Introduction to React

What is React?

• Open-source JavaScript library for creating user interfaces.
• Built on top of JavaScript; not a framework.
• Focuses on building user interfaces, does not handle server-side tasks (e.g., routing, HTTP requests).
• Handles the view layer of applications.
• Allows large web applications to change data without reloading the entire page.

Features of React

• Efficient Data Updating: Only changes the specific part of the web page that requires updating, without reloading the entire page.

Why Learn React?

1. Developed by Facebook:
   • Supported by a large community and extensive documentation.
2. Simple Syntax (JSX):
   • Allows mixing HTML with JavaScript, making it easier to write components.
3. Easy to Learn:
   • Requires knowledge of HTML, CSS, and some modern JavaScript (especially ES6).
4. In-Demand Skill:
   • Popular among tech companies for front-end development roles.
5. Tech Stack Compatibility:
   • Can be integrated with various back-end frameworks (e.g., Django, Firebase) and front-end frameworks (e.g., Bootstrap, Tailwind).
6. Mobile Development with React Native:
   • Enables development of mobile apps for Android and iOS using the same knowledge of React.

Component-Based Architecture

• React applications are built using components.
• Components can be reused, promoting efficient code management.
• Example: Instagram can be broken down into components (images, buttons) that can be reused across different profiles.

Conclusion

• The lecture covered the basics of React, its purpose, advantages of learning it, and its component-based architecture.
• Future lectures will dive deeper into learning React.