Web Systems and
Services
INTRODUCTION TO REACT
BITS College
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2025
Lecturer Name:
6/13/2025 1
What is React?
• React is a JavaScript framework
• Used for front end web development
• Think of jQuery, but more structured
• Created and used by Facebook
• Famous for implementing a virtual dom
Timeline of front-end JavaScript frameworks
jQuery* AngularJS React Vue Angular
(2006) (2010) (2013) (2014) (2014)
* jQuery is more often considered a library than a framework
Common tasks in front-end development
App state Data definition, organization, and storage
User actions Event handlers respond to user actions
Templates Design and render HTML templates
Routing Resolve URLs
Data fetching Interact with server(s) through APIs and AJAX
Fundamentals of React
1. JavaScript and HTML in the same file (JSX)
2. Embrace functional programming
3. Components everywhere
JavaScript and HTML in the same file
HTML CSS JS JSX CSS or JSS
Traditional React
approach approach
JSX: the React programming language
const first = "Aaron";
const last = "Smith";
const name = <span>{first} {last}</span>;
const list = ( const listWithTitle = (
<ul> <>
<li>Dr. David Stotts</li> <h1>COMP 523</h1>
<li>{name}</li> <ul>
</ul> <li>Dr. David Stotts</li>
); <li>{name}</li>
</ul>
</>
);
“React is just JavaScript”
Functional programming
1. Functions are “first class citizens”
2. Variables are immutable
3. Functions have no side effects
Functional programming
Functions are “first class citizens”
let add = function() {
console.log('Now adding numbers');
const five = 3 + 2;
}; function foo() {
return function() {
console.log('What gets printed?');
function performTask(task) { };
task(); }
console.log('Task performed!');
} foo
foo();
performTask(add); foo()();
Functional programming
Variables are immutable
let a = 4;
a = 2; // Mutates `a`
let b = [1, 2, 3];
b.push(4); // Mutates `b`
let c = [...b, 4]; // Does not mutate `b`
Functional programming
Functions have no side effects
const b = [];
function hasSideEffects() {
b = [0];
}
Components
Components are functions for user interfaces
Input x Output number
Math function: let y = f(x);
Input x Output HTML
Component function: let y = <FancyDiv value={x} />;
Anatomy of a React component
The component is just Inputs are passed through a
a function single argument called “props”
The function
export default function MyComponent(props) { outputs HTML
return <div>Hello, world! My name is {props.name}</div>;
}
const html = <MyComponent name="aaron" />;
The function is executed as if Parameters are passed in
it was an HTML tag as HTML attributes
Component rendering
• When a component function executes, we say it “renders”
• Assume components may re-render at any time
Our job is to ensure that
every time the component re-renders,
the correct output is produced
“In React, everything is a component”
Todo application
Title
Big idea:
A digital to-do list TodoForm
First step:
mockup / wireframe
TodoList
Todo
Creating a new React app
Creating a new React app is simple!
1. Install Node.js
2. Run: npx create-react-app app-name
3. New app created in folder: ./app-name
Anatomy of a new React app
public holds the initial html
document and other static assets
App is a boilerplate
starter component
index.js binds
React to the DOM
package.json configures
npm dependencies
Component Hierarchy
Title
TodoForm
App
Title TodoList TodoForm
TodoList
Todo Todo Todo
Todo
Special list key property
• Situation: Display a dynamic array of elements
• Must specify a special “key” property for each element
• The key of an item uniquely identifies it
• Used by React internally for render optimization
• Can be any unique value (string or number)
What are hooks?
Hooks: Special functions that allow Built-in hooks:
developers to hook into state and
lifecycle of React components. We will cover
useState
these today useEffect
State: One or more data values
associated with a React component useReducer
instance.
We will not cover useMemo
these today
Lifecycle: The events associated with a useRef
React component instance (create, useCallback
render, destroy, etc).
First React hook: useState
Purpose:
1. Remember values internally when the component re-renders
2. Tell React to re-render the component when the value changes
Syntax:
const [val, setVal] = useState(100);
The current value A setter function to The initial
change the value value to use
Predicting component re-rendering
A component will only re-render when…
1. A value inside props changes
– or –
2. A useState setter is called
Second React hook: useEffect
Purpose:
Act as an observer, running code in response to value changes
Syntax:
useEffect(() => {
console.log(`myValue was changed! New value: ${myValue}`);
}, [myValue]);
A list of values such that changes The code to run when
should trigger this code to run values change
Building a React project
• When you’re ready to launch your app, run this command:
• npm run build
• This bundles your app into CSS/JS/HTML files and puts them in the
• /build folder
• These files can be served from an AWS S3 bucket
3rd party components and libraries
• React-Router
• Redux
• Material-UI
• Bootstrap
• Font-Awesome
• SWR
Thank You !!!
6/13/2025 28
