11 Facts About React

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For a long time, React has been the subject of discussion of the web developer community, and with an excellent cause. Even experienced programmers may overlook a number of React's less commonly recognized capabilities, even if the majority of developers can name its main features, such as components, hooks, and virtual DOM. These 11 React facts could amaze you, and they may even change your strategy for writing code, regardless of whether you have been trapped debugging props at 3:00 in the morning or you are simply learning what JSX is. Allow us to explore them now.

1. React Was Developed By a Facebook Engineer in 2011: React was not a sudden occurrence. Facebook software engineer Jordan Walke developed it to assist in handling the platform's ever-increasing user interface complications. Its first actual evaluation? The newsfeed on Facebook. And it could manage almost everything if it could manage that. It is ironic to consider that a tool that the majority of us implement on a regular basis was initially developed as an internal solution for one of the most untidy websites.

2. React Was Inspired By XHP, a PHP Component Library: If developers with a PHP experience have ever found JSX strangely similar, it is for a reason. XHP, a component framework utilized by Facebook to combine HTML and PHP code, served as a major inspiration for React's syntax. This tradition is still present in JSX, the HTML and JavaScript combination that React developers currently make use of on a daily basis.

3. React Originally Used a License That Raised Concerns: React utilised the BSD + Patents license up until 2017, which created quite some controversy in the open-source world. Certain large corporations completely avoided React because of the license's provisions, which were viewed as dangerous by organizations. Facebook changed to the far more developer-friendly MIT license following receiving considerable criticism, and React's uptake took off.

4. React Does Not Require JSX to Function: To be straightforward, JSX appears strange at first glance. JavaScript inside HTML? The reason for the shock is that React can function without JSX. It is merely syntactic candy for React.createElement(). Even though you may choose not to, you can create a whole React application without using a single JSX tag like for instance:

   React.createElement('h1', null, 'Hello, world!')

   Yes, React, that is very legitimate. No, writing is not enjoyable.

5. React Has No Built-In Support For Two-Way Data Binding: You may initially find React's one-way data flow restricting if you are accustomed to Angular. In fact, though, it is one of its advantages. React encourages a more consistent state model, which facilitates testing and debugging of your application. Although two-way binding can be implemented manually, React's architecture facilitates you to consider data as flowing downward from parent to child, which simplifies logic and makes it simpler to identify mistakes.

6. React is Maintained By a Dedicated Team at Meta (Facebook): React is more than simply a side open-source project. At Meta (previously Facebook), an enthusiastic workforce works on React full-time. These people actively participate in the open-source community, make updates, and maintain the library. Always keep in mind that there are a lot of individuals working to help make your life a little less annoying whenever you are shouting at your screen over a complex rendering glitch.

7. React Was Once Used in Facebook Ads Only: React had to establish itself prior to it being available to the general public. And where more effective than Facebook's Ads platform, one of its trickiest and most important sections? Before React was ever given to developers, this "testing ground" made sure it could manage interfaces that were dynamic and performance-intensive.

8. React is Often Used With Redux For Global State Management: There is not a unified approach for complicated state management in React. For managing app-wide state, lots of developers continue to use Redux, an external framework, even though it includes the Context API. In the beginning, Redux's solid foundation may be difficult to understand, however for huge projects, it creates organization out of mess. Although it is not officially a part of React, it is frequently handled as such.

9. React Has Strong TypeScript Support: JavaScript weariness is genuine, particularly when dynamic typing causes errors to appear. Now that React comes with strong TypeScript assistance, you can develop code that is more secure and straightforward to handle. React is an convincing justification to try TypeScript if you have been hesitant to do so. It is difficult to go back once you discover that those autocompletions and type errors catch simple bugs, even though you might dislike it for the first day or two.

10. React's Unidirectional Data Flow Enhances Debugging: Although this may appear like another repetition of point five, it bears a deeper examination. In addition to avoiding confusion, React's one-way data flow makes debugging reasonable. You may track the data flow from that component up the chain, for example, if a user hits a button and the application malfunctions. It is similar to a breadcrumb trail that leads directly to the issue, so there is no need to make assumptions which nested child made a mistake.

11. React Introduced Concurrent Mode For Asynchronous Rendering: Although it is currently in its early stages, React's Concurrent Mode offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of UI (User-Interface) rendering. It makes interfaces feel smoother by enabling React to pause and resume rendering operations, particularly when balancing complicated activities or slow networks. To keep React from freezing while attempting to accomplish everything at the same time, it is similar to offering it an efficient multitasking brain.

Summary: React...More Than Just Components

React is more than simply another JavaScript library; it is a dynamic tool with an exclusive past and some uniqueness. React has secured a spot in present-day web development, whether it is because of its ties to PHP, its past licensing issues, or its minimalist approach to data flow. You are going to be more at ease using it and perhaps even less likely to scream at your code as you have a better understanding of these details. You will have much more to express than "given that everybody else makes use of it" the following time somebody questions why you settled on React. It will make all the difference because you will understand the reason it works.