React is a popular JavaScript library used for building user interfaces (UIs). But what programming language does React use? In this article, we will explore the various aspects of React and its relationship with other programming languages.
Why is React Popular?
React is popular because it is fast and efficient, making it ideal for building complex UIs quickly. It also has a large community of developers who contribute to its growth and development. Additionally, React is open-source, which means anyone can use, modify, and distribute it freely.
JavaScript vs. TypeScript
React is built on top of JavaScript, but many developers prefer using TypeScript instead. TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing, which helps catch errors earlier in the development process. This can lead to more maintainable code and faster development times.
JavaScript vs. HTML/CSS
While React uses JavaScript for its logic, it is not a framework like Angular or Vue. Instead, React focuses on building reusable UI components that can be used across different applications. This makes React more flexible than traditional frameworks and easier to integrate with existing codebases.
React Native vs. Web React
React can be used for both web development and mobile app development using React Native. While both use JavaScript, the React Native version has some additional features and APIs that are specific to mobile app development. However, the core principles of React remain the same across different platforms.
Case Study: Building a To-Do App with React
To better understand how React works and its relationship with other programming languages, let’s take a look at building a simple To-Do app using React.
First, we need to create a new project using the create-react-app
command. This will set up our development environment and provide us with some boilerplate code:
bash
npx create-react-app todo-app
cd todo-app
Next, we’ll need to install any additional dependencies such as `axios` for making API calls or `lodash` for utility functions. We can do this using the `npm install` command:
bash
npm install axios lodash
Now, let’s write some code! We’ll start by creating a component that displays a list of To-Do items:
javascript
import React, { useState } from ‘react’;
function TodoList() {
const [todos, setTodos] = useState([]);
const addTodo(todo) {
setTodos([…todos, todo]);
};
return (
<ul>
{todos.map((todo) > (
<li key{todo}>{todo}</li>
))}
<button onClick{() > addTodo('Add new item')}>Add Item</button>
</ul>
);
}
export default TodoList;
Here, we’re using React’s `useState` hook to manage our list of todos and an event handler to add new items. We’re also using the spread operator (`…`) to create a copy of our array when adding a new item.
We can then import our `TodoList` component into our main application file:
javascript
import React from ‘react’;
import TodoList from ‘./TodoList’;
function App() {
return (
<div className"App">
<p>To-Do List</p>
<TodoList />
</div>
);
}
export default App;
Here, we’re simply rendering our `TodoList` component inside a div with a heading.