ReactJS: Definition, Features, Benefits, How it Works and Advantages

The use of framework like ReactJS by developers is generally driven by several reasons, including to speed up and simplify the web application development process In addition, frameworks make maintenance easier because they provide existing patterns, and are usually equipped with general facilities such as validation, ORM (Object-Relational Mapping), pagination, support for multiple databases, and so on.

Although there are various types of frameworks that can be used by developers, one of them that is quite popular is ReactJS According to Donny Stark in his book, ReactJS is a framework for building User Interface created by Facebook Lately, Facebook has been aggressively sharing the results of their hacking while building facebook.com, not only from the realm of Web Development, but even to iOS and Android mobile devices with React Native There are many more Facebook hacking results that they are sharing. For more information on ReactJS, you can check out the detailed review in the article available

ReactJS is a popular JavaScript library created by Facebook that is used in the process of developing mobile and web applications. to facilitate the creation of interactive, stateful, and easily reusable interface components ReactJS is perfect for rendering complex interfaces with high performance (Kumar & Singh, 2016).

In development, ReactJS has a variety of capabilities such as being able to animate an object with transition effects, run games in a web browser that are fully programmed using React In addition, ReactJS is also able to validate the form in real-time when the user fills in the data on the form. To see how ReactJS is being used on a site, you can use an additional tool in Google Chrome called React Developer Tools This tool can detect whether or not ReactJS is being used on the web (M & Sonpatki, 2016).

ReactJS has a number of features that allow developers to build interactive and efficient user interfaces. Some of the features that are available and become excellent features of ReactJS are as follows:

1. JavaScript XML (JSX)

This feature is a JavaScript syntax extension used in the creation of React elements Developers use to embed HTML code in JavaScript objects, JSX allows developers to combine JavaScript logic with HTML views more easily and intuitively.

2. Document Object Model (DOM) Virtual

This feature serves to present web pages in a data structure view (tree), ReactJS stores the Virtual DOM data structure in its memory, so that if there are changes to certain parts of the data structure there is no need to re-render all the data.

ReactJS uses the Virtual DOM concept to speed up the rendering process. By using the Virtual DOM, ReactJS only updates components that have actually changed, rather than re-rendering the entire view.

3. React Components and Properties

ReactJS allows developers to separate the user interface into small reusable components. Each component has its own logic and interface, making it easier to develop and maintain code. The resulting React element will determine how the user interface looks to the user (client side).

4. State Management

State is a JavaScript object that represents one part of a component Every time the user interacts with the application, the state will also change by rendering a new UI to display the changes from the interaction

The state management library plays an important role in facilitating communication and data sharing between React components. Currently, there are several third-party state management libraries available, the most notable of which are Redux and Recoil. These libraries allow developers to easily manage application state and update components efficiently. Redux and Recoil have become popular in the React development community due to their ability to organize and store state, as well as provide a clear and structured flow of data throughout the application.

5. Programmatic Navigation

Programmed navigation is a situation where a series of codes generate an action that directs the user to a specific area. An example is in the process of logging in and registering an account, where the action will programmatically redirect the user to a new page.

React Router is the react standard library for routing that provides various methods of safe programmatic navigation between components without requiring users to click on any links.

Major companies around the world, such as Netflix, Airbnb, and American Express, use React to build their web applications. Some of the advantages of React that make it a favorite of developers over its competitors are:

Here are some of the benefits that ReactJS provides:

1. Easy to Use

Developers with an understanding of JavaScript can quickly learn how to use React as it relies entirely on JavaScript and uses a component-based approach. With an existing understanding of JavaScript, they can start developing web applications using React in just a few days.

2. Supports Reusable Java Components

ReactJS allows developers to reuse components that have been developed in other applications that have the same functionality. This will save time and effort, and provide assurance that the component functions smoothly and without defects. The main advantages provided are increased speed in the development of application projects and valuable time savings for both developers and clients. (Source: softwareseni, 2018)

3. Easy to Write Components

Writing components is made easier by using JSX because it allows combining HTML and JavaScript. With fewer rules, developers can have simpler code compared to other technologies. While JSX may not be the most popular syntax extension, it has proven efficient in developing custom components or high-volume applications. (Source: softwareseni, 2018)

4. High Performance

By keeping the Virtual DOM in memory, React eliminates the need for excessive re-rendering which can affect performance. In addition, React allows one-way data binding between elements, which makes debugging simpler. Any modifications made to the child component will not affect the parent structure, reducing the risk of errors.

5. SEO-Friendly

ReactJS can improve search engine optimization (SEO) of web applications by improving performance. This is due to the Virtual DOM implementation that affects page speed. In addition, React also helps search engines navigate web applications by performing server-side rendering. This step is a solution to one of the main problems faced by websites with a lot of JavaScript code, as search engines often find such websites complicated and difficult to crawl.

There are several stages of work that website developers must go through to apply React JS so that it can function on a website display. Here are some of the ways React JS should be implemented, namely:

Since its launch in 2013, React JS is now one of the leading libraries. Many developers have fallen in love with its convenience and benefits. Not surprisingly, although developed by Facebook, this library has been widely used by various well-known brands and companies.

There are 10 advantages of ReactJS according to Rian on softwareseni:

1. Simplify the Component Writing Process
2. Stable Code
3. Complete Development Tools
4. Supporting Selure App Development with React Native
5. Supported by a Strong Community
6. Already used by many Start-UP Companies

Among the several advantages that reactJS has, there are several disadvantages that programmers must anticipate if they want to use this framework. Here are some of the drawbacks that reactJS has:

1. Cluttered documentation (inadequate), where there is a lack of clear and detailed documentation
2. Rapid development may cause compatibility issues with previous versions
3. JSX as a barrier, if developers are used to HTML, they need to adapt to JSX syntax.
4. React applications depend on third-party libraries, if there are too many third-party dependencies, it can slow down development time and increase security vulnerabilities.