What is React JS?
React, aka React.JS, was created by Facebook's team in 2011 and has quickly gained popularity since the source code was discovered in 2013. Its starting point was the idea of breaking up monolithic code into small, reusable components, which also ties into how ReactJS works—by using a virtual DOM to efficiently update only the necessary parts of the user interface. Many call it the future of web programming, and Stack Overflow in 2017 noted a surge in demand for React development.
The library allows you to develop load-resistant, high-performance web applications. It divides a page into several simple components that can later be reused in other parts of the website. This simplifies the work of developers and allows customers to get faster results.
Why is React the leader among JavaScript libraries?
React has been used to develop the applications of many global giants, making it possible to create effective and user-friendly applications for users and developers.
Freedom to choose the architecture of your application
React doesn’t enforce a specific React architecture patterns on developers. This differs from Angular or Vue competitors, where developers can only operate within predefined patterns (MVC or MVVM). In React.js, the developer decides how system modules will be built, how to implement routing and testing, organize dependencies, and much more. This gives a much greater degree of freedom, which is especially valuable for non-standard projects. To explore Angular vs React examples of usage and see how these frameworks compare in practice, check out our detailed article.
Component-based approach for structuring and scaling
The only prescription of the library is to divide the code into reusable components. This organization allows us to write less code, which is also easier to maintain. Modularity simplifies the development of highly complex designs because one component is responsible for one function. Components can easily be reused across the application as the project scales and grows.
If you’re considering the financial impact of scaling your React project, check out our guide on React.js developer cost to plan your budget effectively.
Simplified code debugging and application testing
React allows us to see at a glance how the code works and what the output is. Therefore, the application is easier to test and verify that it works as intended. Micro components React further enhance testing and debugging by allowing developers to focus on smaller, isolated pieces of the application, making it easier to catch and resolve issues.
Low entry threshold
The famous acronym KISS describes the React philosophy ("Keep it simple, stupid" - a design principle adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1960) and states that most systems work better if they stay simple. React adds almost nothing to the existing JavaScript specification, so it is easier for a developer to start writing in it because there is no need to learn the template language. Following best practices in React.js helps keep React simple, making the code more efficient and easier to maintain.
Active developer community
According to Statista, 42.62% of respondents reported using React.js in 2022. Initially, React gained popularity as a complementary skill among experienced developers. React attracted them by its flexibility and proximity to native JavaScript. As a result, an active community of highly skilled professionals has emerged, publishing many frameworks and solutions.
What projects can be created with React JS?
The ReactJS library is versatile and can be used to develop:
- Updatable website elements
- Constantly loading content features
- Constantly changing visualizations
- Dashboards with dynamic charts
- SPA (single-page-application)
- UX/UI
This list does not limit the scope of the ReactJS application. With a professional approach, a reliable development company like MaybeWorks can solve problems of varying complexity and adapt the library's capabilities to any project. For example, we can migrate from AngularJS to React or help you decide between single page application vs multi page application, depending on your project needs.
When is choosing React appropriate for business?
Here are 4 reasons when you undoubtedly should use ReactJS. When you need to extend your team and hire ReactJS developers, MaybeWorks team is always ready to assist.
You need websites with dynamic and changing elements
React is the ideal choice for websites with updatable elements, i.e., constantly loading content or changing visualizations. For example, it is excellent for dashboards with dynamic charts and indicators or social media applications consisting of a single page with a feed of content. To enhance real-time data exchange in these scenarios, you can implement WebSocket in React for seamless updates and interactions. These two examples are often implemented as a single-page application (SPA) with a static and updatable part. Along with that, if you’re looking to streamline design-to-code transitions, tools now make it easier to convert Figma to React JS for efficient development of such applications.
If you’re interested in this topic, check out our article on how to develop a dashboard.
The main elements, such as a menu or header, remain static, and the updated content is gradually loaded from the server when the user performs some action (scrolling or clicking). This reduces the load on the application, making it more productive and the interaction with the program smoother. With Virtual DOM, Redux, and the concept of strictly unidirectional data flow, React can handle the most complex updatable applications. To ensure your development team can efficiently manage these applications, consider partnering with an IT staff augmentation service provider to bring in specialized expertise when needed.
You need gradual updates without stopping work
React allows you to create small applications and fine-tune UX/UI quickly. At the same time, it is not tied to any back-end technologies and can be integrated with third-party libraries and frameworks without disrupting the system infrastructure. This flexibility makes it possible to start updating the system with a small part of it and gradually introduce React into the legacy code base. By leveraging offshore React developers, you can seamlessly integrate these updates and enhance your project’s overall efficiency. For those interested in exploring more, check out these open-source projects to contribute JavaScript for a deeper dive into the best projects available today.
You need dynamic websites with the need for SEO optimization
In addition to the fact that React allows you to fine-tune the user interface for UX tasks, many popular and well-established libraries are available. You will resort to the SSR (server-side rendering) approach. The webpage will be rendered on the server in a virtual browser and given as static content to the client application (the real browser). This technique is essential for SEO and React, as it enhances the visibility of your web applications. Using React, you can be sure that the dynamic parts of the page will be indexed correctly. However, Next JS advantages over React include built-in SSR (server-side rendering), and if you’re searching for the best React alternative, other frameworks also offer SSR capabilities with different advantages. If you’re ever considering a shift in frameworks, knowing how to convert React to Next.js can be invaluable.
Applications with high performance
The optimization capabilities in React are higher than in many other libraries due to the modularity of the code and regulation of data transfer processes, eliminating unnecessary rendering and other operations. We advise to read our article how to optimize React app performance.
MaybeWorks expertise in ReactJS
So, React JS is one of Facebook's most popular JavaScript libraries. At MaybeWorks, we specialize in React and Node.js stack. Currently, we have 50+ developers onboard. Our staff knows how to develop custom software that considers the peculiarities of your business processes and provides functionalities not available in out-of-the-box products.
For example, our developers were working on the application with an image editor. The critical task for our engineers was to display the canvas correctly on different devices while maintaining the position of all the tools and proportions. To get the best performance out of rendering the interface when moving the tools, we used the React.js library. This library allowed us to place hundreds of objects on canvas without any performance hit. The second aspect of this editor was real-time updates between different editors. For this, we used Firebase Firestore, which allows us to save data in the cloud and distribute it as quickly as possible between subscribers to the editor.
Our IT Staff Augmentation model allows you to easily hire ReactJS developers and integrate top engineers into your team as if they work at your side. Feel free to contact us to discuss your future ReactJS project.
