React Basics for Beginners

Source: Dev.to

My First Steps in Learning React

When I started web development, I knew HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript. I could build simple websites, but as projects grew larger I began repeating the same code and found it hard to manage everything.

Then I started learning React. At first it was confusing, but slowly I understood the basics and it became easier.

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library used to build user interfaces. It was created by Facebook.

In simple words, React helps us build websites by dividing them into small parts called components. Each component handles one part of the page, such as a header, footer, or content area.

Why use React?

React makes development easier and cleaner.

• It helps to organize code
• It allows reusing components
• It is easy to update and maintain
• It improves performance

React updates only the changed parts of the page, so it is faster than traditional websites.

What is a Reusable Component?

A reusable component means writing code once and using it many times.

Instead of repeating code like this:

Click
Click
Click

We can create one component:

function Button() {
  return Click;
}

And reuse it:

This makes the code simple and clean.

Using Reusable Components in a Blog

In a blog, every post looks similar, so we can create one component and reuse it.

function PostCard(props) {
  return (
    
      
## {props.title}

      
{props.content}

    
  );
}

Now use it like this:

This saves time and avoids repetition.

SPA and MPA

• SPA (Single Page Application) loads one page and updates content without reloading. React uses this method, giving a fast feel.
• MPA (Multi Page Application) loads a new page each time a link is clicked, which is slower compared to SPA.

Main difference: SPA does not reload the page, whereas MPA reloads the page on each navigation.

Library and Framework

• Library: A tool that helps us perform specific tasks while we control how to use it. React is a library.
• Framework: A full structure for building applications that controls the flow. Examples include Angular and Django.

Main difference: In a library, we control the code; in a framework, the framework controls the overall flow.