What is ReactJS?

What is reactjs?

ReactJS is an open source library that is mainly used to build interfaces, that is, it is a technology focused on interactivity. It is oriented towards the frontend (part of the software that the user uses) and its adoption has been increasing in recent years. ReactJS is presented as an excellent alternative to make all types of web applications, SPA (Single Page Application) and even applications for mobile devices. It stands out for having a complete ecosystem of modules, tools and components that make it possible to develop complex functionalities in a short time. In that sense, ReactJS offers a robust work environment for programming using the JavaScript language. In addition, it provides certain facilities for generating dynamic user interfaces. However, with ReactJS we only develop part of a web application, the frontend, so this technology must be integrated with others to form a complete solution. For this reason, it is often said that ReactJS is the “V” of an MCV (Model View Controller) framework. ReactJS uses JavaScript XML (JSX), a combination of HTML and JavaScript, and provides a robust framework for programming. In addition, it provides certain facilities for generating dynamic user interfaces.

Returning back to the history. React was launched and developed by Facebook in 2013. They are in charge of maintaining it together with a community of independent developers and other companies.

It is free software under the MIT license and, to date, has a growing community of developers. Its creation was carried out with the objective of meeting specific needs derived from the development of the famous social network, since not only dynamic interfaces were sought, but also high performance, much greater than the other alternatives on the market.

When creating React, they noticed that the performance of an application was compromised by the connections between views and data, so they created a new operating dynamic where they optimized the way in which views are rendered (generated) against to change in application data.

From that moment on, the use of this technology had a positive impact on Facebook and the ReactJS development model was incorporated into Instagram. This library has been so effective that other platforms have been adopting it, such as: WhatsApp, Airbnb, Netflix, Dropbox, BBC, Uber, Twitter, Reddit and PayPal.