Navigating the Cross-Platform App Development Landscape: A Comprehensive Guide to Frameworks
Building an app is hard enough, so building it twice? Well, many companies don’t want to spend that kind of time and money. That’s what makes...
6 min read
Written by Keith Shields, Sep 5, 2024
There are hundreds—maybe thousands—of decisions between an idea and a full-fledged business application. One of the most important is choosing the right technology to build your product.
Your tech stack has a domino effect on many other aspects of development, from your timeline and capabilities to security and maintenance. So, when many successful companies and experienced developers choose the same technology, it’s worth noticing.
ReactJS is among the most popular front-end development libraries. This collection of JavaScript pieces, called components, helps developers build user interfaces quickly at scale. For over a decade, businesses have experienced the ReactJS advantage.
In this guide, we’ll outline the benefits of ReactJS over other technologies and equip you with the knowledge to weigh whether ReactJS development is right for your business application. Plus, we’ll share some examples of how top companies have used ReactJS and learn how to get started.
ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript user interface library. Code libraries like ReactJS offer developers a shortcut, giving them bits of pre-written code, or components, that serve as building blocks for a business application. Instead of starting from scratch, leveraging a code library like React can save valuable time in the development process.
ReactJS was originally developed by Jordan Walke for Facebook in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, the library was released to the public. Since then, Meta has continued to manage ReactJS and launches updates periodically. Over the years, ReactJS has gained an enormous, supportive community of developers. According to the React developer site, more than 2 million developers across the globe visit ReactJS docs each month.
This robust developer community, along with several key features and components, is one reason ReactJS has become so popular since its initial release. As a front-end technology, React allows developers to create both native and web apps. Cross-platform functionality is one of the key benefits of ReactJS that attracts developers to the library.
The list of companies using ReactJS grows longer as time passes. Top brands, including many Silicon Valley winners and household names, build their applications with React. Here are just a few included among them.
About 40% of developers report they have used React, making it among the world's most popular web development libraries.
ReactJS is a front-end development library designed specifically for user interfaces. Adaptable to both web and native applications, React offers flexibility for a wide range of projects. These include:
Products with a great deal of front-end complexity that include an element of dynamic content are particularly well-suited to ReactJS. Business applications that require a high degree of interactivity, significant amounts of data, and user-to-user engagement all benefit from ReactJS.
ReactJS development is popular for a reason. This developer-friendly library can streamline the process of building a business application in many ways. Here are the top nine benefits of ReactJS development.
React uses a virtual DOM or Document Object Model. This offers improved efficiency and performance over other JavaScript frameworks.
Traditionally, when a developer changes a JavaScript website or application, the object and any sub-structures are updated in the real DOM. Instead, ReactJS uses a virtual DOM and compares any changes there to the real DOM. This method allows for more precise updates, significantly reducing the changes required to the real DOM.
For users, this quality of ReactJS translates to faster rendering and speedy application performance. For businesses, the virtual DOM enables quicker updates. Both are important—especially for applications that utilize dynamic data.
ReactJS promotes an approach wherein the user interface breaks down into smaller, reusable bundles of code, or components. This modular quality of React makes maintenance and scaling easy.
Because each component is self-contained, changes to one won’t break or impair the function of other components. Updating or debugging an application built with React is a targeted effort.
Likewise, reusable components also speed up development, making scaling an application organized and systematic.
Choosing ReactJS development for your business offers more than development ease. It also has important, positive implications for users, too.
A key ReactJS advantage is its ability to create interactive and dynamic user interfaces. React brings complex, engaging digital experiences within reach for businesses. This powerful JavaScript library offers the opportunity to achieve an improved user experience. A memorable, dynamic, and intuitive interface bolsters user satisfaction and loyalty.
In some realms, it pays to be an early adopter, but a tried-and-true tech stack is the way to go when it comes to development. ReactJS is more than a decade old, and in that time, it’s garnered a massive developer community. That means that any issue or challenge a developer faces has probably already been experienced and resolved by another developer.
This wealth of resources, libraries, and tools smooth the development process for new business applications. Chances are, whatever you want to accomplish in your business application, there’s probably a ReactJS resource to help you do it.
Not all JavaScript frameworks are optimized for SEO—which makes ReactJS unique. Its server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities can improve search engine indexing and optimization. That means, by choosing ReactJS, your business application might be more easily found and accessed by new users than it would be otherwise.
