React

Brief Overview

React lets you build user interfaces out of individual pieces called components. Create your own React components like Thumbnail, LikeButton, and Video. Then combine them into entire screens, pages, and apps.

React components receive data and return what should appear on the screen. You can pass them new data in response to an interaction, like when the user types into an input. React will then update the screen to match the new data.

React is a library. It lets you put components together, but it doesn’t prescribe how to do routing and data fetching. To build an entire app with React, we recommend a full-stack React framework like Next.js.

Installation

The Installation can depend on what framework you want to use it with.

To create a simple Vite React App, run:

npm create vite@latest <your-app-name> -- --template react

And that’s it! Vite sets you app with a small example app to show you how to structure your project and how to use React.

Key Features

• Create user interfaces from components: Whether you work on your own or with thousands of other developers, using React feels the same. It is designed to let you seamlessly combine components written by independent people, teams, and organizations.
• Write components with code and markup: React components are JavaScript functions. Want to show some content conditionally? Use an if statement. Displaying a list? Try array map(). Learning React is learning programming.
• Add interactivity wherever you need it: You don’t have to build your whole page in React. Add React to your existing HTML page, and render interactive React components anywhere on it.
• Go full-stack with a framework: React is also an architecture. Frameworks that implement it let you fetch data in asynchronous components that run on the server or even during the build. Read data from a file or a database, and pass it down to your interactive components.
• Use the best from every platform: People love web and native apps for different reasons. React lets you build both web apps and native apps using the same skills. It leans upon each platform’s unique strengths to let your interfaces feel just right on every platform.

Conclusion

React is a library that excels at breaking applications into modular components. It empowers developers to handle data dynamically, making it an excellent choice for data-driven user interfaces. While React excels at the front end, it doesn’t dictate routing or data fetching solutions, making full-stack frameworks like Next.js a complement.