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React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces based on components. It is maintained by Meta (formerly Facebook) and a community of developers and companies. React can be used to develop single-page, mobile, or server-rendered applications with frameworks like Next.js. React lets you write components with code and markup using a syntax extension called JSX. React also lets you add interactivity wherever you need it by using hooks to manage state and effects. React is widely used in software development because it enables declarative, modular, and reusable code that is easy to create, maintain, and test.
Some of the advantages of using React are:
- It is easy to learn and use, especially if you already know JavaScript and JSX.
- It uses a virtual DOM that improves performance and efficiency by only updating the changed parts of the UI.
- It has reusable components that make code modular, maintainable, and testable.
- It operates on a one-way data flow that makes data management easier and prevents unwanted side effects.
- It can be used for both front-end and back-end development, as well as for web and mobile applications, with frameworks like Next.js and React Native.
- It has a large and active community that provides support, resources, and updates.
Some of the disadvantages of using React are:
- It has a high pace of development that makes it hard to keep up with the changes and updates.
- It has poor documentation that does not cover all the features and use cases of React.
- It only covers the view part of the application and requires other libraries and technologies for other aspects.
- It uses JSX as a barrier that can be difficult to learn and understand for some developers.
- It has incomplete tooling that does not provide everything needed for development and testing.
How to install and run React on your Windows PC?
There are different ways to install React on your computer, depending on your preferences and needs. One of the most common ways is to use the create-react-app tool that sets up everything you need to start a React project. To use this method, you need to have Node.js and npm installed on your computer. You can download Node.js from their official website and follow the installation instructions. Once you have Node.js and npm, you can open a terminal (Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell) and run the following commands:
- To create a new project folder: mkdir ReactProjects and enter that directory: cd ReactProjects.
- To install React using create-react-app: npx create-react-app my-app, where my-app is the name of your project.
- To change directories into your new app: cd my-app.
- To start your new React app: npm start.
This will launch a new browser window displaying your app. You can use Ctrl + c to stop running the React app in your terminal.
Another way to install React on your computer is to use Chocolatey, a package manager for Windows. To use this method, you need to have Chocolatey installed on your computer. You can follow the installation instructions on their website. Once you have Chocolatey, you can open a terminal (Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell) and run the following commands:
- To install Node.js using Chocolatey: choco install nodejs-lts.
- To install create-react-app using Chocolatey: choco install create-react-app.
- To create a new React project using create-react-app: create-react-app my-app, where my-app is the name of your project.
- To change directories into your new app: cd my-app.
- To start your new React app: npm start.
This will launch a new browser window displaying your app. You can use Ctrl + c to stop running the React app in your terminal.