It’s worth noting, however, that SSR is a complex process. Finding a skilled and experienced development team can help you take advantage of this valuable quality of ReactJS when building your business application.
While React was initially developed as a web application framework, it has since been updated and expanded for greater flexibility. React Native is specifically designed for mobile applications. This means an application built with ReactJS is adaptable to multiple platforms.
Instead of rewriting a separate native mobile application for iOS or Android, the same code can be reused across web and mobile platforms. This not only offers important flexibility for developers, but it also cuts down significantly on development time.
At the same time, the cross-platform advantage of ReactJS means consistent user experiences across devices. Whether accessing it on the web or mobile, users can easily navigate within your business application.
Explore Designli’s Cross-Platform Development Services →
Although ReactJS can be a tool for building extremely complex user interfaces, it’s not a particularly difficult framework to learn. Developers with varying levels of experience can leverage ReactJS with relative simplicity.
Extensive documentation and tutorials are also available for ReactJS if needed. This fact gives first-time users of ReactJS a safety net of support, should they need it. That means businesses can feel confident knowing that ReactJS offers efficiency, but not at the expense of high-quality work.
Another perk of the ReactJS library is its suite of developer tools that make the development process smoother and easier. The React Developer Tools are available as browser extensions, making developing an application—from reworking a component to debugging a feature—as efficient as possible.
Having the tools available in such a convenient, developer-friendly way makes building and troubleshooting an application much smoother. It’s no wonder that 65% of developers who have used React want to use it again.
ReactJS offers benefits beyond the initial development process. As the application matures and evolves, the framework makes updates painless. React’s component-based architecture allows developers to modernize individual application elements without having to rewrite large amounts of code.
What’s more, React’s architecture allows code to be reassigned from one component to another without a heavy lift. This simplifies maintenance for business applications built with ReactJS.
The massive developer community around ReactJS offers many advantages, but it can also make keeping up with rapid development tricky. The fast pace of change that ReactJS experiences can mean that documentation is not as substantial as slower-moving technologies.
Likewise, the flexibility of ReactJS can present a stumbling block in some cases. Component-based architecture can lead to a lack of structure, especially in larger, more robust applications. That’s why choosing a development team that follows development best practices is key.
All JavaScript libraries can present SEO challenges, and ReactJS is no different without the right expertise. Be sure to choose an experienced partner so that you can take advantage of React’s powerful SEO capabilities and avoid possible pitfalls.
Although ReactJS offers many advantages over other options, it’s not the only choice available. Vue.js, Angular, and Svelte are other popular front-end frameworks to consider for your project.
Each offers specific advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to research each option first before making a decision. Ultimately, the right choice of JavaScript library will depend on your specific business application needs and goals.
Learn More: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Tech Stack for Your Product
You don’t have to look far to find examples of ReactJS propelling businesses to success. Here are just a few examples of companies that have leveraged the powerful JavaScript library with noteworthy results.
Dropbox users can access the file-sharing platform seamlessly, whether they want to access it on mobile or desktop. ReactJS enables the company to offer a cohesive user experience across platforms. The cross-platform development approach, enabled by ReactJS, provides an important advantage for Dropbox and its users.
For a streaming service like Netflix, quick load times and speedy rendering are critical. Netflix delivers an unparalleled user experience thanks partly to the component-based architecture of ReactJS. Netflix is a classic example of how ReactJS enables excellent application performance and speed.
WhatsApp is another company that relies on ReactJS for an optimal user experience. Thanks to React, WhatsApp maintains a consistent user experience with real-time messaging across multiple devices. WhatsApp is a prime example of ReactJS supporting dynamic user engagement and interface complexity.
Thanks to its many benefits, ReactJS makes an excellent choice for building modern web and mobile business applications. From superior performance to its component-based architecture, ReactJS benefits both developers and users. The SEO-friendly library is easy to learn and use and offers the support of a robust developer community. Helpful tools for developers, capabilities for rich user interfaces, and straightforward maintenance opportunities make ReactJS a strong contender for your business application tech stack. If you’re considering a new business development effort, ReactJS is worth exploring.
A skilled development partner is key to maximizing all the ReactJS advantages. Our expert team can help you leverage this powerful development tool and take the next step toward a successful business application. Schedule a free consultation to get started.
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