Why is React So Popular in Modern Programming?

As software development evolves, so too does the need for better user experiences.  Thankfully, developers have a range of modern tools and technologies at their disposal to help them create superior digital experiences. 

Today, we’ll discuss one of the most popular tools of the 2020s - React. By the time you’ve finished reading this guide, you’ll know what React is and why it has become so popular among web developers. 

What is React? 

Before we explore why the 2020s have marked a significant increase in React’s popularity, you need to know what React, or ReactJS, is. 

React is a free-to-use, front-end JavaScript library that allows its users to build user interfaces with reusable UI components. It was developed by Facebook software engineer Jordan Walke, so it’s not surprising that Facebook is a classic example of a big-name brand that uses React. 

But there are other immensely successful companies that use React, too. From Instagram using React for Google Maps APIs to Netflix improving their runtime performance with React, it’s safe to say that React is making waves. 

There are clearly a lot of pros to using React - let’s take a look at them in more depth. 

The Pros of Using React 

For starters, React provides helpful resources that make learning how to navigate and use it incredibly straightforward. With an abundance of documents, tutorials, and training resources, any developer who has a solid knowledge of JavaScript can easily use React. 

After learning how to use React with ease, you can reap the rewards of React’s extensive range of reusable components. You can use these components anywhere that you need them, saving you valuable time during the development process. 

What’s more, React sets the new benchmark for performance enhancement thanks to its use of a Virtual Document Object Model (DOM). Compared to Real DOMs, Virtual DOMs are much faster because they don’t require the browser to recalculate the document’s layout upon every update. The result - Virtual DOMs allow for a much smoother, faster performance for any website or app. 

The Cons of Using React 

Of course, no technology is without its flaws. 

In React’s case, these flaws predominantly relate to the obstacles it poses for new, or inexperienced, developers. 

To start with, React consists of advanced components and patterns like JSX, props, and state management. Although React does provide adequate training resources, consistently introducing these components can prove challenging for new developers who aren’t familiar with JavaScript. 

Given that JavaScript is a commonly used programming language, this disadvantage may not seem as pressing. But since you can use React in conjunction with other tools like Redux and React Router, understanding how to use these integrations adds another layer of complexity that new developers are likely to struggle with. 

Last of all, its fast-paced developments are like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, React’s high pace of development is one quality that makes it more future-proof than other JavaScript libraries.On the other hand, due to the library’s rapid growth and changes, developers must adapt their code frequently. As you can imagine, this is not only challenging for developers but also very frustrating. 

Exploring Why React is So Popular in 2024

Now, let’s get down to brass tacks. 

We briefly touched on the pros of React that make it so popular, but now it’s time to explore this further. 

1. Versatility 

React’s library has every component and pattern you need to build a wide range of web, desktop, and mobile applications. 

What’s more, because React supports many integrations, you can easily improve upon the functionality of your development projects. 

2. Scalability 

React can accommodate even the most complex of projects, making it suitable for virtually any project. 

Due to React’s Virtual DOM, you don’t have to worry about the rendering of large, complex applications. Needless to say, this is one of React’s features that makes it scalable. 

Another feature that makes React so scalable is its modular architecture, which makes it easy to add new features/functions without compromising the entire application. 

3. Strong Community Support 

React’s community comprises millions of developers with varying degrees of experience and skills. With many discussion forums in place, seeking out helpful advice when you encounter bumps in the road is too easy. Most notably, React’s Stack Overflow forum is perfect if you’re ever stuck with a specific error or code-level question. 

By sifting through existing questions or asking your own, React ensures that its community actively contributes to its rapid evolution. 

4. Virtual DOMs 

We’ve peppered mentions of Virtual DOMs throughout this article, but it’s time to address them in full detail. 

As you know, Virtual DOMs are much faster than Real DOMs. But why is that? 

Well, a Real DOM is a programming API for HTML and XML documents. It allows programmers to create documents and navigate their structure, as well as add, delete, or modify elements or content. In other words, a Real DOM is the actual, manipulable structure of a webpage. 

So, A Virtual DOM is a lightweight, in-memory representation of the Real DOM. As a lightweight copy of the Real DOM, React’s Virtual DOM makes it easy for developers to change the user interface without affecting the rest of the page. 

This is how React’s Virtual DOMs perform much faster and more efficiently than other frameworks. 

5. Testing Made Simple 

React’s Testing Library consists of helpful resources that let developers test components without depending on their implementation details. As you can imagine, this makes running unit/integration tests and refactoring incredibly simple. Best of all, not only will you end up with a fully functional application, but you’ll also receive pointers for accessibility. 

Why You Should Use React 

So, you know a little more about why React is so popular, but why should you use React? 

From our exploration of React, you can see that it celebrates two central tenets - simplicity and speed. 

Given that React excels at simplifying and streamlining vital workflows, it can help boost the productivity of your entire team. What’s more, over 45 million live websites, including Discord, Dropbox, and Reddit, are reaping the productive rewards of using React. 

Additionally, according to the State of JavaScript 2022 survey, 81.8% of developers claimed that they use React. Best of all, 83% of developers said they would use React again. 

Ultimately, thanks to React’s fast rendering, scalability, and component-based design, it has managed to accommodate the needs of developers worldwide. After all, to create user-centric applications, you need to use user-centric tools first. 

Build Your Next React App With Tapptitude 

As great as React is, you’ll need more than an immensely popular Javascript library to launch successful digital products. That’s where Tapptitude enters the picture. 

Tapptitude is a mobile app development company that specializes in the entire flow of the development process. From the ideation phase to your product’s launch, we pride ourselves on our ability to help our partners with product strategies, UX/UI design, usability testing, and marketing. 

We use agile software development techniques, completing two-week sprints to ensure our clients receive high-quality, user-tested deliverables quickly. In other words, the 120+ products we’ve already built exhibit nothing less than consistently exceptional quality governed by the expertise of our incredibly talented team. 

Start your next project with Tapptitude, and we’ll set the new benchmark for user-centricity together. 

FAQs

Is React still relevant in 2024? 

Simply put, yes, React is still relevant in 2024. 

Remember when we mentioned that React is future-proof? Well, because React is supported by a vast community of developers, robust features, and a continuous flow of updates, there’s no sign of React becoming obsolete in the foreseeable future. 

Additionally, React’s versatility and scalability satisfy a need within the development community, allowing them to create better applications consistently. In other words, React isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

What will replace React? 

While it’s argued that it’s unlikely that React will be replaced in the near future, the most likely contender is Next.js. 

Many developers perceive Next.js as easier to use than React because it requires less code.  It also boasts features that streamline Server-side Rendering (SSR) and routing, saving developers valuable time. That being said, if you’re building a large-scale, complex web application, React is commonly deemed as the better choice. 

How much time does it take to learn how to use React? 

Generally, it takes developers between one to six months to confidently understand how to use React. Obviously, this time period can vary depending on your prior knowledge and experience with programming and JavaScript. 

We recommend learning as much as you can about JavaScript before using React. By doing so, you’ll find it much easier to speed up React’s lengthy learning process.