React is a programming element. A specialized technology used by JavaScript in the development of a variety of content.
It is a library for creating user interfaces. It has an open source code. React first appeared in 2013. Acts as a cross-platform library.
React can be described as:
- a web framework;
- a library of functions;
- JS library.
Now this component has support and is also being developed by Facebook and Instagram. They are helped by a community of independent developers and organizations.
History of appearance
React technology was developed by one Jordan Valke. This is one of the software developers in the Facebook Corporation. This is the name given to the PHP component-based HTML framework.
React was initially used in the Facebook feed in 2011. It was later implemented in the Instagram feed. This happened in 2012. The source code became open source in May 2013 at a conference called JSConf US.
React Native was announced at the React.js Conf conference in early 2015. Its source code was opened by developers in late spring of the same year. The corresponding component makes it possible to develop native applications with React that run on iOS, Android, and UWP.
And in 2017, a rewritten and optimized version of React appeared, called React Fiber. This is the foundation for all future features as well as existing improvements.
What to know before using it
Before you start working directly with React, you need to prepare yourself. It is not so easy for beginners to deal with it at once. Beforehand, the developer needs to familiarize himself with the concepts and basics of working with:
- HTML;
- JavaScript;
- classes;
- objects;
- functions;
- arrays.
Once the basics are in place, you can start creating user interfaces with React.