When it comes to creating innovative, interactive applications for the web, there is one tool that is typically favored by developers above all others – React JS, also known as React JavaScript. This is a JavaScript library that was created by Facebook to develop user interfaces (UI), or front-end web applications. If you’re on the hunt for an expert, the chances are high that you will see React JS developer description pretty high up on their list of skills and expertise – and there’s a very good reason for this. Even with the huge range of options on the market, React JS remains one of the most popular options for developers, and for those working on a wide variety of applications and websites. So just why is this such a popular pick, and what sets it apart from the crowd? Read on to discover everything you need to know about the benefits of using React JS.
Flexibility
React JS is a library that contains a range of components designed for web applications. These components can be anything from grids to buttons, labels to texts. This distinction is important, as it is part of what helps to make React JS so flexible; it offers more freedom than a framework. Libraries are lightweight and contain a wide range of different tools; not only can you build an application, but you can also use the tools outside of that creation. Developers can use the tool to create static sites, desktop applications, and even virtual reality websites and 360 experiences. Developers can also make smaller changes to existing apps and creations, which saves a huge amount of time, making React JS incredibly useful to businesses.
Developer Experience
Developers favor React JS largely because it is smooth and easy to use. When using the tool, the developer simply imports the React JS library into the Message component, which will return JSX. JSX is a syntax that emulates HTML, converting the API calls of React JS to render HTML. Other traditional frameworks will use JavaScript inside HTML, while React JS uses the JSX version of HTML inside JavaScript, allowing you to deal with pure HTML and JavaScript. Learn more about where to hire a React JS developer.
Strong Support and Resources
One of the major advantages of React JS is that it has substantial backing in the form of resources and support – namely, from Facebook. React JS is used across Instagram and Facebook in both website and app form, and there are over 50,000 React JS contributors in the production environment. This means that there is plenty of support and resources available and any changes are automatically updated and replaced with the new specifications. This keeps the developers ahead of changes and allows them to work more quickly.
In addition to support from Facebook, React JS also has strong support from the community and is the option of choice for many Fortune 500 companies. Support and answers are readily available, and this also applies to components. The popularity of React JS means that there are plenty of libraries already available on the web; once again, this is a huge time saver.
Quality Performance
While JavaScript is a very popular language for programmers and developers, it does have an issue. Each site contains a Document Object Model (DOM), which is a structured representation of all the HTML elements present in an app or webpage. When the user clicks or changes the page which requires a refresh – for example, adding a comment to a blog – the DOM needs to update. This can be slow when using JavaScript alone. This, in turn, slows down the website and can have a negative impact on your User Experience, as well as the SEO of your site. The longer it takes to load, the lower you’ll rank on search engines such as Google.
React JS, however, minimizes the changes which are made to the DOM by focusing only on what is necessary. Rather than follow tradition and update the entire page to reflect the new state, React JS creates a copy of the original DOM. This is known as the “Virtual DOM” and is used to monitor the values of each component’s state. When a single component changes, such as a user making a comment, React JS can compare the condition of the existing DOM state with what the new DOM should look like. It then goes on to find the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to update the original DOM.
Not only does this speed up the entire process, but it also ensures that your layout remains intact, as only the required changes are made. React can alter and change state’s automatically, as soon as the data gets updated, and this change occurs in the memory – this is faster and more efficient, reducing the strain on the CPU and helping to preserve the battery. This means you can enjoy improved performance with reduced strain on the system.
Ease of Testing
User testing is an essential part of any developer’s job, and the design and construction of React JS make it user friendly and easy to test, largely due to the lack of configuration required for testing. Testing can also be carried out using the node command line rather than in a browser, which speeds up the process significantly. It allows multiple test suites to be run at one time, which is a real time saver when you have a big project. The prevalence of React JS means that there are also plenty of frameworks that allow you to test.
Why Choose React JS?
JavaScript holds almost 90% of web development share in the market today, and this is having a huge impact on the popularity of React JS. When investing in React JS developer skills, you are also investing in a high performing, fast, and effective tool which can be the difference between a good site, and one which knocks competitors off the top spot. Getting to grips with React JS means that you’re taking your site to the next level and investing in the best of the best.
