ReactJs

React Native vs. React: What’s the Difference?

Posted on by thuan

React Native and React are two popular JavaScript libraries used for building user interfaces. While both have “React” in their names, they are not the same thing. In this article, we will explore the differences between React Native and React.

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library created by Facebook in 2011 for building user interfaces. It is designed to make it easier to build complex UIs by breaking them down into smaller, reusable components. React works by creating a virtual DOM, which is a lightweight representation of the actual DOM. Whenever there is a change in the state of a component, React updates the virtual DOM and then determines which parts of the actual DOM need to be updated.

React has become incredibly popular in recent years, and is used by many large companies such as Facebook, Netflix, and Airbnb. It is often paired with other libraries such as Redux, React Router, and Material-UI to create powerful web applications.

What is React Native?

React Native is also a JavaScript library created by Facebook, but it is designed for building mobile applications. It was first released in 2015 and has quickly gained popularity because it allows developers to build mobile apps using familiar web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

React Native works by allowing developers to write code that is specific to each platform, such as iOS or Android. This means that developers can write code once and have it work on multiple platforms. React Native also uses a virtual DOM, similar to React, to manage updates to the UI.

Differences between React and React Native

While React and React Native share some similarities, there are also some key differences between the two.

  1. Target platform

The most obvious difference between React and React Native is the platform they target. React is designed for building web applications, while React Native is designed for building mobile applications.

  1. UI components

Another difference between React and React Native is the UI components that are available. While both use components to build UIs, the components in React Native are specific to mobile platforms, such as buttons, text inputs, and navigation bars. React, on the other hand, uses web-specific components such as divs, spans, and forms.

  1. Styling

Styling in React and React Native is also different. React uses CSS to style components, while React Native uses a similar syntax, but it is specific to mobile platforms. This means that developers need to learn a new set of styling rules when working with React Native.

  1. Development tools

The development tools for React and React Native are also different. While both use the same underlying technology, developers need to use different tools to develop and test their applications. For React, developers can use tools such as Redux DevTools and React Developer Tools. For React Native, developers need to use tools such as Expo and the React Native Debugger.

Conclusion

React and React Native are two powerful JavaScript libraries used for building user interfaces. While they share some similarities, they are designed for different platforms and have some key differences in terms of UI components, styling, and development tools. Choosing between the two depends on the specific needs of your project. If you are building a web application, React is likely the better choice. If you are building a mobile application, React Native is the way to go.

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