Why use React JS for Web Development?

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Facebook engineers originally developed it, and the library is used in several of Facebook's web applications. React allows developers to create views that look like HTML but behave like JavaScript objects. This makes it possible for developers to create reusable UI components which can be easily rendered to the DOM and modified using JavaScript code. React has been proven to work well with frameworks like AngularJS and Backbone, but using it directly can be more efficient and flexible. React can also be used with other libraries, such as jQuery and Velocity, giving you even more options for your frontend development projects. However, in the article, we will discuss some of the important aspects of React Js development. 

What is React JS?

React JS is an open-source JavaScript library created by Facebook in 2011. Developers use React to build reusable UI components that can be put together to build complex applications. The library was designed to address challenges encountered when developing large-scale responsive applications using other technologies such as AngularJS and jQuery. With frameworks like Next.js, React may be used as a foundation for developing single-page, mobile, or server-rendered applications. React, on the other hand, is solely concerned with state management and rendering that information to the DOM, so constructing React apps frequently necessitates the usage of extra frameworks for routing and client-side functionality.

Why use React JS for Web Development

React Js is a simple, lightweight framework that only works with a web page's view layer. However, it has a simple learning curve, making it easier to start with than its Angular cousin when utilizing JavaScript. Furthermore, React Js could be used for web development for various reasons. 

1. Create user interfaces with unique features.

Netflix is an excellent example of a company that employs React to create rich user interfaces that increase user engagement. Users can watch trailer previews from the main feed and evaluate supplementary information using the React frontend framework. It's all about responsiveness and interactions in rich user interfaces. UI developers can write leaner and cleaner scripts now that rendering is mainly automated. Developers can concentrate on creating rich user interfaces rather than debugging complex code. 

2. Create Your Own Components 

Standard components might be tedious at times. Developers are given full rein to contribute something unique to the web UI as organizations want to differentiate themselves from the competition. This necessitates using bespoke components that differ in look, behavior, or both. It's not easy to create custom components and perform them flawlessly in the browser. At least not without the help of React. Developers can easily alter how a component acts on the UI using the JSX extension for React. JSX is compatible with all browsers and supports HTML script. It allows developers to create bespoke components that reflect their creativity. 

3. React is easier to learn. 

You can easily get started with React if you have a functional understanding of HTML-CSS and a rudimentary comprehension of programming concepts. It may take some time to adjust to React's unique ways if you're coming from another framework or library. Apart from that, React has no concepts or features that are difficult to grasp. A wealth of documentation is accessible online to assist you with everything ReactJS-related.

4. Support Community

On GitHub, React is one of the top five most popular repositories. It has a sizable community of JavaScript developers that are always creating new solutions and tools. The official library now includes a large number of user-developed programs. You can tap into a wide community of professionals to address any problems. Furthermore, this is a fantastic method to stay informed. React has about 180K stars on Github and around 10 million npm downloads per week as of January 2022.

5. React Offers Reusable Components

Upgrades to reusable components often cause a slew of issues because each change can affect the functionality of other components. Developers can easily manage updates with React since all of the components are isolated, and changes in one do not affect the others. ReactJS components are self-contained, reusable code chunks. If necessary, you can give input (props), and the component will return a rendered HTML element. You can use them as the main JavaScript function or a class component, a JavaScript class with a render method.

6. React is has Virtual DOMS

The DOM tree has to be rendered every time the HTML code changes, whether due to user input or value adjustments, which takes a long time and consumes a lot of power. The use of Virtual DOMs by ReactJS saves the day here. The Document Object Model (DOM) is a tree-based interface for representing HTML and XML code. A web browser creates a DOM-like model to generate output, considering each object/element of HTML code as a node in the DOM tree.  React just makes a copy of the DOM and keeps it in memory as a cache. It evaluates the Virtual DOM every time a change is performed and determines which tree nodes and components need to be updated. The tree can be updated rapidly and efficiently with just a little modification in the DOM. This saves a lot of time for developers and makes the software incredibly speedy and responsive.

When to Use React Js?

We addressed why React Ks are important and why you should use them in the previous section, but it's also vital to know when to utilize them. React may save a lot of time, effort, and money in frontend development when used effectively. You should utilize React if you're working on a frontend UI requiring much user interaction. It's a chore to code all of those interactive features and tie time to the underlying business logic. Because React handles the lower-level algorithm, you'll only have to worry about the interface's view model. If your existing code base is growing out of hand, you'll want to switch to React. Discipline is required when writing hundreds of lines of code for UI. Otherwise, it'll only be a matter of time until the codebase becomes too difficult to troubleshoot. Do your visitors complain about slowness and unresponsive pages on your website? If this is the case, the DOM is experiencing too much reloading. React's virtual DOM will come in helpful in ensuring that the website's performance isn't harmed and that your visitors are satisfied. Even if your project isn't UI-related, you should consider utilizing React because it's easier to find talent. Because of its popularity, many developers have adopted React as part of their toolkit.

