WTF is React?
A brief introduction to React, along with a list of references for more learning.
React is a framework for building user interfaces with JavaScript. It is essentially a library that renders components, although they aren't traditional web components.
React uses a language called JSX (for JavaScript + XML), which enables developers to include all their front-end code (including HTML and CSS) inside React components.
One of the cool things about React is it focuses entirely on the component rendering process. I love that because it somewhat follows the single-responsibility principle. It renders components to the screen within a web application, but it doesn't worry about routing, state management, or other tooling often necessary to build out an entire front-end application.
The tradeoff is that it can be somewhat complex and overwhelming to put together a React app from scratch. But, fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get started without beginning at the ground floor. To keep digging into React, check out the list of references below:
References
Keep Reading
WTF is JavaScript?
A brief description of JavaScript, with a few links to dig in and learn more.
WTF is a Web Component?
What are components? What makes them different from (or similar to) HTML elements? How are they being used today? Let's find out.
WTF is the Single-Responsibility Principle?
I often talk about the single-responsibility principle in the articles I write. What does it really mean? (Spoiler: It's probably exactly what you think.)