Building Great User Experience with React Version 16.13

It has been only four years since Jordan Walke, a Facebook engineer, first launched ReactJS. ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript framework which is used to build web and mobile applications. Its simple model and better performance has made it one of the most popular developer’s choices for creating JavaScript libraries.

React encourages creating reusable components that also render the server-side code using Node. the JavaScript library used in web development to build interactive elements on websites, and that comes with very proper documentation.

It’s a strong client base and a large community has taken over web development that is way beyond the traditional way of data binding. As a Reactjs development company, it is crucial for us to determine the imperative nature and understand what comes with each upgrade.

With the rise in technology, we see a rise in the competition in terms of choices. There are few other platforms other than ReactJS that help create dynamic front-end web and mobile applications. However, the underlying question is why and how ReactJS is preferred to any other javascript frameworks. Let's have a read on the benefits that React provides over other frameworks.

Top React Features 

Easy to Learn:

Anything that is easy to learn is always easy to implement. React components and syntaxes are easily understandable by any developers. However, it is given that one should have basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and javascript. It has a well- described lifecycle and is component based. This is one of the main reasons why developers choose react Js over other frameworks.

Native Approach

React is understood for its reusability. One can notably use the code which is an added advantage of React. mobile applications can be created on iOS, Android and also on the web.

Data Binding

With one way data binding, it's far simpler to debug ReactJS components. It has one directional float of statistics and it makes use of flux architecture.

Performance

ReactJS is fast as well as secure. Also, it has not much of the performance issues. It does not offer any built-in container for dependency injection.

Testability

ReactJS applications are extremely testable. You can easily set triggers, events, functions are easily set to debug the code.

All the languages together inside the component

HTML and CSS can integrate javascript as well while creating a React component. It is easier to define components that can be used in every required part without creating external scripts or importing them.

Every component is a Class that can be instantiated.

Components can receive arguments that can be used to customize what's shown in the application.

It’s asynchronous

React does not block your applications. It still works on other components even if one component hasn't finished loading.

One can also install external React libraries to experience a better functionality.

Features of React Version 16.13

As far as technology is concerned, there are a lot of dos and don'ts that are to be followed for efficient functioning. Reactjs latest version comes with a list of warnings that are supposed to be followed in order to work with the framework seamlessly. Let's have a look at the warnings to begin with.

Warnings for some updates during render

It is crucial for a React component to not cause any complications in other components during rendering. During render, any setState call will be supported only if it is for the same component.

If the setState is called for a different component during a render, a warning comes up which asks you to not refresh a component from inside the function body of an alternate component. This warning can assist you notice application bugs caused by unintentional state changes. In the rarest of the cases, one might need to vary the state of another element as a result of rendering, you'll wrap the setState decision into use Effect.

Warnings for conflicting style rules

Dynamically applying a style that contains longhand and shorthand versions of CSS properties, can give you a particular combination of updates that can cause inconsistent styling.

For example:

<div style={toggle ? 
  { background: 'blue', backgroundColor: 'red' } : 
  { backgroundColor: 'red' }
}>
  
</div>

One can expect this <div> to always have a red background with any amount of value to the toggle. However, the alternation of the value of toggle between true and false, the background color can alternate between transparent and blue, starting with red.

Warnings for some deprecated string refs

Old Legacy API named String Refs is pulled down in React latest version and will further process towards deprecation.

<Button ref="myRef"/>

(Let's not confuse String Refs with the general refs, which remain fully supported.)

An automated script will be provided in the future named “codemod” in order to migrate away from String Refs. In cases when ones using the earlier version of react and want to update to the latest version, all they have to do is convert all componentWill to UNSAFE_componentWill, with the help of a simple command.

npx react-codemod rename-unsafe-lifecycles.

However, there are some cases in rare scenarios where it is difficult to migrate away from Sting reds automatically.

Deprecations

Deprecating React.createFactory: React.createFactory is looked at as a legacy helper for creating React elements. However, react v16.13.0 has helped save it for the future for upcoming major versions. However, this will be replaced with regular JSX. One can also copy and paste the below one line helper or can publish it as a library, alternatively.

Let createFactory = type => React.createElement.bind(null, type)

Deprecating ReactDOM.unstable_createPortal: With react the latest version all the unstable aliases are being deprecated. For example, createPortal has become an officially supported API with the release of React 16. This was supported in order to keep the few libraries that adopted it working.

Other Improvements

Introducing Concurrent Mode (Experimental)

The concurrent mode helps REact apps to stay responsive and gracefully adjust to the user’s device capacities as well as network speed. One can check react fiber in order to know about this new feature implementation.

Component stacks in hydration warnings

React 16.13.0 incorporates component stacks to its development warnings which were not previously there. This enables developers to isolate bugs and fix the bug faster in any program.

Scheduler (Experimental)

Scheduler is a feature added to react 16.13.0 in order to improve queue performance by switching its internal data structure to a min binary heap. In the earlier versions, usepostMessage loops were used with short intervals as opposed to aligning to frame boundaries with requestAnimationFrame.

Some of the experimental features are planned to be merged with React 17. If Scheduler is added in React, the ender performances will increase and the animations will be smoother. This is just an attempt to change the slower algorithm to a faster one.

Conclusion

As the competition grows it becomes hard to focus on various technologies. Developers find it challenging to find out and work with a proper long time technology. In such a case one wanted to Hire React Developers to add a new feather to their technology hat.