Are React.js and React Native Identical?

If you're new to the realm of web and mobile development, you're likely pondering over this very question.

For newcomers, assuming that React.js and React Native are synonymous is a common misconception. After all, they both bear the "React" label.

Yet, despite the shared ground, React.js and React Native stand apart. In this piece, I'll delve into both React.js and React Native, subsequently outlining their likenesses and disparities. By the article's close, you'll possess a distinct comprehension of these tools and their respective app-building domains.

To comprehend the divergence between React.js and React Native, we must initially plunge into the mechanics of website rendering on a web browser.

What is React.js?

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From a technical standpoint, ReactJS is a front-end JavaScript library accessible as open-source. Its purpose? Constructing user interfaces (UI) and UI components. In simpler words, React empowers you to craft the visible and interactive portions of a website within the browser window.

Now, how does React diverge from using plain JavaScript? Well, React streamlines the UI design process considerably. It grants you the ability to devise elements that can be effortlessly reused across diverse sections of the website or application.

Compare this to JavaScript, where, as previously mentioned, crafting the same button in varying colors would demand replicating code, possibly complicating extensive projects.

React introduces an elegant solution through its component architecture. Here, you encapsulate a single UI segment, such as a button, within a component, mitigating redundancy.

In this instance, the element involved is a function that produces a syntax reminiscent of HTML, known as JSX. This JSX defines how the component will appear and be presented within the web browser. Now, suppose you have a desire to employ an identical button (albeit with differing colors) across numerous locations on your website. Instead of fabricating each individual button from the ground up, utilizing distinct color attributes (as one might do using JavaScript), with React, you can effortlessly employ the identical <Button> element. By supplying distinct colors as props, you can generate various versions of the same button.

This approach maintains a sense of simplicity and organization, which encapsulates the fundamental nature of the React.js library.

Another advantage of opting for React in UI development is the concept of separation of concerns. This entails having the data utilized in a component distinct from the logic, which in turn is separate from the visual presentation.

Illustration:

As observed in this example, the condition, the reasoning process, and the display of a component are distinctly isolated from one another. This separation within React UI components enhances their comprehensibility and ease of combination.

In summary, React is a JavaScript library crafted to streamline the creation of the frontend for web applications.

2. What is React Native?

Here's the key distinction between ReactJS and React Native:

• React JS is employed to construct the user interfaces of web applications (that is, applications that run in a web browser).
• React Native is utilized to develop applications that operate on both iOS and Android devices (in other words, cross-platform mobile applications).
• React employs HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to establish interactive user interfaces. Conversely, React Native utilizes inherent UI components and APIs to form mobile apps.
• Both React JS and React Native share an identical syntax. React Native was conceived to enable developers to build cross-platform mobile applications while leveraging their existing familiarity with web development tools such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the React core library.

In reality, some of the libraries commonly used alongside React for web application development also have counterparts in React Native for crafting apps – for instance, Axios, Bootstrap CSS, and Tailwind CSS.

Similarities between React DOM and React Native:

• They both rely on the same foundational React library.
• Both adopt a component-based architecture, enabling developers to segment their applications into more manageable segments.
• They both utilize JavaScript as their programming language, and JSX as their templating language.
• Both leverage virtual DOMs to render their applications.
• React DOM and React Native also share similar styling techniques and components, although React Native's approach is slightly distinct.
• They both make use of Chrome DevTools for debugging purposes.
• Both draw on the same set of JavaScript APIs.
• Both projects were incubated at Meta. React was the brainchild of a software engineer named Jordan Walke, while React Native emerged from a hackathon

Conclusion:

This article has delved into the distinctions between React DOM and React Native, two prominent JavaScript tools. React DOM finds its primary use in web development, while React Native excels in mobile development.

React DOM harnesses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for layout and styling, empowering developers to forge interactive user interfaces. On the flip side, React Native leverages native UI components and APIs to forge cross-platform mobile applications.