React JS: Is it a Frontend or Backend Framework?

People still wonder if React Js JS is frontend or backend? No doubt, React Js is a front-end JavaScript library used in web development to build interactive elements on website User Interfaces (UI) based on UI components. It can be used to develop full-stack web applications as it is used in both frontend and backend. It’s an open-source technology that combines JavaScript and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) to display small pieces of the large UI. 

React Js permits developers to describe their User Interfaces and version the state of these interfaces. React Js developer tools are essential tools used to develop React Js apps, debug any React Js app issues, and React Js app troubleshooting. 

What is React Js?  

React Js is an open-source JavaScript framework with which developers create interactive designs effortlessly. React Js is an open-source technology that combines JavaScript and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) to display small pieces of the large UI. It is used in web development to build interactive elements on website User Interfaces (UI) based on UI components. It was developed and maintained by Facebook with an open-source community called JS ‘library’. 

Checkout: 42% of the developers use React JS. 

React Js Developer

A React Js developer is a frontend developer who works with React Js to build UIs, focus on frontend development, and use JavaScript and CSS to design UI elements and layout of the pages. A good React Js developer must have deep knowledge in soft skills and technical skills in both frontend and backend development which include language coding, libraries, and packages. By investing in comprehensive web development training for teams, companies can unlock the full potential of their React.js developers resulting in improved teamwork, productivity, and ultimately, a higher return on investment (ROI)

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React Js Tools

The tools used in React Js are Redux, Basel, JSX, Git and npm.

Redux is a state management library used to manage any API changes from any library to make sure that React Js components operate as expected.

Basel is a JavaScript-based tool that transforms HTML text format from JavaScript files into standard JavaScript objects.

JSX describes React Js’s object tree using a syntax similar to an HTML template and is an abstraction on top of React Js.create.Element API.

Git is an open-source tool designed to handle projects with speed and efficiency. It is used to track changes with add, commit, push, and pull.

Node is a cloud storage platform used as an online directory that contains a variety of already registered open- source packages.

More about Frontend and Backend Development

Well, let me be clear if you have any confusion regarding Frontend and Backend. Frontend and Backend are the two commonly used and very important terms in web development. 

Frontend Development

In Frontend Development, the developer implements the design, content, and structure of the website which is directly accessible to the users. Responsiveness and Performance are the two main objectives of the frontend developer. It’s the responsibility of the developer to check whether the website is correctly visible on all devices. This part of the website is visible to the users and includes colors, buttons, text, styles, etc. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the common languages used in frontend development. Let’s take a peep into these languages.

• HTML – Hypertext Markup Language is the core of any website which provides Design and Functionality.
• CSS– Cascading Style Sheet provides flexible and interactive designs.
• JavaScript – It creates dynamic elements on HTML web pages.

Read our blog on Conversion of Native Android and iOS apps to React Native.

Why React.js Is the Frontend's Best:

Component-Based Architecture: React.js supports the modular design of user interfaces (UIs), with each component encapsulating its own rendering behaviour and logic. The code is more maintainable and reusable because to its modular nature.

Virtual DOM: React.js makes use of a virtual DOM, which is a condensed version of the real DOM. This makes it possible for React to effectively update the user interface (UI) when changes happen, leading to quicker rendering and better performance.

Declarative Syntax: By enabling developers to specify how the user interface (UI) should appear depending on its current state, React's declarative syntax streamlines the UI development process. The complexity of directly managing DOM manipulations is decreased by this abstraction.
 

Backend Development

This part of the website ensures that the frontend is working perfectly fine. This part of the website is not visible to the clients and they aren't directly interacting with this side. Backend Developer implements writing APIs, creating libraries, working with the system, etc. Languages used in Backend Development are PHP, C++, and Java.

• PHP – PHP is called a server-side scripting language and is designed just for web development. 
• C++ – It is a widely used competitive programming language. 
• Java – It is a highly scalable language whose components are easily available.

