React Components

Overview

• Components are the building blocks of any React application.
• Each web page in React is made up of several components.
  • Example components: Navbar, Article, Sidebar.
• Components contain their own templates and logic for specific content.
  • Example: Navbar component contains HTML for the navbar and JavaScript logic for actions like logging out.

Rendering Components

• Initially, only a single component (App) is rendered.
• Located in index.js file inside the src folder.
• The App component is rendered to the DOM at the element with id="root".
• Root Component: The first component rendered; more details will be covered later.

Example Component Structure

• The App component is a function that returns JSX (not HTML).
  • Function can be an arrow function
  • Must start with a capital letter, e.g., App

JSX

• Syntax similar to HTML but with some differences.
• JSX is transpiled by Babel into HTML in the background.
• Class Names: use className (camelCase) instead of class.
  • class is reserved in JavaScript.
• JSX templates are converted to HTML and rendered to the DOM.

React Versions

• In versions < 17, import React from 'react' was necessary at the top of the file.
• In version 17 and above, this import is not needed.

Simplifying the Template

• Removed unnecessary content inside the div with the class name App.
• Added new div with the class content: <div className="content"> <h1>App Component</h1> </div>
• Removed the import for the logo that is no longer needed.

Exporting Components

• Export component functions so they can be imported and used in other files: export default App;
• Example of usage in index.js: import App from './App';
• Rendered using ReactDOM library.