ReactJS: Introduction, Features and it’s Benefits

Posted By UPSQODE
13 mins read
Dec 26th, 2022
Table of Contents

Today, Javascript is one of the most popular languages in the web development field. Now, almost 90% of websites, have used Javascript. So, there is no doubt in considering it the most lovable technology.

The eco-system of Javascript is vast and it has made development easier by providing amazing technologies in both the frontend and backend fields. So, it becomes difficult to choose the best from the various available options in the backend or front end. Earlier we also discussed the best frontend frameworks and Top backend frameworks for your web development.

So, Today in this article, we are going to discuss one of the most versatile Javascript libraries i.e “React.js”. It is the most demanding framework of JS and gaining popularity since its release. It is mainly designed for making charismatic user interfaces.

According to Stack Overflow, React is currently at the top of the web frameworks category and secured the fourth position in the most loved frontend framework.

So let’s start with React and see, how it has become a game changer in the web development field. Before moving into depth, we will start with its basics. So be with us till the end.

What is React.js?

ReactJS is a flexible and open-source JS library, built and maintained by Facebook. It is used to build simple, scalable, and speedy user – interfaces for single pages as well as multiple pages. It allows the developers to build large web apps, which change the data without refreshing the page.

React JS has been developed and designed in such a way that it makes the frontend development fast and robust. It can be used with combinations of different other JS libraries and frameworks like Jquery, Backbone, and even with Angular JS.

Scalability is the major reason behind its popularity, and that’s the reason, why businesses are more preferring to Hire ReactJS developers, especially in the case of Outsourcing. So ultimately, it’s the best UI toolkit.

Do you know ?, There is an interesting story behind React js evolution? Let’s know it

History of React.js

In 2011, the Facebook ad has gained major momentum, it started facing various updates issues, which became difficult for its team members to handle. At that time, one software engineer called Jordan Walke came to the rescue, he created FaxJS, which was the first prototype, which made their process more efficient. Later on, this prototype evolved into the version of React js, that’s what we all know and love today.

In 2012, Facebook has started a company called Instagram, which was having only 13 employees at that time. It wanted to adopt some features of Facebook and created pressure on the parent company to decouple React.js and make it an open-source technology. In 2013, Jordan Walke finally introduced React js as an open-source technology. In 2014, React.js has introduced a new feature called “React Developer Tools” and it was added to the extension of chrome developer tools also introduced “React Hot Loader”, which was the plugin that allows the React components to be reloaded without loss of state.

In 2015, React js reached a milestone and gained much popularity with its features. Later, some big companies have begun using React, in their software development. Currently, companies like Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, and Dropbox are using React js in their web development.

Why ReactJS?

Now the question is, why should we use React.js in front-end development ? as there are so many open-source technologies around. React js is mainly responsible for handling the view layer of mobile and web apps. It allows developers to create web applications, which can change the data without reloading the pages.

So let’s have a look at its awesome features, and find out why it’s best for developing the front end?

Features of React

These features will help us to understand how React js works.

Virtual DOM

Virtual DOM is the representation of original DOM components, it works like a one-way data-binding structure. Whenever any modification is done in the web application, the virtual DOM renders the entire UI again. Then it checks the difference between the previous DOM representation and the new DOM. After this, it updates only those components, which have been actually modified. This saves time as well as development costs.

JSX

JSX stands for Javascript XML, it’s a syntax extension of Javascript. It describes the appearance of the interface of an app and makes the syntax just like HTML and it is processed into Javascript calls of React Framework. It helps the developers to create React components.

This feature of Reactjs is extremely easy for developers to write building blocks.

Declarative UI

This feature makes the code easier and more readable to fix the bugs. It is the best platform to develop exciting UI for both mobile apps as well as web apps.

Unidirectional Data Flow or Flux

In Reactjs data flows in one-way only, which makes the clean data-flow architecture. The most benefit of this architecture is, that your data flows in a single direction throughout the app giving you better control over it. Flux is a pattern, that keeps your data flow Unidirectional. This one-way flow pattern makes the application more flexible and increases efficiency.

Reusable Components

React is a component-based architecture. Its applications are consists of multiple components. Each component has its own control and logic. The best part is these components are reusable, which helps you to reuse the components whenever needed and maintain the code on large-scale applications.

