React is the new black.
Our tech team loves using and trying trending technologies. We adore the development of IT world and follow every new step of it. Since the React library was created by Facebook team we decided to get to know with it and it turned out that React is awesome.
We decided to write this article and show you why it is so popular at the moment, what makes it so amazing and tell you about projects we have completed using React and (spoiler) React Native.
Let’s start from the very beginning, so what is React js?
React is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
React allows developers to create large web-applications that use data that can change over time, without reloading the page.
Sounds good, right? Let’s see the other positive sides that make React truly amazing:
1. Simple and understandable.
That’s true, React is pretty clear to understand. Since it based on component approach, has clearly defined lifecycle – it can be easily learned, and then applied in creating professional web and mobile applications.
React uses a special syntax called JSX, that allows to mix HTML with JavaScript. It’s not a strict rule – the code can still be written in plain JavaScript – but we would strongly suggest to try this new syntax because it makes the process of coding really smooth. In addition, Reactjs has strong community and great support that can always give you a helping hand.
2. Components.
Application created using React is a set of components that are written by a developer himself or imported from the community. You may ask, why components are such a great thing? These are the answers:
- It is not hard to combine two simple components and get more advanced one.
- The sample component can be reused multiple times.
- Components are well isolated from each other and that is the reason why they can be tested smoothly.
ReactJs applications usually look like a hierarchy tree. Root or parent components manage child components and pass state to them, and child components just render things based on that input to the state.
3. Efficient
The logic of React implies that it creates its own Virtual DOM where all the components are located. That fact can help to increase overall performance due to the fact that React calculates what changes need to be made in the DOM beforehand and updates the DOM tree accordingly.
4. SEO-friendly.
It is not a secret that sort of “weakness” of most of JavaScript frameworks is that they are not really great for SEO. In general, search engines do not really like to handle with heavy JavaScript applications.
React is kind of a “black swan” among the others because React can be run on the server, and the virtual DOM will be rendered and returned to the browser as a regular web page.
5. Created by Facebook.
React is open source now, but if we turn back earlier – originally, React was created by Facebook engineers only for internal processes. Sometime after, Facebook developers understood that they have created sort of a piece of art and it would be unfair to keep it in secret.
At the moment React is used for truly exciting products like Instagram, WhatsApp, Netflix and New York Times. Impressive, right?
6. Native mobile applications (React native)
It is so great that at the moment Using only JavaScript is it possible to create real native mobile applications.
React Native is not the same as plain React but still, understanding the logic it is pretty simple to become also a mobile developer.
As for us – we did this. Our latest project HeyLandLord, which consists of two parts – web application and mobile application is created using React and React Native.
That helped us to make it transparent, functional and high –performance. We would be happy to share more of our experience with React and React Native and tell you more about which projects can be implemented using this technology.