React: Intro - 401-advanced-javascript-jv/seattle-javascript-401d30 GitHub Wiki

React is a JavaScript library which uses a component-oriented method of organizing a website.

React works with elements, which are very similar to HTML elements, but with some additional features unique to React.

An element could be, for example, <hr /> or <p> </p>.

Elements are put together into a functional UI section called a component.

A component is an encapsulated (self-contained) piece of the user interface. It could be a form, it could be a map, it could be a news article. One key piece of how React functions is that the parts necessary for a component to work are contained within the files used in that component. The JavaScript is part of the component, the layout and structure are part of the component, and the styling for that structure and layout is part of the component.