React

React enables the development of interactive user interfaces through the use of components that manage state and can be updated efficiently. It is particularly suited for single-page applications and is often used in conjunction with other libraries or frameworks.

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Content type

Technology

Technical building block: can be automated, integrated, or operated.

Classification level

Element

Concrete cog in the system that works inside larger relationships.

Available perspectives

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In brief

React in brief

React is a JavaScript library for describing user interfaces as reusable components.

Where does it come from?

React originated in 2013 from Jordan Walke's work at Facebook and was released there as an open-source project. It advanced component-based UI development through declarative descriptions; React is a library rather than a complete application framework.

The mental model

Think of React as a function: current state and inputs produce a UI description. React compares it with the previous description and updates the affected parts of the DOM or native target environment.

Key building blocks

Components

Components encapsulate presentation and behavior and can be nested.

Declarative rendering

Code describes what the UI should look like for a state; React performs the update.

State

Changes to props or state produce a new render and make UI changes traceable.

When is it useful?

React helps frontend teams share UI structures and model state changes. Routing, global data, and server-side capabilities require additional libraries or a framework built around React.

React-Dokumentation