Underscore.js: A utility library that offers a full set of functional programming helpers without extending any built-in JavaScript objects. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Mastering Node.js
    Underscore contains just about every core utility method you want. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • 8 NPM Packages for JavaScript Beginners [2024][+tutorials]
    Not too far behind is Underscore.js, another utility library that's all about enhancing your JavaScript mojo. Whether you're dealing with arrays, objects, or strings, Underscore has got something for you. It's like Lodash's sibling, offering similar functionalities but with its own flair. The choice between them is like picking between chocolate and vanilla - it really comes down to personal taste. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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Ramda mentions (51)

  • Fluent Streams: A Library for Rich Iterables Manipulation
    Like Ramda, provides many useful functions for iterables manipulation. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Unleash JavaScript's Potential with Functional Programming
    BTW, the best library for functional programming in the "data last" paradigm is Ramda. Here is an outlook what you can do with Ramda. You can understand this in-depth some time in the future. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • JavaScript frameworks: comparing the latest tools and libraries
    Ramda is a functional programming library for JavaScript that emphasizes a functional style and immutability. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Tacit Programming
    JavaScript is great for point-free programming! Make sure you check out Ramda.js https://ramdajs.com/ It’s fun in the sense that solving a puzzle is fun, but I avoid it for anything I need to maintain long-term. But it’s good practice for understanding combinators which is useful for some kinds of problems. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Pipeline-Oriented Programming [video]
    This is very cool. I remember I got sucked into things like Ramda going down this functional programming rabbit hole :-) https://ramdajs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Underscore.js and Ramda, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

Lo-Dash - Lo-Dash is a drop-in replacement for Underscore.

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

RxJS - Reactive Extensions for Javascript

Babel - Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

Lazy.js - Lazy.js is a functional utility library for JavaScript