Learn Reactjs

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, React.js has emerged as a pivotal technology that has revolutionized the way we build user interfaces. React.js, often referred to as React, is an open-source JavaScript library developed and maintained by Facebook. Since its release in 2013, React has gained immense popularity and has been adopted by countless developers and organizations worldwide. This essay delves into the world of React.js, examining its origins, core concepts, key features, and its impact on modern web development.

Origins of React.js

React.js was created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook, and was first deployed on Facebook’s newsfeed in 2011. It was later open-sourced in 2013, making it available to a wider developer community. Facebook developed React.js to address the challenges they faced in building complex, interactive user interfaces for their web applications. It aimed to provide a solution for building UIs that are both efficient and maintainable.

Core Concepts

React.js introduces several fundamental concepts that distinguish it from traditional web development approaches:

a. Components: React applications are built around the concept of components. A component is a reusable, self-contained unit that encapsulates a part of a user interface. Components can be as simple as a button or as complex as an entire webpage.

b. Virtual DOM: React employs a virtual representation of the Document Object Model (DOM). When changes occur in a React application, they are first applied to the virtual DOM, which is then efficiently updated in the actual DOM. This approach minimizes unnecessary re-rendering, leading to better performance.

c. Unidirectional Data Flow: React enforces a one-way data flow, which ensures that data flows downward from parent components to child components. This makes it easier to understand how data changes propagate through the application and reduces unexpected side effects.

Key Features of React.js

React.js offers a plethora of features that make it a compelling choice for modern web development:

a. Reusable Components: React’s component-based architecture encourages the creation of reusable UI elements. This promotes code reusability and simplifies maintenance.

b. JSX (JavaScript XML): React introduces JSX, an extension to JavaScript that allows developers to write HTML-like code within their JavaScript files. This declarative syntax makes it more intuitive to define component structures.

c. Virtual DOM Reconciliation: React efficiently updates the DOM by comparing the virtual DOM and the actual DOM, minimizing performance bottlenecks and enhancing the user experience.

d. State Management: React provides a built-in mechanism for managing the state of a component. This simplifies the handling of dynamic data and user interactions.

e. Community and Ecosystem: React has a vast and active community, resulting in a rich ecosystem of libraries, tools, and extensions that enhance its capabilities and productivity.

Impact on Modern Web Development

React.js has had a profound impact on modern web development in several ways:

a. Improved Developer Productivity: React’s component-based approach and declarative syntax simplify code organization and promote developer productivity. Teams can collaborate more effectively, and maintenance becomes less daunting.

b. Enhanced User Experience: React’s efficient virtual DOM reconciliation and component reusability contribute to faster page rendering and a smoother user experience.

c. Popularity and Adoption: React has gained widespread adoption, making it a sought-after skill for web developers. Its popularity has led to the creation of a robust job market for React developers.

d. Scalability: React is suitable for both small projects and large-scale applications. Its modular architecture allows developers to scale their projects as needed.

e. Integration: React can be easily integrated with other libraries and frameworks, enabling developers to choose the best tools for their specific requirements.

Conclusion

React.js has emerged as a game-changer in the world of web development, offering a powerful and efficient way to build user interfaces. Its component-based architecture, virtual DOM, and one-way data flow have revolutionized how developers create interactive web applications. With a strong community and a rich ecosystem, React.js is poised to remain a dominant force in web development for the foreseeable future. As developers continue to harness the power of React, we can expect to see even more innovative and user-friendly web applications in the years to come.

How to install ReactJS:

ReactJS is known for its extremely fast navigation in project or website pages.

How to setup ReactJS project:

Download NodeJS as mentioned here: https://nodejs.org/en/ and Install it.
After installation, search and Open ‘Node.js command prompt’ in computer and run command ‘node -v’ to check version of installed Nodejs. You can also use ‘Atom‘ IDE to run commands.
Install npm globally CLI using command (either in editor like ‘Atom’ or ‘Node.js command prompt’:
npm install -g create-react-app
Create a project folder and open its path in CLI usind ‘cd’ command.
Then create React project in it with command: create-react-app project-name (don’t use capital letters in project name)
Point to project folder in CLI using command ‘cd project-name’
Now run the project to automatically open output in a browser window, using command: npm start
Project output can be further edited in file ‘App.js’ present in src folder, in project folder: src/App.js

How to upload file in ReactJS using PHP API

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTGXNvHQ4BQ

How to setup pagination in Reactjs table

1) Install react-paginate

npm install react-paginate

2) Import react-paginate

import ReactPaginate from 'react-paginate'

3) Set users per page, and other required variables

const[pageNumber, setPageNumber] = useState(0)

const usersPerPage = 5
const pageVisited = pageNumber * usersPerPage

4) Create a variable to map actual data coming from database, etc. and use .slice with it for pagination
 const displayUsers = users .slice(pageVisited, pageVisited + usersPerPage) .map((user, key) => <tr key={key}> <td>{user.id}</td> <td>{user.username}</td> <td>{user.email}</td> </tr> )

5) Call variable inside return() body:
 <tbody> {displayUsers} </tbody>

6) Create variables to count total pages to be created and for selected page’s number

const pageCount = Math.ceil(users.length / usersPerPage)
const changePage = ({selected}) => {
	setPageNumber(selected)
}

7) Create ReactPaginate code as below for actual mapped data called to make pagination below it
 <tbody> {displayUsers} <ReactPaginate previousLabel={“Previous”} nextLabel={“Next”} pageCount={pageCount} onPageChange={changePage} containerClassName={“paginationButtons”} previousLinkClassName={“privousButton”} nextLinkClassName={“nextButton”} disabledClassName={“paginationDisabled”} activeClassName={“paginationActive”} /> </tbody>

8) Do CSS to make buttons look:
.paginationButtons {
width:80%;
height:40px;
list-style:none;
display:flex;
justify-content:center;
}

.paginationButtons a {
padding: 10px;
margin: 8px;
border-radius: 5px;
border: 1px solid #2b2eff;
color: #2b2eff;
cursor: pointer;
}

.paginationButtons a:hover {
color: white;
background-color: #2b2eff;
}

.paginationActive a {
color:white;
background-color: #2b2eff;
}

Move ReactJS project to online hosting (Cpanel and MySql Database):

Go to package.json file, below “name” line ends, add code:

“homepage”: “https://yourwebsitename.com”,

Inside your ‘public’ folder, create .htaccess file and add this code:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.html$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-l
RewriteRule . /index.html [L]</IfModule>

This assumes that index.html is in ‘public’ folder, if index.html is in another folder, then change rewrite rule to ./anotherfolder/index.html

For database connectivity, there is need to create online database, compress restapi files folder containing database files, upload and extract in cpanel. Correct online database name, username and password in database file.
Correct axios path inside project files from ‘http://localhost’ path to your website name.
Run command:

npm run build

It will create ‘build’ folder inside project. Create zip of this folder, upload it in cpanel and extract this build folder inside your website folder in cpanel.

Check index.html file and correct links for js, css, etc. files.

Project to setup basic chat using Reactjs and Golang: https://github.com/Inderjeetdev/-realtime-chat-go-react

You can contact us, regarding a ReactJS project.