Day 1

What
Is
 What is React.js?
React.js is a popular JavaScript library for building
user interfaces, particularly single-page
applications (SPAs) where content dynamically
updates without needing a full page reload.

Developed and maintained by Facebook, React is

known for its efficiency, flexibility, and ease of use.

React.js is an open-source JavaScript library used

for building fast, interactive user interfaces for
web applications.

It allows developers to create large web

applications that can update and render efficiently
with changing data.
Why Use React.js?
1. Component-Based Architecture

Think of React components like building blocks.

You create small pieces (components) that you can
use again and again throughout your app.

React follows a component-based architecture,

allowing you to build encapsulated components
that manage their own state and compose them to
create complex UIs.

Components can be reused across different parts

of the application, reducing redundancy and
ensuring consistency.

For example, a button you use on one page can be

reused on other pages without having to rewrite
the code.
Here, the Button component is reused with
different properties, demonstrating how
components in React can be modular and
reusable.
2. Virtual DOM for Performance
Optimization

React uses a special technology called the Virtual

DOM to keep your app fast.

The Virtual DOM is a lightweight copy of the real

DOM, to optimize rendering. When the state of an
object changes, React first updates the Virtual
DOM, then efficiently updates the real DOM by
applying only the necessary changes.

This approach minimizes the number of updates to

the real DOM, significantly boosting performance.
For Example:

In this example, only the part of the DOM that

contains the count value is updated when the
button is clicked, thanks to React's Virtual DOM.
3. Unidirectional Data Flow
React makes it easy to follow how data moves
through your app.

React follows a unidirectional data flow, meaning

data flows in one direction, from parent to child
components via props.

This makes the app easier to debug and

understand, as changes follow a predictable
pattern.

With a single source of truth (all the state or data

for your application is centralized in a single
location), debugging becomes straightforward, and
you can trace changes through the entire
application.
For Example;

message is passed as a prop

to the ChildComponent

message is then used

as a jsx value

Here, data flows from ParentComponent to

ChildComponent via the message prop, illustrating
unidirectional data flow.
4. Easy Integration with Other Libraries
and Frameworks
React is designed to be flexible and can be easily
integrated with other libraries and frameworks,
such as Redux for state management, React Router
for navigation, or even non-React libraries.

React can be embedded in an existing project or

used to create new projects, making it versatile
and suitable for a wide range of applications.

This example shows how to add navigation between

different pages using the ‘react-router-dom’ library
5. Easy Debugging with Developer Tools
React has powerful developer tools that help you
see how your app is working, making debugging
easier.

React has excellent developer tools, such as React

Developer Tools for Chrome and Firefox, allowing
developers to inspect component hierarchies, view
props, and state, and debug more effectively.
6. Support for Server-Side Rendering
(SSR)
React supports Server-Side Rendering (SSR),
which helps improve SEO and performance by
rendering components on the server before
sending them to the client.

SSR allows search engines to index pages more

effectively, and users experience faster initial
loading times.

7. Code Reusability and Maintenance

With React's modular approach, components can
be reused across different parts of the application,
reducing redundancy and making code more
maintainable.

This approach makes it easier to update and

maintain applications, reducing the cost and time
of development.
9. JSX for Readable Syntax

React uses JSX (JavaScript XML), an extension

that allows writing HTML-like syntax within
JavaScript. JSX makes the code more readable and
easier to debug. It looks like HTML but has the
power of JavaScript.

Syntax for JSX:

 Overview of React.js
Ecosystem
The React ecosystem is a collection of tools,
libraries, and frameworks that enhance the core
functionalities of React, making it easier to build
complex, efficient, and scalable web applications.

Some of the Most Import part of the

ecosystem are:
1. State Management: State management is a
critical concept in React.js that deals with how
data flows through a React application.
In React, state refers to a JavaScript object that
holds information about the component. This data
determines how the component renders and
behaves.
State is managed within the component itself and can
change over time. For example, in a to-do list
application, the state might contain an array of tasks.
When a user adds a new task, the state is updated, and
the UI re-renders to reflect the new task.
Types of State Management in React

Local State: Managed within a single

component using the useState hook.

Global State: Managed across multiple

components and requires external libraries like
Redux, MobX, or Context API.

Server State: Data that comes from an external

server that must be integrated with the app's
local state.

URL State: State that exists on URLs, including

the pathname and query parameters.

2. Routing: React Router is a popular library for

managing navigation and routing in React
applications. It allows developers to handle
dynamic routing, nested routes, and complex route
configurations easily.
3. Styling: Styling in React.js can be done in various
ways, providing flexibility and control over how
you want your application to look and feel.

Styling can be done with:

Styled Components: A library for writing CSS in

JavaScript with a focus on component-level
styling.
Emotion: A performant and flexible CSS-in-JS
library that provides powerful and flexible
styling capabilities, similar to Styled
Components.

CSS Modules: A CSS file in which all class

names and animation names are scoped locally
by default, helping to avoid style conflicts.

Inline Styling: Inline styling in React allows you

to apply styles directly to elements using the
style attribute.
CSS Stylesheets: You can use traditional CSS
stylesheets to style your React components.
This method involves creating .css files and
importing them into your React component.
4. Data Fetching: Allows you to get data from
external sources like APIs and servers to display
dynamic content.

Data can be fetched in React using libraries like

Axios, SWR,React Query, Javascript Promise, etc...

5. Build Tools and Frameworks: React alone

doesn’t provide a complete set of tools for
building complex applications, that’s where
various frameworks and libraries come in. They
extend the capabilities of React and help
developers create robust, scalable, and efficient
applications more easily.

Examples of these tools are:

Next.js: A React framework that provides

server-side rendering (SSR), static site
generation (SSG), and many other features for
building fast and scalable web applications.

Vite: A fast build tool that serves as an

alternative to Create React App, providing
faster development and optimized production
builds.
Learned well about what React.js is? or
Do you have questions or clarifications
about any concept learned today?

Engage me in the comments, I will be

happy to help further.

Don’t worry if you are seeing some of

these terminologies or snippets for the
first time, I am pretty sure that before
the end of these 30 days of Learning
Reactjs, you would have known better.
I hope you found this material
useful and helpful.

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