React

(JS Framework)

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, created by Facebook1.

What is React used for

It is used for building the front end of websites, including web pages, their layouts, and content2. React is component-based, meaning you can build up complete applications using components by nesting them1. Components in React can manage their own state and communicate that state to child components1.

Why is React so Popular?

React is popular because it allows developers to create reusable components that are independent of each other. This means that if any critical feature of a web application breaks, the remaining elements are still better off3.

Additionally, React is known for its performance and efficiency in updating the user interface.

What is the Virtual DOM?

The Virtual DOM is a lightweight JavaScript representation of the actual Document Object Model (DOM) used in declarative web frameworks such as React1. It is an abstraction of the actual DOM, allowing developers to manipulate a virtual representation of the DOM instead of directly manipulating the actual DOM2.

The Virtual DOM works by creating a tree of custom objects representing a part of the DOM. For example, instead of creating an actual DIV element containing a UL element, it creates a React.div object that contains a React.ul object. These objects can be manipulated very quickly without actually touching the real DOM or going through the DOM API2.

When it renders a component, React uses this virtual DOM to figure out what it needs to do with the real DOM to get the two trees to match. This process is called reconciliation3. The virtual DOM can be thought of as a blueprint that contains all the details needed to construct the actual DOM, but because it doesn’t require all the heavyweight parts that go into a real DOM, it can be created and changed much more easily2.

What are examples of websites built with React?

There are many popular websites that have been built using React. Some examples include

Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, Uber, The New York Times, Reddit, Airbnb, Salesforce, Yahoo, and PayPal1.

These are just a few examples of the many websites that have been built using React.

How does react compare to other front-end frameworks like Vue.js and Angular?

React, Angular, and Vue.js are all popular front-end frameworks or libraries that can be used to build web applications. They are all component-based, but they differ in syntax, ease of learning, performance, and popularity1.

Angular is a full-fledged framework that uses TypeScript and is popular for enterprise applications. It is known for its two-way data binding and dependency injection1. React is a lightweight library that uses JavaScript and JSX (a syntax that combines HTML and JavaScript logic) and is popular for start-ups and small businesses. It is known for its virtual DOM and efficient updating of the user interface1. Vue.js is a progressive framework that uses regular JavaScript and is the easiest to learn of the three. It is known for its simplicity and reactivity1.

Each framework has its own strengths and weaknesses, so the best one for your project will depend on your specific needs and requirements.