React, also known as React JS and/or React.js, is an open-source javascript library used for front-end development that builds user interfaces (UI) from large and complex web interfaces to single-page applications (SPA) by dividing UI into stable, stateful, composable and reusable components. It is used to build high-quality user interfaces for web and mobile applications, which allows varying states and data without reloading the page.
React development was first created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer working for Facebook, and was first deployed on Facebook’s newsfeed in 2011 and on Instagram in 2012.
According to most developers, React has two key features that make it the best option for front-end web development– javascript extension (JSX) and virtual document object model (DOM). JSX is a React extension that makes it easy for web developers to modify DOM by using simple, hyper-text markup language (HTML)-style code.
The DOM is a representational tree of the arrangement of the web page. At the same time, virtual DOM is a process where React, through its reconciliation algorithm updates the actual DOM based on the movement in the UI.
Since it requires only a minimal understanding of HTML and javascript, React has been popular among developers as a front-end web development tool. However, even it became a powerhouse in front-end web development, this tool will effectively and better work in projects with several varying component states such as active and inactive navigation items, expanded and collapsed accordion sections, dynamic inputs, able and disable buttons, and user login and access permission.
More specifically, here are some significant projects where React is the best option for front-end web development.
Dashboards or Data Visualization Tools
A dashboard is an information management tool that visually tracks, analyzes, and displays key performance indicators (KPI), metrics, and critical data points to monitor the health of a business, department, or specific process.
React helps build an organized, interactive, up-to-date, and data-heavy dashboard that loads faster. It allows its components to be re-used at any point in the process without additional set-up. It permits the use of the same code for both the server and the client-side of the dashboard, which speeds up the development process. In addition, its virtual DOM allows for fast rendering of components to accommodate necessary changes in the displayed data.
Social Networking Applications
Social networking applications are applications aiming at building online communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network applications are web-based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging.
React helps improve the performance of social networking applications through better application engagement, retention, and conversion. It allows one action within the UI without refreshing the entire page. Moreover, it will enable server-side-rendering through rendering information from the webpage on the server and not on the browser. It also provides two-way communication between the client and the server, without needing to refresh the webpage continuously, and it receives real-time data from the client.
E-commerce
E-commerce, also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions.
React provides a clear indication to build reusable components. This helps to build e-commerce web applications faster, with less cost, and with relaxed code maintenance in the long run.
Cross-platform Mobile Applications
Cross-platform mobile development is the creation of software applications that are compatible with multiple mobile operating systems.
React through React Native allows us to build cross-platform applications for Android and iOS. A mobile app built with React Native performs like a native application that allows for a more natural upgrade to the mobile version.
Here are some of the biggest and famous sites using React:
- Netflix
- Airbnb
- Cloudflare
- Dropbox
- BBC
- Imgur
- Postmates
- Walmart
- Bloomberg
- Tesla
- Wix