Is React Right for You?
Tags: Cto, Software Development, Programming Languages, React, Programming

What are the benefits of React?

React has many advantages compared to other libraries. Here is a selection of the most notable ones:

01

Easy to update and manage

React components make it easy to update and manage apps. Components can be reused, thus allowing developers to edit all instances of a component simultaneously. This maintains consistency, facilitates easy maintenance, and stabilizes the code.

02

Virtual DOM

Most modern apps need to handle lots of user interaction and run regular data updates, both of which can affect performance due to the DOM’s tree structure. React rendering, however, is accelerated by Facebook’s implementation of Virtual DOM (vDOM) which, in simplified terms, virtually represents applied modifications that are then analyzed by an algorithm to evaluate which need to be made in real DOM. This is also beneficial for search engine optimization as the vDOM can be returned.

03

Extension tool that assists with debugging

React Developer Tools is a browser extension tool that assists with debugging by allowing developers to inspect components in the DOM by showing component hierarchies, state, props, and more.

04

Strong community

Due to its popularity, React has a strong community. This means that there is a wealth of tutorials, resources, and information that allows developers to learn to use the library quickly and easily. It also means that whilst other frameworks may come and go, React is a stable, reliable option for organizations.

05

Transition from webpage to app.

React Native’s similar design pattern to React streamlines the transition from webpage to app.

06

JSX allows JavaScript to be written in React

JSX allows JavaScript to be written in React with embedded HTML, making the React code much simpler. This also provides more informative error messages and can protect from injection attacks.

Who is Using React?

React is popular with many well-known companies. Estimates suggest its used by over eight thousand industry leaders. Here are a few of the best-known brands that are currently using React as part of their stack.

In 2017, Twitter changed their stack to include React. As a site with over one hundred million users per day and thousands of tweets tweeted every second, it’s essential to have a robust, stable framework that can update quickly.

As the company responsible for creating React, it’s unsurprising that Facebook, which currently boasts over one billion users per day, leverages React to create a fast, client-driven, interactive user experience. Facebook uses React alongside Relay, which is a Graphic QL client for React. It has also used React Native to create its mobile app.

Netflix used React to “dramatically transform the user experience on [their] desktop and mobile platforms”. The developers at Netflix re-evaluated their previous UI stack and decided to move to React, citing better startup speed, runtime, and modularity as their primary reasons.

As Instagram was bought by Facebook in 2012, it is again unsurprising that it uses React to build its UI. Instagram is a complex UI that requires geolocation, map APIs, and accurate search functionality.