Frontend vs Backend

• The front-end is where the users interact directly whereas the backend is how everything works and users can’t interact directly.
• The visual aspect always comes under Frontend Development whereas what happens in the background comes under Backend Development.
• Languages used for the front end are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript whereas the backend languages include Java, Ruby, Python, and .NET.
• While the backend manages data integrity, authentication, authorization, and the prevention of threats like SQL injection, the frontend concentrates on client-side validation and protection against XSS/CSRF.
• Designers and developers work together in frontend, while backend implements server-side functionality and business logic.
• The backend is distributed to scalable server settings using load balancing and horizontal scaling, while the frontend is deployed as static files and optimised for client-side performance.

React Js Developer Tools 

React Js developer tools are essential tools used to develop React Js apps, debug any React Js app issues, and React Js app troubleshooting. React Js DevTools is a browser plugin that allows developers to investigate the React Js component hierarchy in a React Js application. React Js DevTools is available in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

React Js DevTools usage

React Js.js presence detection in the application:

• Open the browser and navigate to the “React Js DevTools” extension.
• If the “React Js DevTools” extension is colorful, then it means the application is available in React Js.js format.
• If the “React Js DevTools” extension is colorless, then the application was not created with React Js.js.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

React Js helps to find developers easily  – The popularity of React Js helps in delivering a bunch of skilled React Js developers with a wide range of React Js knowledge, for any business at an ease. 

React Js aids in Rapid Development – React Js developers can help businesses by writing complex codes to build a small MVP.

React Js Creates cross-platform products – if there is a business that wants to develop a cross-platform then React Js has the ability to do that. React Js native can develop for android and iOS. It will reduce the cost as they will only hire one developer for both platforms.

React Js builds a wider community – React Js Developers have a wider community with tons of React Js libraries and tutorials to help you fix a bug to speed up the process easily.

React Js owns reusable components – The components in React Js are reusable. Developers can create an app using all ready-made components and also, and you can combine smaller components to make a bigger component as well.

Cons:

React Js apps are shouldered by third-party libraries - Since React Js doesn’t have any base tools they seek the help of third-party libraries. So to keep your React Js version updated you need to update the library as well.

React Js has no conventions - Since React Js doesn’t execute any conventions, JavaScript developers create React Js apps in a different manner which results in messy codes because of various developers with different sets of knowledge.

These are the basic concepts of React Js framework, frontend vs backend, and the pros and cons of React Js.

Popular tools and libraries used with React JS

Some popular tools and libraries used with React JS include Redux for state management, React Router for handling navigation, Axios for making HTTP requests, and Material-UI or Bootstrap for building responsive UI components.

Is React Js frontend or backend?

Finally, it's time to reveal the real mystery.

React Js Js is a globally used Front-end JS framework and is popular with both software developers and project sponsors. Well, React Js is not a backend development.

Read our blog: Flutter vs React Native - The framework you should choose in 2020

While building a project, React Js Js Developers focus mainly on the user’s experience and so it's called Frontend. No doubt front-end developers are in high demand.

Can ReactJS be used for both backend and frontend development?

No, ReactJS cannot be used for both backend and frontend development. It is primarily a front-end library designed for building user interfaces, especially for creating dynamic and interactive web applications.

For backend development, a different technology, such as Node.js, is usually required. However, ReactJS can be combined with Node.js to create a full stack application, where React handles the front-end and Node.js manages the backend, taking care of server-side logic, database operations, and API integrations.

Conclusion

As we conclude, React Js is a frontend library used for client-side programming in building things where the users can interact directly with the website. It's a firm framework that can easily be developed and has a wider community. From a developer's perspective, React Js is not better or worse as compared to other JavaScript frameworks. As all the frameworks have their own pros and cons and it's up to the developer to choose the better one. But from the perspective of a business owner, React Js is definitely the best because of its larger community which makes the development much faster and much easier.

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