REACT VS NEXT.JS: THE DIFFERENCE AND WHICH IS BETTER.
Tags: webdev, javascript, beginners, programming
Published: 2024-06-30 17:44:16

REACT VS NEXT.JS: THE DIFFERENCE AND WHICH IS BETTER.

Front-end technologies are the foundation and building blocks of a website, defining its user interface and shaping the overall user experience. Front-end enables you to interact with the web and its actions. In modern web development, a plethora of tools, frameworks, and practices contribute to creating engaging and responsive websites and content. 

WHAT IS REACT?
React (also known as React.js or ReactJS) is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces based on components. It is a UI library created by Meta (formerly Facebook) to build reactive apps based on event triggers. React components can be stateless or stateful and only re-render within the scope of the applied state.
React is built to be declarative. That means you get to decide the workflow. You get to control how your app works, making React a powerful tool.
FEATURES OF REACT 
•	JavaScript Syntax Extension
JSX is a combination of JavaScript and HTML. This syntax extension is basically used to create React elements.
•	Component
React adheres to the declarative programming paradigm. Everything in React is a component. Multiple React components are coupled together to create simple user interfaces for very large and complex UI. Each of these components can have its logic and behaviors. Components are reusable in any part of the web page by just calling it.
•	Virtual DOM
Another notable feature is the use of a virtual Document Object Model, or Virtual DOM. React creates an in-memory data-structure cache, computes the resulting differences, and then updates the browser's displayed DOM efficiently. This procvess is called reconciliation. 
If the two DOMs are equal, the actual DOM never gets touched; the actual DOM gets updated.
•	One-Way Data Binding
A component logic contains the data to be displayed on the user interface. The connection flow between the data displayed and the logic component is called data binding.
ADVANTAGES OF REACT.JS
•	Easy to Learn
Currently, the educational state of React.js is good because, over the years, React has grown with its community, and the community has made thousands of materials available for reference. The good supply of documentation and tutorial videos makes React.js a good catch.
•	JavaScript Syntax Extension
JSX is a JavaScript syntax extension that makes writing dynamic web apps in React.js easier. It enables React to display error and warning messages, which aids in debugging.
•	Reusable Components
React is a powerful JavaScript library that enables developers to create Reusable User Interfaces (UI). A key feature of React is the ability to create Components, which are self-contained units of code that can be reused throughout your app. This enables you to build UI from small, reusable pieces, making code more readable and maintainable.
•	Performance Enhancement
One of the reasons for its success is its performance. React uses a virtual DOM to manage updates to the user interface which makes React apps fast and responsive. When a user interacts with a React app, only the relevant parts of the DOM are updated which means that there is no need to redraw the entire page. This makes React apps much faster than traditional JavaScript frameworks. 
•	React.js Is SEO Friendly
React.js is a JavaScript library that is used for building user interfaces. It is also known for its speedy performance and small size. React.js is SEO friendly because it uses server-side rendering. This means that the content of your React.js application will be rendered on the server before it is sent to the client. This can help to improve your website's search engine optimization because the content will be visible to search engines as soon as it is rendered.
•	Easily Write Unit Tests
One of the reasons it is so popular is because it is easy to test. There are many libraries available that make it easy to set up unit tests, and there are also options for end-to-end testing.
DISADVANTAGES OF REACT
•	Fast-Developing
One of the biggest problems is that React.js is constantly changing, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest improvements. This means that developers need to invest a lot of time in keeping up with the React ecosystem, which can be a deterrent for some people.
•	Complex Documentation
React documentation is essential for learning how to use the library. However, as the library grows in size and complexity, the documentation has become increasingly difficult to navigate. In order to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape, developers need to spend a significant amount of time reading through the documentation. This has become a major barrier to entry for new developers.
•	Re-Rendering
React component life-cycle makes React re-render unnecessarily. React web apps are all made up of components, and when there is a change, Reacts checks for the change and renders it, but it may meet an unexpected change due to how JavaScript handles comparisons and equality. Such unintended change can cause unnecessary re-rendering.
WHAT IS NEXT.JS?
Next.js is a light framework built on top of React that makes it easy to create fast, server-rendered websites. It is an open-source framework.
FEATURES OF NEXT.JS
•	File System Routing
Next.js is a JavaScript framework that makes creating routes for your web app easy.
•	Server-Side Rendering
Next.js supports the rendering of pages on user requests on the server-side by generating a non-interactive HTML.


•	Static Site Generator
Next.js supports static page generation which makes it stand out as statically generated web pages are said to be SEO optimized because of their speed, which can make Google rank that page higher.
ADVANTAGES OF NEXT.JS
•	Speed
Next.js supports static site generation and server-side rendering. Static generation is fast because all web application pages have been pre-rendered, cached, and served over a CDN.
Server-side rendering is fast as the server handling the request, but on request, these pages are already built on the server rather than being built on the client side.
•	Less Setup
In Next.js, most features you get come with zero configuration as they are inbuilt. 
•	Easily Create Your Own Back-End
Easily create your custom back-end functionalities to power your own front-end which does not affect the size bundle of your client-side application.
•	Built-In CSS Support
One of the key features of Next.js is its built-in CSS support. This means that developers can include CSS Stylesheets within their Next.js projects without needing to use any additional libraries or tooling.  
DISADVANTAGES OF NEXT.JS
•	Development and Maintenance
Building a Next.js application requires a significant upfront investment. Not only do you need developers who are familiar with Nextjs, but you also need to dedicate ongoing resources to maintaining the application.


NEXT.JS VS. REACT COMPARISON
If you're already familiar with React, you'll find Next.js easy to learn. That's because Next.js is built on top of React, so it inherited all the benefits of React (such as being component-based and declarative) while also adding its own features and functionality.
React, however, has a low difficult learning level. Over time, resources have been made in a very substantial amount; with all these, the learning curve is not too steep.
MY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE HNG INTERNSHIP
As I embark on the HNG Internship, I am willing and ready to give it all it takes to derive the enormous benefits that the program promises to offer. I believe this program will provide life-changing opportunities to embark on real-world projects, enhance my development skills, and gain real-life programming experience.
WORKING WITH REACT AT HNG
Considering the fact that React is a powerful and widely-used JS library for building user interfaces, I am excited to broaden my knowledge and understanding of React during the internship program.
I look forward to exploring and mastering React as I build real-life projects.

To learn more about the HNG Internship,
Visit: https://hng.tech/internship
If you are looking to hire talented developers,
Check out HNG Hire https://hng.tech/hire
OR
https://hng.tech/premium
**CONCLUSION**
Both React and Next.js are widely used in the real-word technological solutions as they are both powerful tools for Frontend Web Development. React’s flexibility and extensive ecosystem makes it a go-to JS library for building dynamic user interfaces, while Next.js’s production-ready features, like server-side rendering and static site generation, give enhanced performance and user experience.
As I embark on this journey with the HNG Internship, I am elated to leverage these technologies, enhance my skills, and contribute to innovative solutions development. The future of front-end development is promising and I am happy to be a part of it.