React is probably the world’s most popular JavaScript framework for developing user interfaces for websites and web systems. It is mainly maintained by Facebook and a huge community of developers.
React is component-based, it divides the user interface into components. Each component represents a part of the interface and can be reused and combined to create more complex interfaces.
JSX: React uses a syntax called JSX, which allows developers to write HTML-like code within JavaScript. JSX makes it easier to create and understand the structure of components.
Virtual DOM
React uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) to streamline updates to the web page interface. When data changes, React compares the new virtual DOM with the old one and updates only the parts of the DOM that have changed, improving performance.
Unidirectional Data Flow
React has a unidirectional data flow, which means that data flows from parent components to child components. This makes it easier to understand how data moves through the application and to troubleshoot problems.
Key Features
State and Props
React components can have an internal state that manages dynamic data. Props are the data passed to components from their parents.
Lifecycle Methods: React components have various lifecycle methods that can be used to execute code at specific points in the component’s lifecycle, such as when the component is mounted, updated, or dismounted.
Hooks
Hooks are functions that allow you to use state and other React features in functional components, making it easier to write and maintain components.
Ecosystem
React is just one of many tools in a complete development stack. Some other common tools and libraries used with React include:
Redux: A library for managing application state.
React Router: A library for handling routing in a React application.
Webpack/Babel: Tools for packaging and transpiling JavaScript code.
Areas of use
React is used to build websites and web systems with nice interactivity and short loading times. We have developed dozens of websites, e-shops and web systems in React. Contact us if you are thinking about using React in websites or web systems.