React.js Basics
Many web applications have to manage a lot of information on the client’s side. This could include authentication creditentials, information from third party APIs such as Google, a shopping cart in an eCommerce site, etc. Keeping track of all that data can be cumbersome, especially when multiple user events need access to similar information.
Single Page Application Philosophy
A single page application (SPA) is a design philosophy where the user is only sent one HTML page for the app they request. The DOM is then modified as needed and application state is stored in memory with JavaScript. This was done in the To Do App assignment, and you should complete the entire JavaScript Basics module before continuing here.
SPAs are typically built with opinionated frameworks (Angular, React, Vue, Svelte, etc.) that provide structure to DOM modification and state management. They abstract away the nuts and bolts in order to give the developer a safe and streamlined experience.
SPA with React.js
With that said, dive into the tutorial below to create your first few React.js apps.