This article will explain why React is so much loved by big corporations and the JS developers community
General Characteristics
React is one of the most popular technologies on the JS market. Also known as React.js, React is an open-source JavaScript library. Its story dates back to 2013 when Jordan Walke launched React together with his team. The benefits of React have made this library a top favorite tool for front-end development. It is also applied in single-page development and PWA solutions.
React definition. Source: keenethics.com
Today, React is used to build powerful user interfaces and their components. Initially, the library was aimed at web interface development. Yet, developers have extended its functionality to building mobile, IoT, as well as AR/VR experiences. As React is an open-source technology, it has its followers and lovers all over the world. React has a large community of developers. They like this library for its simplicity, university, stability, and performance.
Jordan Walke, the creator of React, has been a software developer at Facebook. This is why the Facebook community has been actively supporting the React library. Their developers released the last version of React, 17.0.2, in March 2021. Moreover, they regularly release updates and improvements, maintaining high quality. But before diving deeper into React applicability, let’s review several metrics based on which React can be evaluated.
Metrics Overview
- Universality
React is a component-based technology. It allows for high flexibility and universality. Developers can pair React with nearly all JavaScript libraries. Also, the dev team can accompany the React JS development process with other tools boosting speed. The only requirement for them is to be well acquainted with and stick to React style guidelines.
- Speed
Speed is one of the most appreciated characteristics of React. Since this technology uses a virtual DOM, the solutions made with React are much faster and performant. Unlike the real dom, the virtual DOM allows for partial refreshes, saving time and resources. The speed React gives makes this technology more reliable as compared to other frameworks.
- Reliability
React allows developers to reuse code. Code reusability presupposes that code components are reused multiple times. Instead of devoting time to generating new code, developers use the same one and avoid mistakes in this way. Without extra effort, they can use code combinations to develop user interface functionalities.
- Learning
Learning challenge is a metric describing how understandable a technology is. People starting their career in software development particularly love working with React. This library is low in terms of the learning curve. Unlike other tools, it requires an engineer to have a basic knowledge of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.
React overview. Source: keenethics.com
- Data Flow
One-way or unidirectional data flow is possible with React. What does it mean for a developer? It means that if they change smaller chunks of data, these changes do not influence bigger chunks, or parent elements. It reduces the chances of serious mistakes in code and bugs. As a result, developers achieve high stability and performance.
- Support
Facebook is the main supporter and patron of React. Apart from Facebook, there is a large open-source community of developers. They make their contribution to the official React repository on GitHub. Here, they exchange updates and address issues. React allows software engineers to keep pace with the latest framework improvements.
- Applicability
React was launched as a tool for front-end development. Now, however, it is used for complex solution development. The latter may involve not only web development but also IoT, AR/VR, PWA, or SPAs development. Moreover, software engineers can facilitate development with packages and libraries compatible with React.
Solutions Built with React
A lot of popular apps used by people daily were developed with React. Here are some of these:
Netflix
Many people treat watching Netflix as a way to relax. However, not all of them know Netflix is a platform built with React. The Netflix development team want to provide the best experience to Netflix lovers. They were investigating technologies which could be involved in the development of a powerful website. Their goal was to find a fast, performant, and modular tool. When the team made sure React meets their requirements, they applied this library for front-end development.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has also joined the list of React lovers. In 2015, BBC’s development team initiated a change of the website’s homepage. The new version significantly improved the user experience. Andrew Hillel, one of the team members, shared the positive results of such a decision in BBC’s corporate blog. According to Hillel, React earned the respect of BBC because of its powerful support and relevance.
As mentioned above, Facebook developers created React. This is why it is not a surprise that Facebook uses React for improvement. For instance, thanks to this library, users can partially reload the page instead of reloading it entirely. It saves time and improves the user experience. One might even assume that React is the reason why Facebook remains popular across the globe.
Solutions built with React. Source: keenethics.com
There are far more websites using React. Pinterest, Airbnb, Alibaba, Twitter, Whatsapp, New York Times, and many others have recognized the power of this library. If you want to join the list, hire React developers who will turn your plan into a powerful React solution.
In Conclusion
Let’s summarize the powers of React. First of all, React offers speed. It can be quickly set up, which works well in cases when a client wants to start a project ASAP. Secondly, the code reusability and flexibility of React allow developers to create responsive and interactive user experiences. It accelerates the development of a solution, making the cooperation within a team more dynamic and efficient.
React can be applied for almost any type of project, from simple SPA development to VR or IoT applications. Accessing up-to-date documentation, software engineers use React for both web and mobile development. They may integrate it with other technologies, creating sophisticated, powerful, and complex solutions.