Chapter #7 - React

There are quite a few JavaScript frameworks but the most popular today are React and React.js. While researching, you may also hear mention of other JavaScript frameworks such as Vue.js or Ember.js. However, both React and React still maintain pole position in the world of JavaScript frameworks.

In this course, we will be learning React! So what exactly is React? How does it differ from other JavaScript frameworks? Who even maintains React? We'll discuss these questions and more right now!

What is React?

The beauty of React is that it provides us, the developers, with all of the tools necessary to build full web applications in an organized manner. React introduces the idea of using reusable components. This allows us as developers to build dynamic components once and reuse them like lego pieces.

React is a library that was developed and maintained by Facebook.

React vs Others

Now let's dive a little bit into what makes React different from other frameworks such as Angular!

First, while Angular is a complete framework, React is a JavaScript Library. What does this mean? Well, a framework is a software where you plug your code into, whereas a library is software that you plug into your code.

Angular relies on updating the Real DOM directly, while React updates only the Virtual DOM. This means that while Angular is using a two-directional data flow process, React is only using a one-directional data flow process. Data is passed down from parent to child component in React. While these strict rules may seem limiting, it is actually very helpful in keeping your code organized.

What Next?

Now that we've learned a bit about React, let's dive in! Continue working through the lesson on React and be prepared to learn a ton!

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Lessons in React

Lesson #1 - Introduction to React

Take a look at what React is, and build your first React project!