React.js (or simply React) is a library of pre-written JavaScript code for common interactive UI components of web apps and websites. React.js library is open-source and maintained by a community of contributors. It is one of the most popular front-end development tools with a large ecosystem of code packages.
What is React used for?
React developers use this JavaScript library to quickly add dynamic elements to the interfaces of web apps or websites. Those can be search bar autocomplete features, interactive forms, photo slideshows, etc.
What are the benefits of React.js?
Pieces of code available in React.js help reduce the amount of manual coding when creating standard dynamic UI components. If you are building a rich interactive web app, React.js will save you development time and help minimize errors and bugs. Moreover, React’s VirtualDOM will speed up your app’s page re-rendering in response to users’ actions and help provide a smooth user experience.
Is React only for single-page apps (SPA)?
Although in most cases developers use React to build SPAs the technology itself doesn’t limit you to the single-page app logic. You can implement a multiple-page logic for your web service by interlinking multiple self-contained react projects (pages) with your main application page. Apart from that, you can easily plug separate React components into any existing web application built with another technology.
Is React SEO-friendly?
Websites built with React can face difficulties with indexing in Google if they use client-side rendering for text content. During crawling, Googlebot has to load an empty page and then run JavaScript code to render its content. If rendering needs too much capacity, chances are Googlebot will index just some part of the page content. To avoid this, you should implement pre-rendering or server-side rendering that allows crawlers to see the entire SEO content on each page immediately after loading it. Read our post about React SEO to learn more.
When not to use React.js?
If you need to create a static website with a couple of basic dynamic forms or a simple SPA, choosing React.js would be overkill. If your project can easily be built using simpler tools, there is no need to choose React.js and overburden your code.
What companies use React.js?
React.js was initially created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook in 2012. Since then Facebook’s web app has relied heavily on React.js. Same do the web versions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
What is the best backend for React?
What tech stack to choose for the backend of your React.js web app would depend on your project size, business goals, and your team expertise. You may choose the Java Spring framework to build an enterprise-scale app. Ruby on Rails framework would work for a medium-size project. After all, you can decide to run JavaScript everywhere and choose the Express framework and Node.js.
Why and when should I use React instead of Vue?
React is a library whereas Vue is a framework. This means that React is a better choice if you need more freedom and control over your development process. You can customize it using a variety of companion libraries (like React-Redux) and solutions for styling (like JSS or Styled components). See our React vs Vue comparison.