Features
- Virtual DOM for efficient UI updates
- JSX syntax for declarative component authoring
- Hooks API for stateful logic reuse
- Concurrent rendering with Suspense
- Server Components for zero-bundle server logic
Pros
- Largest ecosystem and community in frontend
- Battle-tested at massive scale (Meta, Netflix, Airbnb)
- Extensive third-party library support
- Strong job market demand
Cons
- Requires additional libraries for routing, state, etc.
- JSX learning curve for template-oriented developers
- Re-render performance requires careful optimization
Overview
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, created by Meta (Facebook) and open-sourced in 2013. It pioneered the component-based architecture that has become the standard approach for modern frontend development, letting you compose complex UIs from small, isolated pieces of code called components.
React uses a virtual DOM to efficiently update the browser’s actual DOM, comparing the previous and next states to apply the minimum number of changes. With the introduction of React Server Components, the library now spans both client and server, allowing developers to build hybrid applications where some components render on the server with zero client-side JavaScript cost.
When to Use
React is the right choice when you need a mature ecosystem with extensive community support, when your team already has React experience, or when building complex interactive applications that benefit from a large selection of third-party libraries. It’s the safe default for most web application projects.
Getting Started
npx create-vite my-app --template react-ts
cd my-app && npm install && npm run devimport { useState } from "react";
function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Count: {count}</button>;
}