Level Up React: Declarative Programming

React is a popular library for building user interfaces, but what makes it different from traditional approaches? One key difference lies in its use of declarative programming.

Let's look at a simple example. Say you want to create a list of fruits:

Traditional (Imperative) way:

const list = document.createElement('ul');
const items = ['Apple', 'Banana', 'Orange'];

items.forEach(item => {
    const li = document.createElement('li');
    li.textContent = item;
    list.appendChild(li);
});

React (Declarative) way:

function FruitList() {
    const items = ['Apple', 'Banana', 'Orange'];

    return (
        <ul>
            {items.map(item => <li>{item}</li>)}
        </ul>
    );
}

Notice how the React version describes what we want (a list showing these items) rather than how to create it step by step?

This is just a small taste of declarative programming in React. In our complete guide, we explore:

• Clear examples comparing imperative and declarative approaches
• How React uses declarative programming for state management
• Handling lists and conditional rendering declaratively
• Managing side effects with a declarative approach

Read the full article here: https://www.56kode.com/posts/level-up-react-declarative-programming/