React Bootstrap: your best ally for frontend jobs

React Bootstrap: discover all about one of the most famous frameworks

Bootstrap is a frontend framework used to develop web applications and sites in Mobile First format. This means giving priority to digital users who choose to visit web pages via smartphones, which is one of the consumer trends of recent years.

So, Bootstrap is a CSS framework, which allows generating on-screen user interface applications, intending to develop services that can easily adapt to any navigation environment. This can be seen in WordPress web pages, for example.

Bootstrap can be installed as a new theme or used to create different plugins, both from an aesthetic and functional perspective.

In WordPress, for example, it can be installed as a theme or used for the development of plugins or even within them to style their functions. The purpose of the framework is to offer the user a more pleasant experience when browsing a site. Therefore, it is essential to optimize a website.

The truth is that Twitter developed this framework in 2010 to standardize the company’s tools. Its first name was Twitter Blueprint, until, a year later, it became open source, and its name changed to Bootstrap. So let’s find out more about it.

Bootstrap: do you know how it works?

You already know what Bootstrap is, and you know a bit of its history. Consisting of a series of CSS and JavaScript files, they help assign specific characteristics to the elements of the web page. The main file is called Bootstrap.css, which serves to have information about all possible styles.

This framework is composed of two main structures:

• CSS. It is the one that has the files to generate the styles of the elements; that is to say, it gives a customizable aspect to the structure of the page and serves to differentiate you from the other alternatives or templates of a web page, as it can be the case of
  WordPress.
• JavaScript. It is the one that has the back of the Bootstrap.js file, both in the original and modified version. It is responsible for running the applications to manipulate them interactively. That is, it gives “life” to your site.

As you can see, it is crucial to distinguish well between the two concepts. Once you know that, we can dive a little deeper into getting to know React Bootstrap.

Bootstrap vs. React: what are the differences between the two concepts?

As we have explained, Bootstrap is the framework for working in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, something handy for generating responsive and mobile projects on the web. However, you still don’t know precisely what React is and what it can do for you in all the jobs you have to do as a developer.

Well, React is a JavaScript library that is used to create specific user interfaces. Since Bootstrap is used for frontend work, you can benefit significantly from using React as you can improve all the components of the virtual domain to optimize the performance of a website. In other words, this is where the React-Bootstrap partnership comes in.

We should note that both are open-source tools. Working in Bootstrap with React will give you access to a complete ecosystem of modules and different tools and components that will ease your daily work as a web developer. That is to say, you will be able to do high-quality work with less effort.

On the other hand, an interesting detail: if Twitter initially created bootstrap, something similar happens with React. This library was developed by Facebook and quickly became popular in the community due to its enormous performance and ease of use. In addition, it is way neater and with less code than pure JavaScript or other libraries based on DOM manipulation, such as jQuery.

Find out how the Bootstrap React installation process works.

Now that you’ve seen React vs. Bootstrap, you’ll probably want to take advantage of both utilities for your work as a developer. In the case of Bootstrap, you’ll notice that there are different ways to download it.

From its official website, you can get this framework, which will give you access to the compiled versions of the CSS and JavaScript codes. If you do not want to download the files, you will be able to access the framework without installing them on your server, that is, through a DNS.

You will have to use the links to access a Bootstrap CDN and add the references of the files you need to use. As Bootstrap can be used with various programming languages, you will be able to download it as npm, for example. Thus, it will be beneficial for WordPress web design.

Now, to install React, the process is a bit similar. You will have to go to the official website and download the most updated installer. Once this is done, you will need to download the NODE package manager with the current dependencies. Don’t forget to clear the NPM cache.

The command to install it is very simple:

• npm install -g create-react-app

Once installed, you will be able to create a new React.js project, which is necessary to start working with this library. You must enter the directory in which you want to start it and execute the following:

• create-react-app My Project

React Bootstrap: an efficient way of coding

You’re ready! So, if you wanted to know whether you should use React or Bootstrap, now you understand that both are add-ons that will help you in all your tasks as a developer. 

As you could see, all web developers need to be updated on new tools and utilities to help them in their day-to-day work. Especially frontend developers need to understand how web users interact with websites and the best ways to optimize the user experience.

If you have any questions about Bootstrap React, we invite you to comment or continue reading some of the articles we have on our site.

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