Key Concepts You Need to Understand React

React is fast becoming one of the most popular tools for building interactive front end applications. According to Contentful, “you can tailor content structures and the connected API responses to your needs.” There is a learning curve. Here are the key concepts you need to understand React.

Exactly What is React?

React is a component-based design application capable of managing the build of complex UI. Regardless of your technology stacking, React lets you develop features without editing existing code. React updates and renders appropriate components whenever your data changes.

As we said, there is a learning curve that can trip up even a seasoned developer. To unlock its potential raw power, you should be aware of the following concepts.

Don’t Call It a Framework

Frameworks are technically an ecosystem of resources that support one another. React doesn’t do this. React is more of a library. It actually works on the backend of backends while deploying it with other tools in the same app. By building one component at a time, you can slowly add React to that app.

React’s Components Kill It

Using React to combine pieces into a single app is an option. But there’s also the capability of placing React bits and pieces into your HTML. You create “components” into existing web pages using React like JavaScript. Create a component and use it as an HTML tag.

And What’s the 411 with DOMs?

JavaScript interacts with HTML and other documentation to create web pages. Java uses the DOM (Document Object Model). DOM quickly becomes a challenge though. Where multiple scripts require access to multiple DOMS, you need to manage a series of checks and balances to make it work. That can be time-consuming. React’s code makes changes in a virtual DOM. React compares virtual to actual DOMs. React finds differences and updates the original to match the virtual.

Properties

React uses properties to pass info between its components. If you were creating a board game, you might use “renderSquare()” and return “Square /.” That’s common in React app patterns. In the Board class, “renderSquare()” can be called multiple times. Each call, the “squareValue” can change, potentially giving each Square a different value. These properties, or props, are values passed from parent to child. You now have the facility to access any information the Board has as a prop.

Power in the Chain

Generally, you’d update a DOM with an onClick event. onClick is used by React to call other methods to your components. To return information to a parent, you define the handleClick() in the parent. You then pass the method to the child as a prop. The structure is used to ultimately render Buttons in a simplified manner, each Button having its own identifiers with a shared handleClick.

You now have a firmer comprehension of React’s broader context and how the pieces connect. Whether you’re just getting started with React or want to continue developing your understanding of the tools you can access for your web apps’ most trying projects, you now have the key concepts you need to understand React.