Recap of Front-end Development in 2016

React, Redux, Webpack, ECMAScript 2015 (aka ES6), and Babel gain massive
adoption. These solutions rise to the top of all the polls as the most used tech.
Developers realized, in most cases, HTML 5 hybrid mobile development via webviews
doesn't provide enough wins when building native apps.
React Native and NativeScript start to replace mobile HTML5 hybrid webview
development.
Many abandon Gulp for NPM scripts, but Gulp remains popular.
SASS remains a popular tool, while PostCSS (+ CSSNext) gains ground.
Linting/Hinting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is a thing most developers do (ESlint
replaces JShint & JSCS merges into ESLint).
A trend of developers abandoning Sublime and Atom for Visual Studio Code begins.
jQuery remains, but usage/interest is declining. jQuery 3 was released, much like a tree
falling in a forest that nobody hears.
Vue.js continues to gain converts. Deservingly so!
JavaScript functional programming & patterns get a lot of attention.
Offline development & Progressive Web Apps go mainstream.
Microsoft shows up and contributes.
Developing native applications for windows, OSX, and linux using things like NW.js and
Electron via web technologies becomes a thing.
Angular 2 (in the future aka "Angular") gets off the pot and most realize it will never be
as mainstream as Angular 1.
JavaScript broadly remains at the center of software technologies.
More developers start caring about tooling (e.g. automation) and testing.
Static site generators are taken seriously.
CSS Grid excitement grows and the future looks bright.
NPM gets some competition from Yarn.
The next evolution of React-like solutions shows up via Preact, Deku, Rax, and inferno
showcasing evolution without much API change.
Mostly people learn to accept JSX, and now they can't imagine not using it.
A workable CSS module pattern (CSS encapsulation) is actualized and used, thus CSS
in JS becomes a viable solution for many.

In 2017 expect...
Web Assembly, might just peak.
import might just be usable in <script></script>
Universal JavaScript solutions will continue to rise that pay homage/respect to the days
of server delivered front-ends (i.e. html to the client).
Reactive programming continues to thrive in the JavaScript scene. (see MobX and
RxJS).
React, more so the concept, will dominate. React itself will be completely re-written (see
React Fiber) or evolve (see Inferno).
Angular found SEMVER so Angular 4 (even 5) is on the roadmap for 2017.
A return to simple websites may happen, web 1.0 retro, but with the help of 2017 tools
(i.e. static site generation)
RESTful JSON APIs will get more competition (see GraphQL)
Could be a banner year for Vue.js.
More devs will abandon traditional CMS solutions for static site generators & API CMS
tools.
More people will move from Sass to PostCSS + cssnext.
Lots more HTTP2 and HTTPS.
Web components will continue to lurk and wait for significant traction by developers that
might never come to be.
The no framework, framework, faction will gain momentum (see Svelte).
JavaScript will settle, and hopefully, CSS will erupt and everyone will cry fatigue until it
settles.
Hatred for apps store will grow, while the open web has no memory of wrong doing.
Redux will continue to get stiff competition (see mobx).
YARN will win more users.
The idea of “front-end apps”, “Thick Client apps”, “Static apps”, “No Backend app”,
“SPA's”, “Front-end driven app” might get boiled down to the term/concept called "JAM
Stack".