What is React.js?

React is an open-source JavaScript library developed by Facebook that is used to build interactive and efficient user interfaces (UIs) for web applications. As a library, it’s important to know that it doesn’t compile, but rather transpiles from JSX (JavaScript XML) to JavaScript, which is a code that browsers can understand. React manages a virtual DOM to improve performance and minimize updates to the actual DOM.

Virtual DOM and Real DOM

The Virtual DOM acts as an intermediary layer that allows for efficient updates in memory before applying changes to the Real DOM. This strategy enhances the efficiency and performance of applications by minimizing direct operations with the Real DOM and performing selective updates more efficiently.

Pros of Using React

Virtual DOM: The way React handles the virtual DOM and the Real DOM, improving the efficiency and performance of the application, is a significant advantage. Code Reusability: The component-based approach facilitates the creation of modular and reusable UIs. Community: React has an active community and a broad ecosystem of supporting libraries and tools. Efficient State Management: React offers an efficient state management system, and when combined with libraries like Redux, provides a robust solution for managing the application’s state in a centralized manner.

Cons of Using React

Architecture Decision: React is a library and does not impose a specific structure. The freedom to make architectural decisions can be advantageous but can also be a challenge for teams without experience in making these decisions. Initial Learning Curve: For some developers, especially those new to concepts like JSX, the initial learning curve of React can be steep. Understanding concepts such as components, props, and the component lifecycle can be challenging at first. Different Implementations: Unlike a framework where all the tools are already defined, in React, different implementations can occur due to the number of libraries that exist.