React Api definition

The term "React API" can refer to several distinct concepts within the React ecosystem:
React's Built-in APIs:
These are the core functionalities provided by the React library itself. They include:
React Top-Level API: Functions like React.createElement(), React.Component, and React.Fragment.
Hooks API: Functions like useState(), useEffect(), useContext(), useReducer(), etc., which allow functional components to manage state and side effects.
Context API: Provides a way to share data across the component tree without prop drilling.
Error Boundaries: APIs like static getDerivedStateFromError() and componentDidCatch() for handling errors in components.
React DOM APIs:
These APIs are used for interacting with the Document Object Model (DOM) in the browser.
Client React DOM APIs (react-dom/client): Used for rendering React components on the client-side, including createRoot() and hydrateRoot().
Server React DOM APIs (react-dom/server): Used for rendering React components to HTML on the server-side for Server-Side Rendering (SSR).
External APIs used within React applications:
This refers to the process of making HTTP requests from a React application to external web services (like RESTful APIs) to fetch or send data. Common methods for this include:
Fetch API: A built-in browser API for making network requests.
Axios: A popular third-party library for making HTTP requests.
XMLHttpRequest (XHR): An older browser API for making network requests.
APIs of React-related Libraries/Frameworks:
Many libraries and frameworks built on top of or alongside React also expose their own APIs. Examples include:
React Redux API: Provides hooks like useSelector() and useDispatch() for interacting with a Redux store.
React Router API: Offers components and hooks for routing within a React application.
React Flow API: Provides components and utilities for building node-based editors and interactive diagrams.
In summary, while "React API" can broadly refer to any interface related to React, it most commonly refers to either the core built-in APIs of the React library or the methods used to interact with external web services from within a React application.