Why Should You Use React JS for Web Development?
Tags: react
Published: 2022-08-22 09:01:00


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e1z5libi83xn8x6c9avk.png)

## Introduction

If you had asked any developer about their favorite JavaScript library some years back, then most of them would have said either jQuery or Bootstrap. But today, there is another name on the lips of these developers. Yes, we are talking about React JS.

React JS was developed by Facebook for its own use in 2011. After implementing it on Facebook and Instagram, they open-sourced it in 2013. At first, it faced resistance from the developer community as it had Markup and JavaScript in a single file.
 
But gradually, the developers realized its advantages, and its usage spread like a wildfire. Today, the demand and usage have proliferated to the extent that the React JS development companies are finding it difficult to find and hire React JS developers.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y7vaflrqmh29mxufsf0o.png)

Source: similartech

[Used by more than 1.2 million](https://www.similartech.com/categories/javascript) websites across the world, React JS is one of the most used JavaScript libraries in the world. Even though it is an open-source library, tech giants such as Apple, Netflix, LinkedIn, PayPal, and many more have implemented React JS in their developmental processes. In this article, we will see what React JS is, what it offers, and why it has become the walk of the developers' town (yes, we just made that up).

## What is React JS? Is it a Library or Framework?

If you want to start a feud in a team of developers, just ask them this simple question: “is React JS a library or a framework?” Make sure you grab your popcorn prior because it is going to be a heated debate. The line is so blurred that many developers providing React JS development services still have not figured it out. It could be a great interview question if you are looking to [hire React JS developers](https://citrusbug.com/hire-programmers/hire-reactjs-developers).

The confusion is quite valid as the line is quite blurred. To settle the debate, we want to conclude that React is a JS library that works similarly to a JS framework. “React is an efficient, declarative, and flexible open-source JavaScript framework that allows developers to quickly create simple, fast, and scalable front-ends for online apps,” said Jordan Walke, the author of React JS.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5mkafxw8xwnk34bk7us2.png)

## Why should you Choose React JS for Web Development?

Let us be clear, React JS is not a magic pill that is going to solve all your web development problems. However, it offers a unique blend of advantages that are hard to find. Let us see them one by one.

**1. Easy to learn & use – Simple API**

If you are a developer thinking of learning React JS, all you need is basic knowledge of JavaScript. Of course, it will take time and effort to master it, but it is not a herculean journey by any means. Well-made guides will be of big help to you in this learning journey.

The second distinct advantage ReactJS offers is that you can quickly prepare and configure a development project with a single command. You just need to open the console and enter the following command:

1. npx create-react-app my-app
2. cd my-app
3. npm start

**2. Huge libraries & a supportive ecosystem**

Facebook launched React JS as one of its first open-source projects in 2013. Thanks to its early launch and wide adoption, React JS now holds huge libraries and a supportive ecosystem. Moreover, Facebook has a separate team for React JS development and has made substantial investments to improve it.

On Github, React JS has 178,00 stars and more than 1500+ open-source contributors. This eases the burden from the shoulders of the developers as they can refer to the libraries and consult developers in times of trouble. Flexible

"Learn React Once and Write Everywhere" – says the React JS website and rightly so. The flexibility you get with React JS is simply unmatchable as you can use it to build various types of platforms.

As it is a library and not a framework, it can be used to create many tools. These tools can be used to create static sites, dynamic sites, mobile apps, VR websites, and even desktop applications. Just awesome, isn't it?

**3. Reusable Components**

A piece of great news for all developers out there is that React JS allows you to create reusable components. As a result, the UI you create can be used in other parts of the code and other projects with little or no changes.

When you combine the reusability and open source libraries, it becomes much easier to pre-build various components. All this results in reduced development time and faster delivery. For startups who want everything built yesterday, it is no less than a blessing.

**4. Performance**

JavaScript is comparatively fast but the DOM updates make it slower than many of us prefer it to be. The React JS team realized it early and innovated a way to minimize DOM changes and update it in a way that does not make it necessary to load the HTML structure again.

This happens as Virtual DOM remains loaded all the time, thereby allowing users to interact with it. Consequently, it increases the web page loading speed. Moreover, React JS has a library of size less than 6kb (less than 3kb when gzipped). It also helps boost performance.

**5. Helps you learn to build React Native apps**

Once you learn React JS, it becomes much easier for you to write native iOS and Android apps. Needless to say, you will need to write a different code to the web but you can implement the same methodology and architecture. That is because the main operational principles remain the same for both.

**6. SEO Friendly**

A website that isn't SEO-friendly is like Pizza without the cheese. Search engine results act as a major funnel to attract users and it is not possible to have it without an SEO-optimized website. With React JS, you do not need to put in extra effort for that. React JS – by default – ensures the readability of a site in search engines.

**7. Easier & Faster Testing**

Testing React JS code is much more convenient compared to others as you do not need to have a conventional UI browser. You can easily test the components using the node command line. The command-line testing method is much faster and you can run test suites in a good amount. Moreover, React JS has many testing frameworks like Mocha, Jasmine, Tape, AVA, etc.

## Keep These Things in Mind before Adopting to React JS

Whether it’s life or web development, everything comes with a price. Let us catch up with philosophy some other day and stay focused on React JS for the moment. To get full advantage of the pros of React JS, there are a couple of challenges that you need to be prepared for. Let's have a look at them.

**Speedy Development**

In the last few years, the core API of React JS has gotten more stable but still, it is in the constant state of evolution, and that too at quite a pace. While these changes are for the ease of developers in the long run but can be frustrating at times as developers almost perpetually need to learn and adapt to changing things.

**Poor Documentation**

The implication of the constant changes in React JS API means that it has to be backed by the latest documentation to help the developers. However, so much is the speed of the changes that the documentation has been lagging behind. This has resulted in developers creating their documentation to use in their projects.

**React JS is only UI Focused**

Many times, developers need to be reminded that React JS covers only the UI part of the application and it cannot be applied to other layers of [web development](https://citrusbug.com/). It means that developers need to choose and work on other technologies even if they use React JS for UI. You would not get all the tools if you just use React JS for web development.

## Where is React JS Used? 

React JS is such a platform that can be used almost for all types of applications. Thus, we would not be able to cover it all in a single article but will surely try to give an idea of the best things you can build using React JS. Below are the most frequent applications of React JS:

- Dashboards & data visualization tools
- Messaging apps
- Dynamic web applications
- Single Page Apps (SPAs)
- E-commerce websites
- Social Networking sites and apps
- Cross-platform native apps (using React Native)

## Still Not Sure about React JS? Talk to Experts

You still might be confused even after reading the entire article, and that is completely okay. Although we tried to give an overall idea of React JS, one size does not fit all when it comes to React JS. That’s where we can come in as a [ReactJS development company](https://citrusbug.com/hire-programmers/hire-reactjs-developers).

From brick-and-mortar stores to multinational enterprises, we at CitrusBug have worked with almost all kinds of technologies. You can talk to our expert team of developers who will suggest the best options after looking at your requirements. If things go well, you can even hire dedicated React JS developers who will work exclusively on your project. Let’s get in touch!