Pros and Cons of React Js

React's flexibility makes it a reasonable choice for almost any frontend development. Plus, all the benefits it holds, some of which we have seen in the previous section and some that are yet to unfold. However, React has some cons which are worthy of note, and we will in this section discuss the pros and cons of React JS. Pros of React Js;

1. User-friendly 

It's a lot easier to learn and use ReactJS. It includes a lot of documentation, tutorials, and training materials. Any developer with JavaScript experience can quickly learn React and start building web apps in a few days. It is one of the JavaScript frameworks and is the V (view portion) in the MVC (Model-View-Controller) model. It isn't completely featured, but it does have the benefit of an open-source JavaScript User Interface(UI) library, which aids in the task's execution.

2. Flexibility 

It was difficult to construct a dynamic web application with HTML strings since it required extensive coding, but React JS eliminated that problem and made it easy. It requires less coding while providing more features. It employs the JSX (JavaScript Extension) syntax, which is a special grammar that allows HTML quotes and HTML tag syntax to render certain subcomponents. It also allows you to create machine-readable codes.

3. Enhanced performance 

The virtual DOM in ReactJS enhances performance. The Document Object Model (DOM) is a cross-platform computer programming API for dealing with HTML, XML, and XHTML. When the DOM was upgraded, most developers encountered a bug that hindered the application's speed. The introduction of virtual DOM in ReactJS solved this problem. The React Virtual DOM is a version of the web browser's DOM that exists entirely in memory. As a result, we didn't write directly to the DOM while writing a React component. Instead, we're developing virtual components that react to the DOM, resulting in a smoother and faster experience.

4. Tool Availability 

React JS has also grown in popularity due to the availability of a useful collection of tools. These technologies make the developers' jobs easier and more understandable. The React Developer Tools are a Chrome and Firefox developer extension that lets you analyze React component hierarchies in the virtual DOM. You can also select certain components and inspect and update their current properties and state.

5. SEO-Friendly

When it comes to SEO, traditional JavaScript frameworks have a problem. JavaScript-heavy applications are usually difficult for search engines to read. This is a problem that many web developers have expressed their dissatisfaction with. ReactJS solves this problem, making it easier for developers to find their way through multiple search engines. Because React.js applications can execute on the server, and the virtual DOM will render and return to the browser as a standard web page, this is the case.

6. The Benefit of Having a JavaScript Library

The majority of web developers are now using ReactJS. It's because it comes with a large JavaScript library. Web developers have more freedom with the JavaScript library since they can use it in whatever way they wish. Furthermore, ReactJS applications are very simple to test. It provides a platform for developers to test and debug their programs using native tools.

Cons of React Js

1. The high pace of development

The rapid speed of progress has both benefits and drawbacks. In the event of a disadvantage, because the environment is always changing, some developers are hesitant to relearn new ways of doing things frequently. With all of the constant upgrades, it may be difficult for them to absorb all of these changes. They must keep their abilities up to date and acquire new ways of doing things regularly.

2. Poor Documentation

Another disadvantage of continuously changing technologies is this. React technologies are evolving and developing rapidly, so there is no time to document them properly. To get around this, developers write their own instructions when new versions and tools in their present projects evolve.

3. View part

ReactJS cover only the UI Layers of the app. As a result, you'll need to pick a few more technologies to complete the development toolkit for the project.

4. JSX as a barrier

ReactJS use QJSX. It's a syntax extension that lets you mix HTML with JavaScript. Although this method has its advantages, some development community members regard JSX as a barrier, particularly for beginning developers. Developers bemoan the steepness of the learning curve.

Conclusion

React JS has been growing quickly in popularity since its release in 2013. React JS is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It's just the view part of a web application. It can be used in combination with other libraries or frameworks. If you have learned React Js could be your best choice for your next web development, you can weigh its pros and cons. Hence, this article has served its purpose. Mobirevo is a React Native development company in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, with experience in creating rich web applications, including SaaS and PaaS, that have the same or wider capabilities as desktop applications. We have vast design and technical experience in React Native application development services and are available 24/7 to provide support to our customers. Get in touch with us, and let’s talk about making your SaaS ideas a reality! Our dedicated development team has extensive experience. You can contact us today to get a free quote. Our team at Mobirevo strives to provide unrivaled services to all of our valued clients. You can also check out our case study page to see our client’s portfolio and better understand the quality of products we deliver. Also, contact us if you have any questions about our services, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Want to receive more content like this? You can signup for our newsletter, which features curated opinions and product discovery tools for building remarkable digital assets. If you sign up for our weekly newsletter, you will be the first to know when we publish awesome content like this. You can also visit our blog to see other content created with love by our amazing team.