DEV Community

Cover image for Understanding React Components: A Beginner’s Guide
Maryam
Maryam

Posted on

Understanding React Components: A Beginner’s Guide

React for Beginners

: Understanding Components in the Simplest Way ⚛️

If you’re new to React, the word “component” can feel confusing at first.
When I started learning React, this was one concept that made everything feel less overwhelming — so let’s explain it in the simplest way possible.

🧩 What Is a Component in React?

A component is just a piece of the user interface.

Think of a website like a house 🏠:

  • Header → one component
  • Footer → one component
  • Button → one component
  • Card → one component

Each component is:

  • Reusable
  • Independent
  • Easy to manage

Instead of writing the whole UI in one file, React lets you break it into small pieces.

🛠️ Your First React Component

Here’s a very basic React component:

function Welcome() {
  return <h1>Hello, React!</h1>;
}

export default Welcome;
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

What’s happening here?

  • Welcome is the component name (components start with a capital letter)
  • It returns JSX (HTML-like code)
  • export default allows this component to be used in other files

That’s it. This is a complete React component ✨

📦** Using a Component in Another File**

Once a component is created, you can use it like an HTML tag:

`import Welcome from "./Welcome";

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Welcome />
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;`
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

React sees and displays whatever the component returns.

🔁 Why Components Are So Important

Components help you:

  • Reuse code
  • Keep files clean and organized
  • Build large applications easily
  • Update or fix UI without breaking everything

Without components, React apps would become messy very quickly.

🌱 Beginner Tip (From My Own Learning)

When starting out, don’t rush into:

  • Hooks
  • Complex state logic
  • Advanced patterns

Focus first on:

  • Components
  • Props
  • Basic folder structure Once these make sense, everything else becomes easier.

React becomes much simpler once you understand components.
If you can think of your UI as small reusable pieces, you’re already learning React the right way.

I’m still learning React myself, and I’ll continue sharing beginner-friendly posts as I grow.
Thanks for reading, and happy coding 💙

Top comments (0)