React.js is becoming more and more popular, and it is included in all applications. Even if you don’t know it at all, the time has come to get acquainted.
This is a JavaScript library delivered by Facebook. It was used at the time to create Instagram, and it enables developers to create simple and beautiful interfaces for their apps and websites. Yet, there are much more React.js can do to improve user experience.
Developers recommend it for building large and flexible applications. React allows data changes without reloading the pages, which makes it scalable and fast. It corresponds to the MVC template view and can be easily combined with any other JavaScript framework, including Angular JS.
Do you need React.JS?
The answer is very simple: you do. You should give it priority over other JavaScript market options, such as Vue.js and Angular. Why is that so?
Flexibility
The flexibility of ReactJS development is just remarkable. Learned and experienced users can tweak it any way they want and use it to build quality interfaces on any platform. Remember: React is a library and not a framework. The vast array of resources only libraries can offer is what makes React that remarkable.
The library focuses on a single thing: creating the necessary components for a web application. When we say component, we mean anything you can find in an app, such as grids, text, labels, or buttons.
Seeing how popular React is becoming, developers expanded its ecosystem in a way that covers multiple use scenarios. For example, you can use React on a static site by employing the Gatsby tool. Electron, on the other hand, can be used for desktop apps that run on mac and windows alike. That’s how good the technology behind React.js is.
Last but not least, React integrates with Next.js to enable server rendering for its components. Thanks to React VR, you can develop virtual reality websites and offer 360 experiences.
Development Of Native Mobile Apps
The most celebrated moment in React’s history is the introduction of React Native in 2015. The library got a framework used for the development of mobile applications.
The React Native framework is very powerful and enables the creation of truly native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and the web. The framework doesn’t rely on WebView to display web content on a mobile screen. Instead, it develops hybrid cross-platform applications using HTML.
It follows a very simple ideology: “learn once, write any time”. Plus, you don’t need any extra knowledge or training to use React Native.
Next to its high performance, React will please you with cost-efficiency. You can reduce loading times and push instant updates at a fraction of the usual price. This makes it a top choice for mobile development, as opposed to other hardware-enabled frameworks.
Components You Can Reuse
The structure of React is component-based. Think of the components as your puzzle pieces – you start with the smaller ones around the corners and move slowly towards the middle. Namely, you create the dropdown menus, checkboxes, or buttons, and only then wrap them up and write the high-end pieces from them. You will be working with a single component, and that is your app.
Rendering can be different for any component, as they follow their internal logic. This is a rare approach in mobile development work, but it produces amazing results. Components are always within reach, and you can re-use them as often as you want. This also takes some background work off your shoulders. The tool takes care of preserving a consistent look, maintaining your codebase, or easily developing a second app when you need it.
Top-notch Tools For Developers
The toolkit will be decisive to any developer looking for a new framework. React is an excellent choice, as it brings together the React Developer Tools and Redux Developer Tools. You can install any of them as a Chrome extension.
Unparalleled Flexibility
React JS puts the developer in control. It can be used for all sorts of projects, such as mobile apps, hybrid apps, SPAs, or even TV apps.
It is also very simple to combine it. It works with several third-party tools that make it possible to build complex and large web applications. Whatever you do, React JS will optimize your performance.
Optimized Performance
Speaking of performance, you will once again not be disappointed. Developers identified the speed issues of the tool at a very early stage and made sure they are out of the way. The new version minimizes DOM changes since React updates DOM intelligently and effectively.
React JS is unique when it comes to DOM updates. All other libraries and frameworks still rely on DOM updates and cause significant delays.
Trouble-Free Testing
React is very user-friendly, especially when it comes to testing.
- We all know how problematic traditional UI browser testing can be. React, on the other hand, requires almost no configuration or setup to run the tests.
- Traditional UI testing is performed on browsers. With React, you can test each component separately, thanks to the node command line.
- Traditional UI testing takes time. React’s command-line testing takes significantly less time. It even lets you run multiple test suites simultaneously.
- Traditional UI browser testing requires time and maintenance efforts. In React, you can write the test quickly, thanks to tools such as Enzyme and Jest.
Who Uses React Already?
As flexible and compact as it is, React can be useful to any developer. It offers a bunch of seriously good features but works equally well for old and new users.
As of its release in 2013, the tool has been used by Uber and Airbnb. You will also see it on the BBC news reporting channel and the official Dropbox app.
SPAs
SPAs help preserve repetitive items on the same web page, regardless of the action that is undertaken. They are used foremost on informative headboards and menu sections. The item is always there, and it updates automatically when you click on it.
If you don’t realize how important this is, think of Netflix. Would it be just as fun if you had to scroll each time you wanted to see a suggestion?
React. Js is the perfect tool to use for SPAs and content updates. The library provides Redux and Virtual DOM, and they both handle content updates rigorously.
Dynamic Websites
Dynamic websites are created for multiple users and rely on React. js to cater to their needs. Your users won’t have to refresh the page endlessly, resulting in many of them eventually getting tired and deleting the app.
React uses Virtual DOM, which means it creates very responsive and very fast pages.
Mobile Apps
React Native will help you create beautiful Smart TV apps and mobile apps. It guarantees that your mobile app will have all functionalities of a website, and look and feel like it. Better yet, you will be flexible enough to add and remove components as you wish.
Powerful Dashboards with Data Visualization Tools
If you want to use Data Visualisation tools, you need to count on more updates than usual. You also need a nifty dashboard to accommodate your business intelligence information. The dashboard is, in fact, a SPA on the clients’ side, and may have significant effects on the app’s loading times.
React brings value also in this aspect. Thanks to JavaScript, you can use the same code on the server- and the client-side and achieve rendering much faster. As a result, users get to see the website almost immediately.
Huge Community
Altogether, React.js has 160K stars on GitHub and counts as one of the top 5 repositories. You will find recommendations on it all over the web, particularly by large user communities. It is the preferred solution of many Fortune 500 companies, such as Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, and Netflix.
Better yet, the background specialists in charge of the maintenance are the specialists working on Facebook’s system. This is perhaps all you need to know. The tool is tested several times and counts as one of the most prominent app development tools worldwide. If you want to learn more, follow the dedicated Facebook blog with updates and insights.
Final Thoughts
As you read, there are plenty of reasons to consider React.js for your next app. This amazing frontend framework can enhance your users’ experience without breaking the bank.
