MEAN (software bundle)

Common logo used to represent MEAN stacks.

MEAN is a free and open-source JavaScript software stack for building dynamic web sites and web applications.^[1]

The MEAN stack makes use of MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, and Node.js. Because all components of the MEAN stack support programs written in JavaScript, MEAN applications can be written in one language for both server-side and client-side execution environments.

Components

The components of the MEAN stack are as follows:^[2]

• MongoDB, a NoSQL database
• Express.js, a web application framework that runs on Node.js
• Angular.js, a JavaScript MVC framework that runs in browser JavaScript engines
• Node.js, an execution environment for event-driven server-side and networking applications

Naming

MEAN was coined by Valeri Karpov, a MongoDB developer. He introduced the term in a blog post.^[2]

An initial logo concept was created by Austin Anderson for the original MEAN stack LinkedIn group and is an assembly of the first letter of each component of the MEAN acronym.^[3]

Implementations

• MEAN.io: One of the first MEAN stack frameworks created by Amos Haviv with Linnovate
• MEAN.JS: Amos Haviv subsequently left Linnovate^[4] and forked MEAN.js as a community-governed project.^[5][6]

Variants

A number of variations on the traditional MEAN stack are available by replacing one or more of the components with similar (typically Javascript-based) frameworks. For example, in a MEEN stack, the JavaScript MVC framework Ember.js is used instead of Angular.js. ^[7]

See also

• LAMP (software bundle)
• LYME (software bundle) – a solution stack based on Erlang
• MAMP

References

1. "Mean.io: The Friendly & Fun Javascript Fullstack for your next web application".
2. "The MEAN Stack: MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS and Node.js". Tumblr. Apr 30, 2013.
3. "Mean Stack". LinkedIn.
4. Haviv, Amos (Feb 15, 2014). "Forking out of an open-source conflict". Tumblr. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
5. http://meanjs.org/
6. https://github.com/meanjs/mean
7. https://github.com/YunnuY/meen

Further reading

• Haviv, Amos Q. (2014). MEAN Web Development: Master real-time web application development using a mean combination of MongoDB, Express, Angular JS, and Node.js. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1783983285.

External links

• meanjs.org
• mean.io
• Mastering MEAN Resources for learning the MEAN stack
• How to get started on the MEAN stack
• Austin MEAN Stack Development Meetup
• MEAN Stack Meetup, London, UK