React.js Explained: Front-End Library or Back-End Framework?

React.js, or very commonly known as React, is an open-source JavaScript framework that is used by developers and programmers mainly for front-end development. React.js is a framework that is developed and maintained by Facebook (now called Meta). The sole purpose of developing React was to build user interfaces that were interactive, receptive, and effective. React used seamless components or elements for building these interactive, responsive, and efficient web applications. While working with the React framework, developers and aspiring programmers always end up with the dilemma of whether React is a front-end development framework or a back-end development framework. Understanding the differences between them will help the developers, aspiring programmers, businesses, and startups to use the framework to its highest potential, which in turn boosts business growth. Nowadays businesses and startups are selecting top leading React.js development services to boost their business growth and remain ahead of the competition in the current digital landscape.

An Outlook Into the History of React.js

React.js, or commonly known as React, was first introduced in the year 2010 by Jordan Walke, who was a software developer at Facebook (now known as Meta) and named it “FaxJS.” The main reason behind its introduction was to solve the issue of effectively updating Facebook’s News Feed in real time without the need of refreshing or reloading the web page. The introduction of React was inspired by the development of a prototype of PHP that was used for the same purpose as FaxJS, and it was called XHP. This prototype was mainly introduced to make front-end code more responsive, secure, and manageable. The prototype later evolved into what we know today as React.

After the introduction of React, developers and budding programmers started using it for creating and developing effective, responsive, and interactive user interfaces (UI), and due to this, React was widely used by various developers, businesses, and budding programmers. With the introduction of Fiber in 2017, it reconstructed the whole architecture of React to make it able to handle asynchronous rendering. Later on, with various updates like React Hook and React Native, it made the framework popular to be used for front-end development. Right now, React is one of the go-to choices of frameworks for front-end development; it is being used by several flagship companies to build interactive user interfaces that help them in boosting their business growth.

Differences Between Front-end and Back-end Development

Before getting started with settling the confusion of whether React is a front-end framework or a back-end framework, the businesses or developers who are using it must have an idea of what front-end development or back-end development means. With the understanding of this, they will be able to make strategic decisions in using the framework to its fullest potential. Some of the major differences between front-end and back-end development are mentioned below:

●  Front-end Development:

○  Front-end development mainly focuses on developing interactive, responsive, and effective user interfaces.

○  To develop such interfaces, front-end development uses a lot of client-side technologies like React, Next.js, Angular.js, Vue.js, and Alpine.js for web applications and React Native and Flutter for mobile web applications.

○  Front-end development mainly focuses on handling how the web application looks and how to mold effective user experiences across various platforms.

○  It also ensures that the web application is compatible across various platforms and screen sizes.

○  Front-end development majorly focuses on enhancing the performance of the web application.

○  It also handles the interactions, navigation, and submissions of the users and collects valuable intel for future updates of the web application.

●      Back-end Development:

○  Back-end development is also commonly known as server-oriented development, which mainly focuses on the infrastructure of the web application behind the scenes.

○  It uses server-oriented technologies like JavaScript’s Express.js and Nest.js, Python’s Django and Flask, Java’s Spring and Hibernate, Go’s Golang, and PHP’s Laravel and CodeIgniter.

○  Back-end development mainly handles the design and development of databases that help in storing data, retrieval of the data, its security, and processing of the said data.

○  Back-end development is responsible for developing systems that are able to handle increases in traffic, enhance the performance of the server, and maintain the credibility of web applications.

Distinguishing Whether The React Framework is Front-end or Back-end

React is fundamentally a front-end framework that mainly focuses on developing user interfaces that are responsive and interactive and create effective user experiences. Introduced by Facebook, React majorly focuses on front-end development while gaining insightful knowledge from users' feedback to update the web application according to the users' needs. Various developers and programmers might still have the confusion, due to Next.js being a part of React. As Next.js was built on the foundation of the React framework, they would feel that React would also be able to handle back-end server-oriented development, but that is not the case. Next.js is a totally different framework that is able to act as a full-stack framework that is capable of handling both front-end and back-end development. To distinguish whether React is a front-end framework or not, it is solely used for front-end development to create effective user experiences through interactive and responsive user interfaces.

Resolving the Dilemma of Whether React.js is a Front-end or Back-end Framework

To resolve the dilemma of whether React.js is a front-end or a back-end framework, React is completely a front-end framework, purposely built for developing user interfaces that are interactive and responsive, and is used to create effective user interfaces. While the recent updates of React, like the React Server Components, introduce server-side capabilities, they are used to enhance the performance of front-end development rather than introducing React to back-end technologies. Therefore, to clear the confusion, React is solely a front-end framework that has learned to manipulate back-end technologies to enhance and optimize the capabilities of front-end development.

Pattem Digitals, being one of India’s leading software product development companies, has an experienced team of developers who work solely on front-end development using React. We will understand your business goals and the needs of your project and make sure that our developers align with your needs to create a responsive and interactive user interface to gain effective user experiences and boost business growth.