One can either use plain JavaScript or ReactJS to build the front end of web applications. Choosing between the same is confusing until you understand what JavaScript and ReactJS are and why we use ReactJS instead of JavaScript.
Understanding JavaScript
It is a scripting language, predominantly used for web development. It is employed to develop interactive and dynamic web pages. It facilitates manipulation of the Document Object Model and responds to user actions well.
Understanding ReactJS
ReactJS is a well-known open-source JavaScript library used to build user interfaces. It is maintained by Facebook. It is a community of developers. It serves as an efficient way to create interactive web applications.
Using React can simplify the entire development process because it offers more structured ways to create complex user interfaces.
With Plain JavaScript, one can manipulate DOM directly. So, there is the creation of UI elements in HTML on the server; the same is then sent to the browser. Here, a developer may be required to select HTML and at the same time, revise properties. Also, there is handling of user interactions by using event listeners. Though it can give you full control, the process may turn more complex. On the other hand, Using ReactJS can simplify this process due to its component-based approach. The UI is broken into usable parts, known as components. The HTML can be mixed with JavaScript more intrinsically. Furthermore, React updates DOM efficiently. All it needs is to re-render the components which have been revised. This can lead to the better performance.
Component-Based Architecture
By using React, developers create components to be reused across different parts of an application; which means one can write a component once and use it several times. This reduces code duplication. It makes updates easier. Every component manages its logic. So, if you make changes in one component, it does not affect others. So, using React JS can lead to cleaner code.
Better Code Organization
React breaks UI into small components which promotes a modular approach to development. The structure of an application is easy to understand. It is also easier to identify functionality. Different developers can work on different components simultaneously without interfering with each other’s code.
JSX (JavaScript XML)
JavaScript XML makes it possible to write HTML-like syntax directly within JavaScript. This makes visualizing the structure of the UI easier. It improves readability. New developers comprehend the layout with ease. Furthermore, one can combine markup and logic in one place. This reduces the need for separate template files. It simplifies the development process.
Virtual DOM
ReactJS uses Virtual DOM which minimizes the number of direct interactions with actual DOM. When there are changes, react calculates efficiently to update the UI. This could lead to faster rendering. This can get you a smoother user experience. Only the parts of DM are updated by React, instead of React re-rendering the whole UI. Selective updating can improve performance, especially in large applications.
State Management
React provides tools using which one can manage component states more effectively. One can track and update the state of components easily. This also allows for dynamic and responsive user interfaces. Libraries from Context API and Redux can be easily integrated with React to manage the global state of the application. It makes it a lot easier to share data across components and also maintain a predictable state flow.
SEO
Before sending pages on the server to the browser, React renders them which improves search engine optimization. This is especially beneficial for web applications that rely on search engine traffic.
Apart from this, there is a controlled data flow in React. Using props, data flows from one direction, from parent components to the child components. This is one-way binding which could mean child components cannot modify the state of the parent. So, the chances of unexpected behaviour in your application are reduced. Furthermore, React Hooks such as useEffect, useState, etc. allow the developer to use state and lifecycle methods in functional components. This can lead to less code. It is a more straightforward approach compared to class components. There are many such benefits of using React over JavaScript.
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