For web development, ReactJS and JavaScript are the most frequently used technologies. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an experienced developer because both are important in web development. People often consider both as the same platforms but that’s not true.
JavaScript is the main programming language used to design various websites while ReactJs is a full JavaScript package that simplifies the development of graphical user interfaces.
Here in this blog, you can see a clear comparison between ReactJS vs JavaScript. Both are considered the most preferable choices for developers. You can go through the differences between React JS vs JavaScript to determine which technology can be the best for your upcoming project.
What is React Js?
React (ReactJs) is a popular JavaScript library that was developed by Facebook and it is mainly used to build different types of user interfaces, particularly for single-page applications where dynamic and interactive experience is necessary.
This platform allows developers to create different types of large-scale web applications that can update and render easily according to the changes in data. ReactJs has a component-based architecture and a virtual DOM to optimize performance.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is also known as plain JavaScript or vanilla JavaScript. The programs in JavaScript are called scripts that can be written in a web page’s HTML and run automatically as the page loads.
It is a high-level and dynamic programming language that can be used to design dynamic web pages. Whenever you are writing JavaScript code, you can depend upon external libraries to create highly customizable applications.
JavaScript Tutorial for Beginners: Learn JavaScript in 1 Hour
What are the key differences between JavaScript vs ReactJs?
JavaScript and React Js are considered the most useful technologies in web development and both can be used for different purposes. Go through this section to clear all doubts while having the discussion about JavaScript vs ReactJs.
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1. Meaning and Purpose:
- JavaScript: It is a high-level and interpreted programming language that can be used to create dynamic and interactive content on different types of websites. JavaScript is a general-purpose language used for front-end and back-end development to add more functionality to web pages.
- ReactJs: ReactJs is an open-source JavaScript library that is used to build user interfaces mainly for single-page applications. It focuses on building complex and interactive UIs by using various reusable components.
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2. Nature and Usage:
- JavaScript: JavaScript is a versatile language that can be used for object-oriented and functional programming. It can be used independently to manipulate the DOM, handle events, perform calculations, and many more. JavaScript can be used on both the client side (in browsers) and the server side (by using Node.js).
- ReactJS: ReactJs is a library specifically used to build various user interfaces and it focuses on component-based architecture & efficient rendering. It can be used with JavaScript to create UI components. ReactJS depends upon JavaScript because it is an essential tool built on JavaScript.
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3. Learning Curve:
- JavaScript: The fundamental knowledge for web development is necessary. It is important to understand the basics of JavaScript before you start learning any other frameworks or libraries including ReactJs. While learning JavaScript you need to understand its syntax, data types, functions, and core concepts like event handling and many more.
- ReactJs: ReactJs is easier to learn once you have an understanding of JavaScript. To learn ReactJs you need to understand its component-based architecture, JSX syntax, state management, and hooks. It simplifies many complex UI development tasks when you understand its ecosystem and development cycle.
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4. Performance:
- JavaScript: JavaScript’s performance depends on how the code is written and optimized. Direct DOM manipulation in vanilla JavaScript can be slower compared to using libraries that optimize rendering. It requires manual optimization techniques like debouncing, throttling, and efficient event handling.
- ReactJs: It improves performance through the Virtual DOM and reduces the direct manipulations of real DOM. ReactJs only updates the parts of the DOM that have changed by improving its efficiency. It comes with built-in performance optimizations and tools like React Profiler can help to optimize performance.
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5. Development Speed:
- JavaScript: When you are writing pure JavaScript-based code it can involve a lot of boilerplate code for creating dynamic web pages. JavaScript may take more time to develop complex UIs without using additional libraries or frameworks. Different types of libraries and frameworks (like jQuery) can help to speed up the development process by providing pre-built solutions.
- ReactJs: It helps to speed up the development process with its component-based approach and reusable components. Different types of tools like Create React App and a rich ecosystem of third-party libraries can be used to improve its productivity. ReactJs comes with powerful tools and libraries for state management (Redux), routing (React Router), and many more to streamline the development process.
A Detailed Comparison Between JavaScript and React Js
Deciding between ReactJs vs JavaScript can be extremely challenging. You can simply go through this tabular comparison to understand the main differences between JavaScript vs ReactJs.
Feature | JavaScript | ReactJs |
Definition | It is a high-level and interpreted programming language. | It is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces. |
Release Year | 1995 | 2013 |
Purpose | JavaScript is mainly used to create dynamic and interactive content on websites. | ReactJs is used to build dynamic and high-performing user interfaces. |
Type | It is a general-purpose programming language. | It is a specialized library. |
Usage | It can be used for both front-end and back-end development. | ReactJS can be used for front-end development. While it depends upon JavaScript for the back-end. |
Learning Curve | The fundamentals for web development are important to learn first. | It is easier to learn after JavaScript because it focuses on UI development. |
Component-Based | It doesn’t have any built-in support for components. | It is built around a component-based architecture. |
DOM Manipulation | It provides the facility of direct manipulation of the DOM. | ReactJS uses a Virtual DOM for efficient updates. |
Data Binding | JavaScript supports both one-way and two-way data binding. | It is mainly used for one-way data binding. |
State Management | It manages the state using different types of variables and functions. | ReactJs uses state and props for managing component states. |
Performance | Its performance depends on code optimization. | In ReactJs, performance can be optimized through Virtual DOM and efficient rendering. |
Development Speed | It requires more boilerplate code for dynamic web pages. | In ReactJs, faster development can be done with reusable components and pre-built solutions. |
Error Handling | JavaScript provides standard error handling options like try/catch. | ReactJs comes with error boundaries and lifecycle methods for error handling. |
SEO-Friendliness | JavaScript requires additional tools and techniques for SEO optimization. | ReactJs can be SEO-friendly with server-side rendering (Next.js). |
Community Support | It has a large and active community with extensive resources. | ReactJs comes with strong community support, especially for front-end development. |
ReactJS vs JavaScript: Which One Should You Learn?
The decision to learn ReactJs or JavaScript can depend upon your project requirements and current skill sets. JavaScript is the foundation of web development that you should learn if you are trying to create dynamic and interactive web pages. It is essential to understand the basics of web programming including DOM manipulation, event handling, and asynchronous operations.
When you are mastering JavaScript, it provides a strong base to learn any JavaScript framework or library including ReactJS. So in the comparison of ReactJs vs JavaScript, it is a necessity to learn JavaScript before ReactJs.
ReactJs is a specialized library that you should learn if you are trying to build user interfaces. It uses JavaScript but also includes concepts like component-based architecture and the virtual DOM to improve development efficiency and performance. If your goal is to develop modern, scalable web applications with dynamic UIs then you need to learn ReactJS.
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FAQs
The main difference between ReactJs vs JavaScript is that JavaScript is a programming language used for web development. ReactJs is a JavaScript library used to build different types of user interfaces.
You should use ReactJs because it is a versatile library and it is also beneficial than JavaScript because it offers better performance with Virtual DOM and better code optimization.
ReactJs is a front-end JavaScript library. It can make API calls to deal with backend data. It can’t deal with a database or any type of data source by itself.
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