React.js and React Native are both frameworks developed by Facebook for building user interfaces, but they serve different purposes and target different platforms. Here are the key differences between React.js and React Native:
Platform:
React.js: React.js is a JavaScript library used for building user interfaces for web applications. It is primarily used for creating web-based applications that run in web browsers.
React Native: React Native is a framework used for building cross-platform mobile applications. It allows developers to build mobile apps for both iOS and Android using JavaScript and React.js components.
Rendering:
React.js: In React.js, the components are rendered into the DOM (Document Object Model) of a web page.
React Native: React Native uses native components of the target platform (iOS or Android) to render the user interface. It doesn’t use the DOM but leverages the native rendering capabilities of the respective platforms.
Components:
React.js: React.js components are built using HTML-like JSX syntax, and they are meant to create web-based UI elements.
React Native: React Native components are similar to React.js components but are designed to create mobile UI elements, such as buttons, text inputs, and navigation bars, using platform-specific native components.
Development Environment:
React.js: React.js development typically requires a web browser and a code editor, like VSCode or Sublime Text.
React Native: React Native development requires a development environment set up for mobile app development, such as Android Studio for Android or Xcode for iOS, in addition to a code editor.
UI Components:
React.js: In React.js, you use HTML elements and React components to create the UI.
React Native: React Native provides a set of pre-built UI components specific to mobile app development that allow developers to create native-like UI elements for both iOS and Android platforms.
Platform-Specific Code:
React.js: React.js code is platform-independent and can be used across different web browsers without modification.
React Native: While much of the code in React Native is platform-independent, there may be occasions when platform-specific code is required to access native features or for platform-specific UI elements.
In summary, React.js is used for web development and renders UI components into the DOM, while React Native is used for mobile app development and renders UI components using native platform elements. Both frameworks use similar React concepts, but they have differences in terms of target platforms, rendering, and components.
