React is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It was developed by Facebook and is often referred to as React.js or simply React. Like Angular, React is designed to create single-page applications (SPAs), but there are some differences in approach and functionality.
The key features of React include:
Component-based architecture: React organizes the user interface into reusable components. These components encapsulate logic and rendering and can be easily composed within the application.
Virtual DOM: React uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) that acts as an intermediate layer between the actual DOM and the React application. This allows changes to be efficiently tracked and applied to the real DOM, resulting in better performance.
One-way data binding: React employs one-way data binding, where data flows only in one direction - from the parent component to the child components. This simplifies data flow and state management.
JSX (JavaScript XML): React allows the use of JSX, a syntax extension of JavaScript that enables developers to write HTML-like code within their JavaScript files. This simplifies the creation and representation of components.
Reconciliation: React performs a process called reconciliation to efficiently and quickly determine which parts of the user interface need updating.
React Native: In addition to web application development, React can also be used for building mobile applications. React Native is a framework that enables cross-platform mobile app development.
React is renowned for its high performance and popularity in modern web application and mobile app development. It is supported by a vast developer community and continuously evolves to introduce new features and enhancements.