React and developers – why should one choose React?
As with every framework and other software, developers would often ask why they should choose this specific one over another. There are literally countless open-source platforms when it comes to front-end web app development, and all of them offer a great feature that makes the development process easier, the end product sleek, and user-experience great.
Even in such stiff competition, React, one of the most popular JS libraries can still offer a few outstand-ing features that make it a mainstay in most developer’s arsenal. Here are some of the main advantages of using React:
1. Simple to use and to learn
This is a huge selling point for most software. Grasping the basics out of the box lets developers jump into projects much faster, making the specific software/framework/library not just a handy, but a cost-effective tool too.
React’s component-based approach and the use of simple JavaScript make it simple to build professional mobile and web applications a breeze. JSX, the special syntax allows developers to dwell deeper into the land of HTML and JavaScript crossovers, enabling them to even further improve applications.
React can be easily grasped by everyone with basic programming knowledge and experience. It doesn’t require the developer to learn “Domain-specific Languages”, which can sometimes eat up too much time unnecessarily, especially from a material standpoint. React, on the other hand, only requires basic CSS and HTML knowledge.
2. Native approach
As mentioned before, with React Native, developers can simply create great mobile apps dedicated to native platforms, with extensively reusable codes.
3. Building data
The one-way data building feature and the entire architecture (also called as Flux) creates an efficient data flow to components through the dispatcher, a single control point. With this feature, debugging components of large apps is a lot easier.
4. Performance and testing
We’ve already discussed the benefits of the Virtual DOM. This feature can significantly improve site performance, especially with larger, dynamic user interfaces.
On the other hand, React itself does not have any out-of-the-box container for sorting out dependency issues. However, to overcome this, developers can use an array of different modules, like Require JS, EcmaScript 6 and Browserify, which when used via Babel, inject dependencies automatically.
Testing-wise, React applications are great because they are simple to test, as React lets developers take a look at the output, along with the triggered actions, events, functions… This feature allows for simple and precise troubleshooting.
5. Declarativity
This means that the React code focuses more on what is displayed than the actual steps that lead to it. This method first and foremost means improved developer-experience which later on translates into a better user experience.
Sadly, developer-experience is oftentimes an overlooked feature, even though it should be prioritized by software development companies. Why? Firstly, if the software is hard to work with, chances are, developers will abandon it sooner or later and move on to a different platform. Secondly, if enough is invested in creating a smooth and great development environment, there’s a better chance of creating a better experience for the end-user as well. Also, when the software is open-source, fond developers can further enrich its features, leading to a robust “all-in-one” software that can tackle most projects with ease.
6. Component-based approach
Apps are being constructed in React by building blocks – components responsible for UI functions, network communications, and even more complex functions like managing the stage. This specific approach makes design system implementation simple and streamlined for developers.
7. Minimalism
React sports a minimalist approach. For starters, it’s small and can be downloaded quickly. Configuration is also simple and the code-splitting feature (we’ve discussed it before) makes it a breeze when it comes to user experience, especially with larger projects. Improved loading time and overall performance can also help marketing efforts (SEO) because Google tends to promote short-loading time websites.
8. Flexibility
When business owners consult with developers, they usually want a website that is overall easy to use and lasting. Because of this, developers most often than not use software that is already popular with extensive features and options. Expanding libraries and further software development will also mean that on-the-fly tweaking will also be easier and extensive libraries from the developer community will allow programmers to create breathtaking interfaces.
9. Backward compatibility
This is also a crucial feature when it comes to choosing specific software. Being able to update or to work with older versions of software can save a not just time but also a lot of headaches for developers. There aren’t that many frameworks or languages that offer total backward compatibility, but React does.
Initially, this was more because of Facebook’s internal team rather than for the community. Some Facebook apps still run on initial React versions and overhauling the entire website would probably be a huge and daunting endeavor not just for the developer team, but for the entire company.
In other circumstances, it’s mostly too expensive for software developers to provide total backward compatibility for older or outdated versions.