Simplicity

React js and JSX makes the application simple as well as easy to code and understand. The components-based approach, allows the developers to reuse the components. This makes the applications simpler and clear. Being simple is one of the major benefits of React js.

Modularity

React allows you to write reusable, smaller codes instead of writing large codes. The modularity of React js is the best solution for JS visibility issues.

Extensions

React js provides various supports for application architecture. It supports server-side rendering, Redux, and Flux in web app development. React is one of the most popular frameworks for cross-compatible mobile apps

Debugging

As React has large community support. Testing is easy for React-based applications. Facebook provides a smaller browser extension, which makes debugging easier.

Advantages and Disadvantages of React.js

It seems React is present everywhere. Today, the majority of websites on the web are using React js. Therefore, it has plenty of advantages. So, Let’s see some of the major benefits of using React js for web applications.

Ease of Learning

Easy learning is one of the core advantages of React js. That’s the reason, more and more companies are leaning towards React. The libraries are easy to learn and implement, so businesses can have a quick start with them. It includes features like dependency injections, which reduce the learning time for beginners.

Speedy App Development

React makes development easier, because of reusable components. It allows the developers to integrate different functionalities easily, without the need to code from scratch. This reduces the overall development time and increases the quality as well.

One-Way Data Flow

Usually, the framework processes two-way data binding, which means one change in the web application can affect the entire application. But Thanks to the one-way data flow structure of React, which only changes the required places without disturbing parent components. Due to this, developers can have control throughout the applications which makes them stable.

Virtual DOM Components

React js Virtual DOM is responsible for both performance and speed. Using this DOM, developers can create applications much faster than usual. It’s a tree structure of XML, HTML or XHTML. It allows the developers to update even the smallest components without influencing others. That’s why it requires less time to update than the actual DOM.

Long-time Application Stability

Any business owners or especially start-ups want their applications to be stable for a long time and not go down with time. They want their applications, should be enough powerful to adopt the new features with time. Therefore, React is the best choice, as it is backed up by Facebook and many other large communities, and assures you of long-time stability for React applications.

Performance Enhancements

Virtual DOM improves the performance of React js. Most of the developers have faced slow performance problems while updating with DOM. But React js has solved the issue by introducing virtual DOM. This Virtual DOM provides a faster and smoother experience.

SEO – Friendly

SEO i.e “Search Engine Optimizations” is able to increase huge traffic to your site, if done in the correct way. It is able to rank your sites on various search engines. Traditional Javascript has an issue while dealing with SEO. But React js has overcome all the SEO issues and helps the developers to be easily navigated on various search engines. Because React applications could be able to run on various servers, virtual DOM will be rendering and returning to the web browser as a single web page.
If you are willing to increase traffic to your site and want to know how SEO can have an impact. Then Read this article SEO Tips to Increase Traffic.

Disadvantages of React.js

Although, there are plenty of benefits of using React js, that owners love to have. But there are also some disadvantages, that owners should keep in mind before using React js for web development.

Can be Expensive

Sometimes, it could be expensive, to hire react js developers. React developers typically charge $80-$100 per hour depending on the locations and other factors. So it is quite expensive compared to other frameworks.

JSX as a Barrier

Though JSX is a Javascript extension, which makes the code more readable and clean. But sometimes it becomes complicated for the developers to handle. Therefore in spite of having benefits, it works as a barrier too.

Remaining Up-to-Date can be difficult

React js is an actively large community and changes frequently. It can also serve as an advantage but sometimes it becomes difficult for the developers to constantly stay updated with the latest technologies.

Lack of Documentation

It is one of the major drawbacks of React js, as we have mentioned, that the technology constantly updates. So there is not enough time to make proper documentation with the constant changes. To overcome this, developers note down these changes on their own.

Focusses only on View Part

React js focuses only on the UI layers of the application, that’s why you still need to choose some other technologies to get complete tooling set for web development.

Also, Read this article if you want to read more benefits – Advantages of Using React.js

Future of React js

There is no doubt, React has gained so much popularity and it is one of the most demanding technology right now. So, it seems React will definitely grow in the future also, Choosing React can be a good decision for your next project.

