React JS (also known as React) was by Facebook engineer Jordan Walke in 2013 and was to the public in 2015. It’s been gaining more and more traction ever since its release, with companies like Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb using it to handle their front-end JavaScript development. So what’s the big deal about React? What does it do that makes it so popular among such large companies? Keep reading to find out!
What Is React?
Facebook released React in 2013, and it quickly became one of the most popular frameworks for creating user interfaces. It has seen widespread adoption at Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and Walmart to name a few. Facebook manages over 3 billion active users across the globe. They have been around since 2004 with 800 million daily active users. Their head engineer on React is Jordan Walke. In 2016 they decided to publish React as open source software because they wanted it to be accessible to everyone and work anywhere so that developers could customize its abilities to fit their project needs.
How Does It Work?
Developers are now exploring how to incorporate Node.js and React together in order to produce a powerful client-side web application. Node.js provides a server framework, HTTP request implementation, streaming data implementation, and asynchronous programming functionality that can be beneficial for the creation of front-end web applications with React.
In the meantime, developers should see these synergies as an opportunity to take advantage of what each tool has to offer for their app’s backend and front-end development needs.
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Benefits of using react for front-end development
It is obvious to see the benefits that React can provide for front-end development, but there are also some lesser-known pros. For example, Facebook uses React to build a completely serverless app called Slingshot, which is their competitor to Snapchat. Also, their lead product designer Alex Priest states When we were on jQuery we could tell people what they needed to buy and where it was at all times. Now it’s more like ‘Let’s just show everything and let them figure it out.’ This quote shows the shift in UI design with using react because you have much more freedom as an engineer to choose how you want your interface to look without worrying about constant redesigns on Photoshop.
Why Use Node.js with React?
JavaScript is not just limited to the browser. Node.js is a platform on which JavaScript can be outside the browser. This new ReactJS environment provides a way for developers to create backends, cross-platform APIs, and desktop apps all with one language: JavaScript.
Businesses in various industries such as retail, real estate, banking and financial services are able to create powerful applications without being bogged down by code conflicts or having multiple programmers needed for different tasks or platforms.
With these applications, we can focus on features that serve user needs rather than focusing on developing redundant features across different platforms. React’s simple interface allows even novice programmers to collaborate effectively and tackle complex programming tasks which enable fast development cycles that keep up with quick changes in business requirements.
How Does One Get Started with ReactJS?
What is React.js? Founded by Jordan Walke, React.js is an open-source, JavaScript library that uses a virtual DOM to improve performance. Its goal is to render what will be on the screen and make it as minimal as possible for faster response times.
t also takes input data to determine what should be next in the DOM (Document Object Model). It does this through its component architecture with each component being reusable and lightweight.
All you need to know about ReactJS ReactJS is an open source front-end web development library based on Javascript and developed by Facebook released in 2013.
Best Practices to Remember When Working with React.js
1. Understand how and when to use props and state. The state should be when data needs to be shown on the page. Props are the properties that are down from parent components to child components. Learn about them both so you can make the most informed decisions for your specific project.
2. Do not access DOM elements directly in React.
There is a library ReactDOM which allows React code to communicate with the browser. This helps prevent you from making direct changes to the DOM, as it is inflexible, difficult to debug, and can cause instability in your application if things are done incorrectly or improperly. Using ReactDOM will ensure a smoother development process for complex projects.
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Best Resources to Learn About React.js
There are a lot of React.js tutorials and guides out there, so it’s worth taking the time to do your research on which one is right for you. Here are some good resources to help you get with React.js:
1) Getting with React by Facebook offers great content and explains fundamental concepts while introducing technical terms that they use in their codebase as well as terminology in the industry in general (e.g., virtual DOM).
It starts by breaking down a basic app and continuing to build off that throughout the rest of the tutorial (of course not everything will make sense if you don’t know what CSS is, but they explain that too!). After completing this series, readers should have an idea about how to write their own app using React.