Chapter 1. Meet React
Figure 1.1. React allows you to create user interfaces from components. Components maintain their own state, are written in and work with “vanilla” JavaScript, and inherit a number of helpful APIs from React. Most React apps are written for browser-based environments, but can also be used in native environments like iOS and Android. For more about React Native, see Nader Dabit’s React Native in Action, also available from Manning.
Figure 1.2. A map of the React ecosystem is diverse—even more so than I can represent here. If you’d like to learn more, check out my guide at https://ifelse.io/react-ecosystem, which will help you find your way in the React ecosystem when starting out.
Figure 1.3. The DOM and virtual DOM. React’s virtual DOM handles change detection in data as well as translating browser events into events that React components can understand and react to. React’s virtual DOM also aims to optimize changes made to the DOM for the sake of performance.
Figure 1.4. Here’s a simple version of the DOM tree structure, using elements you’re probably familiar with. The DOM API that’s exposed to JavaScript lets you performs operations on these elements in the tree.