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Web development heavily depends on frameworks and libraries for streamlined coding. Hence, creating a web application or website, you must decide what framework is best for your needs. We recommend React.js as one of the top choices. It offers a wealth of reusable components, ensures proper performance, makes apps SEO-friendly, and has other merits.
This article lists the key reasons to use React.js for web app development. Keep reading to learn what makes it so good, or contact Leobit to pick a tech stack with professional help.
About React.js
React.js (commonly known as React) is an open-source front-end JavaScript library used for creating interfaces for applications and websites. Jordan Walke, a software developer at Facebook, designed it in 2011, and since then, React.js has been gaining popularity. Market leaders like Dropbox, Instagram, Airbnb, Walmart, Skype, and Wix use React.js for their software.
This library is known for its reusable coding capabilities and easily integrable UI components. These features considerably reduce the development time without sacrificing the quality of the end product. React.js is the second most favored framework, with 42.62% of respondents using it. It’s only several percent less popular than Node.js.
Top-used web frameworks among software engineers
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What is React Used For?
Choosing a library for web development, you must take a custom approach. In other words, you must understand the most critical characteristics of your future software and pick accordingly. For example, React.js is a perfect choice if you care about SEO. Those who work on enterprise-level apps may prefer a library or framework more suitable for large development teams.
Here are the cases when React.js yields the best results:
- SPA. React is great for single-page applications since it allows you to update web page content without reloading or refreshing the page.
- Large social media sites. Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit apply React.js for front-end development for a reason. It enables convenient navigation and quick content rendering.
- Streaming services.
- CRM systems.
Thus, if you develop any of such apps, React.js may be what you need. Yet note that it also shows outstanding performance in other use cases, so it’s better to analyze each project’s tech stack individually.
9 Reasons to Use React.js for Web Development
Despite new libraries being released every year, software engineers keep choosing React.js. Here are the capabilities that make it stand out from alternatives:
1. Reusable Components
React.js components are independent pieces of code. You only need to specify a component once to be able to use it many times afterward. This feature considerably speeds up the development process and is particularly useful for solutions with many similar elements. For example, if you create a button for a web app once, you won’t need to repeat it on other pages.
2. Virtual DOM
React.js supports virtual DOM, a lightweight JS representation of the Document Object Model. It eliminates the need to load the entire HTML structure and speeds up the loading of web pages. Thus, users can interact with the app even while it’s updating.
3. Debugging and error-checking
Unidirectional data flow in React ensures downward directional binding. It means the code is stable, and child components’ changes don’t affect sibling or parent components. To modify an object, engineers need to update the state. As a result, you get more control over data access of components for easier debugging.
4. React Hooks
Hooks are an update in React 16.8. that enables software engineers to write state and other React features without writing a class. It simplifies managing state logic between components and sharing data with components. Such capabilities enhance the reusability, readability, and testability of the web app.
5. Flexibility and compatibility
By choosing React.js, you get a single technology to reuse across many platforms and browsers. It allows you to develop a universal solution and considerably reduce time-to-launch.
6. SEO-friendliness
Search engine optimization is vital for online businesses as it helps them to promote their web resources. Compared to other frameworks, React-based pages take considerably less time to load, which benefits SEO.
7. Shallow learning curve
React.js is much easier to learn than Angular and other alternative solutions for JavaScript coding. Besides, it offers extensive documentation for beginners. Hence, if you already have a team of developers, learning React or shifting from another framework shouldn’t take much time.
8. Easy updates
React.js offers a quick refresh feature that allows you to implement changes more conveniently. Once you save a React file in the code editor, the program automatically refreshes. Thus, you don’t need to click the refresh button to see the updates.
9. Popularity and community
Every day, thousands of software engineers enhance React.js., making it an even more powerful front-end framework. It has 196,000 stars on Github who regularly contribute updates. By choosing the framework with a large community, you benefit from the knowledge of many experts. It helps solve complex problems and find qualified software engineers for your project.
React vs. Other JavaScript Libraries
React is often compared to Angular and Vue JavaScript frameworks, as you can use all of them for web app development. The recent trends show that React is the most favored option, with over 16 million downloads and growing.
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React vs. Angular
If you choose between React and Angular alone, you should know that both libraries are suitable for mobile and web app development. Generally, Angular is better for more complex and enterprise-level apps. React, on the other hand, is preferred for interactive and streaming applications. It has a simpler learning curve and takes less time to launch an app.
React vs. Vue
Vue is better for less complex apps than React. It’s also easier to learn and integrate into new or existing projects. Hence, you may prefer it if you are a less experienced developer. React is suited for skilled programmers who have worked with object-oriented JavaScript. Other than that, both React and Vue allow you to create any website or app. So you will need to mind the subtle details of your project to choose.
If you seek advice on what JavaScript library/framework to choose, consult with Leobit. We help companies with requirements discovery, UX/UI design, development, and maintenance.
Final Thoughts
React is one of the most commonly used JS libraries for website and app development due to its numerous benefits. It’s reusable, flexible, and easy to update. As a rule, React.js is preferred for single-page applications, social media sites, and streaming services. If you consider applying it for another app type, consult with software developers to ensure it’s the best choice.
