What is ReactJS?

React is a JavaScript library created by Facebook. It was released in 2015 and is used to build user interfaces. It's a simple way to create dynamic web pages by combining HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

React works by defining components and then connecting them together using props. It uses components to create modular views that can be easily reused across different pages.

ReactJS is mainly utilized to build visual, interactive websites and web apps.

Why is ReactJS so popular?

Currently, over 4.8 million websites are built using React and this number is growing sharply. React, on average, has 14 million weekly downloads.

Moreover, over 8700 industry leaders have adopted React in their tech stacks while more than 40% developers prefer React for web development, according to a survey by Stack Overflow in 2022.

So what do you reckon is the reason behind why so many companies and developers have adopted React?

• React is a flexible framework whose codebase is quite easy to maintain, saving a huge chunk of money and time for businesses.

• Moreover, React has reusable UI components that can be used in multiple instances in an application. This eases the development process for programmers and reduces development time.

• React’s simple syntax, as opposed to frameworks like Vue and Angular, makes it easy to learn. Companies do not have a hard time finding developers and can build projects in a short span of time.

• React’s virtual DOM program and server-side rendering make complex apps run very fast with low load times.

Top Companies using React

Meta

ReactJS was developed by Facebook Engineers in 2015, and later extended it to React Native for developing Facebook’s mobile app.

Although React was initially developed to help build Facebook's internal applications, but it has since become popular among front-end developers looking to build maintainable, and scalable web applications.

To improve Facebook.com, the development team used a combination of the React library and Relay, a GraphQL client for React. Additionally, React is well-supported by Facebook till date. In fact, the top 4 commits on React’s GitHub are by full-time Facebook employees.

Uber Eats

Uber has been using React Native for quite a long time and built the Uber Eats mobile app with it. The Uber Eats web application, a visual and engaging front-end, was built using ReactJS.

The web app is a restaurant dashboard that prompts users to enter their location, which will display all the nearby restaurants available for delivery. You can proceed to order food or schedule delivery for later.

The dashboard is accessibly with smartphones, tablets and enables seamless communication between both suppliers and consumers.

Airbnb

Ranking third on the list is Airbnb, US-based vacation rental platform that offers lodging options, homestay, and other hospitality services all over the globe. With more than 75 million searches on their web app, Airbnb needed a framework that eased search-function and communication.

Previously built on Rails, handling such a high user volume convinced Airbnb’s engineering team to shift their codebase to React. Moreover, component reusability made React an ideal choice for Airbnb as it allows web page elements to load quickly and correctly on a screen.

Airbnb has been successful in migrating to React and expanded its technological capabilities ever since. Each new version adds valuable capabilities for upgrading and maintaining such a large P2P marketplace as Airbnb.

Netflix

Netflix is a popular subscription based streaming service that showcases TV shows, movies, documentaries and series, having over 223 million subscribers globally.

In 2015, Netflix decided to revamp its UI using React. The reason behind choosing React was optimal runtime performance, low development time, increased launching speed, flexibility and modularity.

Since 2015, its website has undergone numerous changes and updates, yet React remains the primary front-end tool. Netflix has a visual user interface, simplified user on-boarding, login process, and an intuitive dashboard to filter your preferences.

The application includes many features for content management: Ultra HD 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Play Netflix.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a US based file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software. Dropbox’s mobile app is built using React Native whereas ReactJS was used for its web app.

React suited Dropbox due to fast reloading, rich UI library, lesser development time and user-friendly apps. When gathering file data, React analyses the number and size of pages, visualizing a preview as the page is being scrolled down.

Codecademy

Codecademy is one of the most popular online code-teaching websites. It is a free online learning platform where anyone can learn how to build real-world software applications using JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and PHP.

Built on top of React, Codecademy’s header, menu and navigation page are integrated with it. Due to its modular structure, SEO support, development speed, React was the preferred framework.

Code Academy provides interactive coding lessons at any time day or night, helping people improve their skills and get jobs faster. You can track your progress by gaining points, earning points, and racking up a high day streak.