What is React?

React is a JavaScript-based UI development library. Facebook and an open-source developer community run it. Although React is a library rather than a language, it is widely used in web development. The library first appeared in May 2013 and is now one of the most commonly used frontend libraries for web development.

React offers various extensions for entire application architectural support, such as Flux and React Native, beyond mere UI.

Why React?

React’s popularity today has eclipsed that of all other front-end development frameworks. Here is why:

• Easy creation of dynamic applications: React makes it easier to create dynamic web applications because it requires less coding and offers more functionality, as opposed to JavaScript, where coding often gets complex very quickly.
  
  
• Improved performance: React uses Virtual DOM, thereby creating web applications faster. Virtual DOM compares the components’ previous states and updates only the items in the Real DOM that were changed, instead of updating all of the components again, as conventional web applications do.
  
  
• eusable components: Components are the building blocks of any React application, and a single app usually consists of multiple components. These components have their logic and controls, and they can be reused throughout the application, which in turn dramatically reduces the application’s development time.
  
  
• Unidirectional data flow: React follows a unidirectional data flow. This means that when designing a React app, developers often nest child components within parent components. Since the data flows in a single direction, it becomes easier to debug errors and know where a problem occurs in an application at the moment in question.
  
  
• Small learning curve: React is easy to learn, as it mostly combines basic HTML and JavaScript concepts with some beneficial additions. Still, as is the case with other tools and frameworks, you have to spend some time to get a proper understanding of React’s library.
  
  
• It can be used for the development of both web and mobile apps: We already know that React is used for the development of web applications, but that’s not all it can do. There is a framework called React Native, derived from React itself, that is hugely popular and is used for creating beautiful mobile applications. So, in reality, React can be used for making both web and mobile applications.
  
  
• Dedicated tools for easy debugging: Facebook has released a Chrome extension that can be used to debug React applications. This makes the process of debugging React web applications faster and easier.

The above reasons more than justify the popularity of the React library and why it is being adopted by a large number of organizations and businesses. Now let’s familiarize ourselves with React’s features.

My personal experience?

For a good 2 years I didn't go anywhere near any kind of web framework. At the time I was still learning JavaScript and felt that I had no use for it with the current projects I was working on.

It wasnt until the first national lockdown that I became interested in learning a framework. I started by watching alot of online videos on YouTube and even brought a React course from a YouTuber I watch. Realisticly this was the perfect time for me to learn a new skill since there was nothing else to do, so everyday I would sit and watch another chapter of the course and slowly progress, until I was comfortable enough to bring this new skill into my workplace.

My first real project using React was a small blogging system that involved fetching an external API and using React to display the data. I was immediatley hooked after discovering how effective using React actually was. Since that first project, i have stayed well clear of WordPress or any kind of tradtitonal CMS and replaced with a much more modern headless option.