  • According to Stack Overflow, React js is the number 1 web development framework, that is used across the world. Therefore, as compared to other frameworks React js is far ahead in the competition
  • React has even overtaken Jquery and has become the most used software development framework across the world
  • As per the latest reports, there are over 1,114,016, live React websites on the web.
  • This trend is not limited to the USA, but it is most popular in developing countries like India. Research shows that positions for React programmers have been increased by 184% today
  • Many companies like Facebook, Netflix, Bloomberg, Skype, Walmart, and many others are already using React js in their web development
  • Because of its scalability, rich documentation, and easy learning curve, React has a competitive edge over Angular or Vue js

So apart from the above points, there are many reasons which seem that React is potentially the future of web development. Even it has gained so much popularity, that it is unlikely to be replaced in the future.

If you are thinking to opt for React, undoubtedly it would be a great frontend option for your next project.

React js Development Trends

React js has evolved so much with time, that’s the reason, today React is capable to build anything, whether it’s a simple website or native mobile app.

So let’s get to know some of the top React web development trends in 2022, to understand React js more.

Reactjs is number one in the Job Market

From the year 2019, React has faced so many ups and downs, but it has overcome all these situations and considerably grown in the web development market.

React applications are simple to maintain because of their flexible component-based architecture. It allows developers to build scalable, user-friendly, and high-performance applications.

React Server-Side Rendering will enhance App-load Time

The major benefit of React is its server-side rendering, and it is likely to get more acceptance in the coming years. It is mainly due to two reasons

  • React’s page components are rendered on the server and sent to the browser with server-side rendering which speeds up the page render time.
  • Further, the load time can be reduced by “ReactDOMServer”, which serves HTML markup directly from Node js to the client.

The React team is planning to improve these areas with the best server-side rendering techniques.

More developers are likely to choose React js

As per the latest report, more developers have turned towards React js and this number will increase in the upcoming times too. According to State Javascript Survey, the usage of React has increased from 72 to 80%. So, it is clear this trend will remain in the coming days too.

React js will be the first choice for Startups and Entrepreneurs

Every business tries to find out a cost-effective way to grow. That’s why they find a digital way, which can meet their business demands at a minimum cost. So to do this, one needs to choose the technology that is cheap.

React js has proved to be a cost-effective technology while developing a web application. It optimizes the coding and makes it easier for the developers to complete the project within the time frame. This means, more startups and entrepreneurs will move towards React js.

Better Scope For Development

From 2020 to 2021, many technologies have been put to use, but among them React js has proved to be one of the reliable solutions, which offers a wide range of web development solutions. React js helps organizations, to broaden their boundaries and evaluate their qualities has also expanded.

This way, it is considered that the performance of React js will continue to increase in the digital space.

Going To be Most Loved Platform in 2022

According to all the analyses carried out, React js will remain at the top of tech. As it is developed in Javascript, the developers love to work on it. So, in the future Javascript plus React js will be the most lovable platform for developing web applications.

React js Popularity

React js provides the solution that web developer looks for. Today, React js has been highly popular because of its flexibility and simplicity. It is calculated that more than 1300 developers on over 95000 sites are utilizing React js.

Some of the big corporations like Facebook, PayPal, Uber, and Airbnb are using this technology to solve problems related User-Interfaces.

Comparison of React js vs Other Frameworks

While React js is the best framework, that’s why every developer wants to use it on regular basis, other frameworks are also effective. So let’s look at the comparison of React js with other frameworks.

React vs Vue js

The choice between Reactjs and Vue.js is debatable. Vue js has an ever-growing community and on the other hand, React is also continuously updating its technology and adding new components. Therefore, React is also not leading behind the popularity.

If we talk about React vs Vue, both are tremendous when it comes to speed. In React js, when any changes occur, re-rendering is triggered for the entire components and changes only those components which need to be updated which in turn increases the speed. While in Vue js Components are tracked automatically during rendering, which means the system knows the components which required re-rendering.

React vs Angular js

Reactjs vs Angular.js is also a popular ongoing debate now. React is a JS library whereas Angular is a frontend framework. React uses one-way data binding and virtual DOM while Angular uses two-way data binding and real DOM. So from these React is considered a faster framework than Angular. Additionally, React developers can get a myriad of solutions for any problems.

