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What is ReactJs?

reactjs

By Amisha ShahPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
  • ReactJS is a declarative, efficient, and flexible JavaScript library for building reusable UI components.
  • It is an open-source, component-based front end library which is responsible only for the view layer of the application.
  • It was initially developed and maintained by Facebook and later used in its products like WhatsApp & Instagram.

Few popular websites powered by React library are listed below -

  • Facebook, popular social media application
  • Instagram, popular photo sharing application
  • Netflix, popular media streaming application
  • Code Academy, popular online training application
  • Reddit, popular content sharing application

As you see, most popular application in every field is being developed by React Library.

Why we use ReactJS?

  • The main objective of ReactJS is to develop User Interfaces (UI) that improves the speed of the apps.
  • It uses virtual DOM (JavaScript object), which improves the performance of the app. The JavaScript virtual DOM is faster than the regular DOM.
  • We can use ReactJS on the client and server-side as well as with other frameworks.
  • It uses component and data patterns that improve readability and helps to maintain larger apps.

How does React Work?

  • React creates a VIRTUAL DOM in memory.
  • Instead of manipulating the browser’s DOM directly, React creates a virtual DOM in memory, where it does all the necessary manipulating, before making the changes in the browser DOM.

  • React only changes what needs to be changed!
  • React finds out what changes have been made, and changes only what needs to be changed.

    React Application Architecture

    • The React library is just a UI library, and it doesn't implement any special patterns for writing a complex application. Developers are free to choose the design pattern of their choice. The React community advocates certain design patterns.
    • One of the patterns is the flux pattern. React library also provides many concepts like higher order components, context, render props, refs etc. to write better code. React Hooks is developing concept to do state management in large projects. Let's try to understand the high-level architecture of a React application.
    • React app starts with a single root component.
    • The core component is created by using one or more components.
    • Each component can be nested with any other component at any level.
    • Composition is one of the core concepts of the React library. Therefore, each component is built by composing smaller components rather than inheriting one component from another.
    • Most of the components are user interface components.
    • React apps may include third-party components for a specific purpose, such as routing, animation, state management, etc.

    Advantage of ReactJS

    1. Easy to Learn and Use

    ReactJS is much easier to learn and use. It comes with a good supply of documentation, tutorials, and training resources. Any developer who comes from a JavaScript background can easily understand and start creating web apps using React in a few days. It is the V(view part) in the MVC (Model-View-Controller) model, and referred to as ?one of the JavaScript frameworks.? It is not fully featured but has the advantage of open-source JavaScript User Interface(UI) library, which helps to execute the task in a better manner.

    2. Creating Dynamic Web Applications Becomes Easier

    To create a dynamic web application specifically with HTML strings was tricky because it requires a complex coding, but React JS solved that issue and makes it easier. It provides less coding and gives more functionality. It makes use of the JSX(JavaScript Extension), which is a particular syntax letting HTML quotes and HTML tag syntax to render particular subcomponents. It also supports the building of machine-readable codes.

    3. Reusable Components

    A ReactJS web application is made up of multiple components, and each component has its own logic and controls. These components are responsible for outputting a small, reusable piece of HTML code which can be reused wherever you need them. The reusable code helps to make your apps easier to develop and maintain. These Components can be nested with other components to allow complex applications to be built of simple building blocks. ReactJS uses virtual DOM based mechanism to fill data in HTML DOM. The virtual DOM works fast as it only changes individual DOM elements instead of reloading complete DOM every time.

    4. Performance Enhancement

    ReactJS improves performance due to virtual DOM. The DOM is a cross-platform and programming API which deals with HTML, XML or XHTML. Most of the developers faced the problem when the DOM was updated, which slowed down the performance of the application. ReactJS solved this problem by introducing virtual DOM. The React Virtual DOM exists entirely in memory and is a representation of the web browser's DOM. Due to this, when we write a React component, we did not write directly to the DOM. Instead, we are writing virtual components that react will turn into the DOM, leading to smoother and faster performance.

    5. Known to be SEO Friendly

    Traditional JavaScript frameworks have an issue in dealing with SEO. The search engines generally having trouble in reading JavaScript-heavy applications. Many web developers have often complained about this problem. ReactJS overcomes this problem that helps developers to be easily navigated on various search engines. It is because React.js applications can run on the server, and the virtual DOM will be rendering and returning to the browser as a regular web page.

    6. The Benefit of Having JavaScript Library

    Today, ReactJS is choosing by most of the web developers. It is because it is offering a very rich JavaScript library. The JavaScript library provides more flexibility to the web developers to choose the way they want.

    7. Scope for Testing the Codes

    ReactJS applications are extremely easy to test. It offers a scope where the developer can test and debug their codes with the help of native tools.

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    About the Creator

    Amisha Shah

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    • lover3 years ago

      nice

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