You must have heard about ‘Frontend Development’ a lot in the programming world. So, what does this term mean?
Everything you see on a website as a user is a part of front-end development. For example, the page layout, the colors, and the functions added to a webpage fall under front-end development.
To start your journey of being a front-end developer, you have to start by learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After that, you have to put your focus on libraries and frameworks.
Today you are going to learn about JavaScript, a high-level programming language, and ReactJs, a library of JavaScript, and also a detailed comparison on javaScript vs. ReactJs.
See Also: What Is Socket Programming In Java
Contents
JavaScript Vs. ReactJs
First, we will know about JavaScript, then learn about ReactJs, a library of JavaScript, and compare these two to know which one would be better to start with as a beginner.
JavaScript
JavaScript, abbreviated as JS, is an object-oriented, high-level front-end language developed in 1995. JavaScript is also given the name of ‘Vanilla JS’. We use this term when a website uses JavaScript without its frameworks or libraries.
It adds functionality to a website or a webpage. For example: in the case of a refrigerator, the layout of the refrigerator is the HTML part of the code. The design and color of the refrigerator are the CSS part of the code, and the way the refrigerator will work like the cooling feature is the JavaScript part of the code. Similarly, the behavior of any website or webpage solely depends on JavaScript.
It mainly finds its use to make the website interactive. We can use JavaScript not only to develop websites but also to develop games. Over 90% of websites use JavaScript as their scripting language.
It also has many advantages like speed and simplicity and supports all modern browsers making it more accessible than many other languages. It may take time to master it, but learning the basics and its functionalities will help you start your journey of being a front-end developer.
ReactJs
As mentioned above, ReactJs is a library of JavaScript. ReactJs first came into view in 2011 and was finally made available in 2013 as an open-source. ReactJs helps to create SPA, that is, Single Page Application.
Single Page Applications or websites are, as the name suggests, single webpages, which load the data needed in the same webpage instead of loading a new page. This is possible as ReactJs breaks down the page into several components. Components make the work way more straightforward as it is reusable. In case of any error, you can rectify the component where the error occurs without going through your entire project. Examples of websites developed using React are Facebook, Netflix, and Microsoft Outlook.
ReactJs is used to create UI, that is, user interfaces, and make them interactive, and it also can be used to create web applications. ReactJs has many advantages like the reusability of components, use of Virtual DOM, enhanced performance, and SEO friendly.
JavaScript Vs. ReactJs: Detailed Comparison
Now that we know about the uses and advantages of both JavaScript and ReactJs, the question arises, Javascript vs. ReactJs, what to learn first? Let us compare them both to know how ReactJs is different from JavaScript.
Since ReactJs is a library of JavaScript, it will naturally have more features added to it. You will need to write less code in ReactJs when compared to JavaScript, and this will make your code more dynamic and efficient. The significant difference between them is that JavaScript is a GPL, that is, General-Purpose Programming Language. This means we can use JavaScript to perform a wide variety of projects. On the other hand, ReactJs is specially used only to build interactive User Interfaces.
Conclusion
Compared to JavaScript, ReactJs is easier to learn, but remember that ReactJs is a library of JavaScript. You need to know the basics of JavaScript to understand ReactJs, which may also confuse you further. JavaScript and ReactJs are related to each other. Instead of learning both or entirely, please start with the basics of JavaScript, and then move on to ReactJs and apply your knowledge of JavaScript in ReactJs.