Web applications built with ReactJS

Many Popular companies are using React js for their UI and have become the default choice for all of them. Below are some of the companies :

Instagram

Today, everyone is familiar with Instagram which has become the top-most social media platform. The wonderful UI experience, that you get to see is totally based on React JS library. The powerful features such as Google Maps, APIs, geolocations, etc are due to React

Facebook

Facebook is one of the biggest social media sites right now, which lets you stay connected with your family and friends. Its web pages are created with React js and the script is blended with the application code. Even, Facebook is the place, where React was initially developed.

Netflix

Netflix is the world’s most video streaming platform right now. In a blog post, they stated that the ReactJS library had helped them with speed, modularity, and runtime performance. It also helped them to scale in a shorter period of time.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services serving over 100+ countries. They have officially introduced React js for building User Interfaces.

KhanAcademy

The education website has grown significantly in recent years. It was able to see a lot of changes after implementing React js. With React, they were able to add a lot of features and eliminated unlimited re-renders. The main reason why KhanAcademy has shifted towards React is because of its component-based architecture.

Uber

Uber is one of the leading cab bookings sites, which lets you book cabs within a few clicks and has millions of users across the world. They have provided amazing user experiences with the help of React. Customization, Reliability, and accessibility are the three major reasons, that Uber has invested in React js.

NewYork Times

The New York Times has completely overtaken its design with React js. It has provided a smooth user experience with a lot of impressive features.

How convenient to hire Reactjs developers?

As React js is one of the most popular Javascript library for frontend development, it’s not that difficult to find React js developers, you can find React developers from various outsourcing sites easily. 

However, the cost differs according to various factors like expertise, possibility, project duration as well as experience and location. So Cost can be either expensive or within your budget, it totally depends on the developer’s skillset and experience. So you should hire React js developers as per your project’s complexity and make sure the developers must have a handful of experience for your project. 

According to the Glassdoor review, the average pricing of React js developers is $95,569 per year. If you want to move ahead with Reactjs, just contact us, we have top-skilled React js developers with a lot of experience in different projects. We can guide you through every aspect of your project as well as we even offer you cost-effective React js developers for outsourcing, who can work on your preferred work hours

The conclusion

Now that, hope you are clear about React js from our thorough Article guide. No surprise, React has won a lot of developers’ hearts and became one of the most lovable frameworks in the tech field, and that’s the reason many big companies and organizations are moving towards React js and making innovative use of React features.
Moreover React has proved itself to be an excellent tool for creating interacting applications for mobile, web, or any other platforms.

Still, if you are stuck with any query and want to know more then contact UPSQODE, we are one of the leading React js web development companies, guiding businesses to scale towards futuristic tech solutions.

What is ReactJS used for?
React js is an open-source Javascript library or framework, developed by Facebook. It is used to build interactive user interfaces efficiently and quickly with minimum code.

Is ReactJS frontend or backend?
React js is a component-based frontend framework, which only handles the view
Layer of an application. Moreover, it also makes frontend development super easy.

Why Use React js for web development?
React is best known for its fast web application development. It develops any application fast because of its component-based architecture, which allows the developers to store the code and reuse it again and again whenever needed. It saves a significant amount of time for coding too.

Is React well for web development?
The answer is definitely Yes. It has proved itself ideal for developing highly responsive UI components. Currently, more than 2 million websites are using React, and it is unlikely to stop in future.

What are the major advantages of React for business?

  • Builds powerful user interfaces for both mobile and web applications.
  • It is flexible and easy to adopt
  • Makes web development faster and smoother
  • Reusable components make the work easier
  • Provides amazing development tools
  • Popular with large community support

Why do companies use React?
Many startups and organisations are using React.js , because it allows business owners, to build their needs quickly. It is scalable, fast and easy-to-use technology.

Why you should choose ReactJS for your next project?
The simple reason is “Less Development Time and Higher Quality”. React allows you to write clean and clear codes, and breaks them into various modular components. So that developers can reuse those components whenever needed, which reduces the development time as well as increases productivity.

Is React suitable for enterprise applications?
React is absolutely suitable for enterprise-level applications. React Native is widely used to buid applications for Android as well as IOS because of its component-based architecture.

How much does it cost to hire react developer?
Cost of hiring developers depends upon the project’s complexity and needs. However, the hourly cost to hire React js developer is around $42.

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