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React and React Native
React and React Native

React and React Native: Build cross-platform JavaScript apps with native power for mobile, web and desktop

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React and React Native

Chapter 2. Rendering with JSX

This chapter will introduce you to JSX. We'll start by covering the basics: what is JSX? Then, you'll see that JSX has built-in support for HTML tags, as you would expect; so we'll run through a few examples here. After having looked at some JSX code, we'll discuss how it makes describing the structure of UIs easy for us. Then, we'll jump into building our own JSX elements, and using JavaScript expressions for dynamic content.

Ready?

What is JSX?

In this section, we'll implement the obligatory hello world JSX application. At this point, we're just dipping our toes into the water; more in-depth examples will follow. We'll also discuss what makes this syntax work well for declarative UI structures.

Hello JSX

Without further ado, here's your first JSX application:

// The "render()" function will render JSX markup and 
// place the resulting content into a DOM node. The "React" 
// object isn't explicitly used here, but it's used 
// by the transpiled JSX source. 
import React from 'react'; 
import { render } from 'react-dom'; 
 
// Renders the JSX markup. Notice the XML syntax 
// mixed with JavaScript? This is replaced by the 
// transpiler before it reaches the browser. 
render( 
  (<p>Hello, <strong>JSX</strong></p>), 
  document.getElementById('app') 
); 

Pretty simple, right? Let's walk through what's happening...

Just like HTML

At the end of the day, the job of a React component is to render HTML into the browser DOM. This is why JSX has support for HTML tags, out of the box. In this section, we'll look at some code that renders some of the available HTML tags. Then, we'll cover some of the conventions that are typically followed in React projects when HTML tags are used.

Built-in HTML tags

When we render JSX, element tags are referencing React components. Since it would be tedious to have to create components for HTML elements, React comes with HTML components. We can render any HTML tag in our JSX, and the output will be just as we'd expect. If you're not sure, you can always run the following code to see which HTML element tags React has:

// Prints a list of the global HTML tags 
// that React knows about. 
console.log( 
  'available tags', 
  Object.keys(React.DOM).sort() 
); 

You can see that React.DOM has all the built-in HTML elements that we need, implemented as...

Describing UI structures

JSX is the best way to describe complex UI structures. Let's look at some JSX markup that declares a more elaborate structure than a single paragraph:

import React from 'react'; 
import { render } from 'react-dom'; 
 
// This JSX markup describes some fairly-sophisticated 
// markup. Yet, it's easy to read, because it's XML and 
// XML is good for concisely-expressing hierarchical 
// structure. This is how we want to think of our UI, 
// when it needs to change, not as an individual element 
// or property. 
render(( 
  <section> 
    <header> 
      <h1>A Header</h1> 
    </header> 
    <nav> 
      <a href="item">Nav Item</a> 
    </nav> 
    <main> 
      <p>The main content...</p> 
    </main> 
    <footer> 
      <small>&copy; 2016</small> 
    </footer> 
  </section> 
  ), 
  document.getElementById(&apos...

Creating your own JSX elements

Components are the fundamental building blocks of React. In fact, components are the vocabulary of JSX markup. In this section, we'll see how to encapsulate HTML markup within a component. We'll build examples that show you how to nest custom JSX elements and how to namespace your components.

Encapsulating HTML

The reason that we want to create new JSX elements is so that we can encapsulate larger structures. This means that instead of having to type out complex markup, we just use our custom tag. The React component returns the JSX that replaces the element. Let's look at an example now:

// We also need "Component" so that we can 
// extend it and make a new JSX tag. 
import React, { Component } from 'react'; 
import { render } from 'react-dom'; 
 
// "MyComponent" extends "Component", which means that 
// we can now use it in JSX markup. 
class MyComponent extends Component { 
  render() { 
 ...

Using JavaScript expressions

As we saw in the preceding section, JSX has special syntax that lets us embed JavaScript expressions. Any time we render JSX content, expressions in the markup are evaluated. This is the dynamic aspect of JSX content, and in this section, you'll learn how to use expressions to set property values and element text content. You'll also learn how to map collections of data to JSX elements.

Dynamic property values and text

Some HTML property or text values are static, meaning that they don't change as the JSX is re-rendered. Other values, the values of properties or text, are based on data that's found elsewhere in the application. Remember, React is just the view layer. Let's look at an example so that you can get a feel for what the JavaScript expression syntax looks like in JSX markup:

import React from 'react'; 
import { render } from 'react-dom'; 
 
// These constants are passed into the JSX 
// markup using the JavaScript...

What is JSX?


In this section, we'll implement the obligatory hello world JSX application. At this point, we're just dipping our toes into the water; more in-depth examples will follow. We'll also discuss what makes this syntax work well for declarative UI structures.

Hello JSX

Without further ado, here's your first JSX application:

// The "render()" function will render JSX markup and 
// place the resulting content into a DOM node. The "React" 
// object isn't explicitly used here, but it's used 
// by the transpiled JSX source. 
import React from 'react'; 
import { render } from 'react-dom'; 
 
// Renders the JSX markup. Notice the XML syntax 
// mixed with JavaScript? This is replaced by the 
// transpiler before it reaches the browser. 
render( 
  (<p>Hello, <strong>JSX</strong></p>), 
  document.getElementById('app') 
); 

Pretty simple, right? Let's walk through what's happening here. First, we...

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Key benefits

  • • Build React and React Native applications using familiar component concepts
  • • Dive deep into each platform, from routing in React to creating native mobile applications that can run offline
  • • Use Facebook’s Relay, React and GraphQL technologies, to create a unified architecture that powers both web and native applications

Description

para 1: Dive into the world of React and create powerful applications with responsive and streamlined UIs! With React best practices for both Android and iOS, this book demonstrates React and React Native in action, helping you to create intuitive and engaging applications. Para 2: React and React Native allow you to build desktop, mobile and native applications for all major platforms. Combined with Flux and Relay, you?ll be able to create powerful and feature-complete applications from just one code base. Para 3: Discover how to build desktop and mobile applications using Facebook?s innovative UI libraries. You?ll also learn how to craft composable UIs using React, and then apply these concepts to building Native UIs using React Native. Finally, find out how you can create React applications which run on all major platforms, and leverage Relay for feature-complete and data-driven applications. Para 4: What?s Inside ? Craft composable UIs using React & build Native UIs using React Native ? Create React applications for major platforms ? Access APIs ? Leverage Relay for data-driven web & native mobile applications

Who is this book for?

Perfect for anyone who wants to create mobile and desktop applications (including native mobile apps), React and React Native features step-by-step instructions and examples designed for all levels of React and React Native developers and students.

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Publication date : Mar 08, 2017
Length: 500 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781786469571
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Publication date : Mar 08, 2017
Length: 500 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781786469571
Category :
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Tools :

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Table of Contents

26 Chapters
1. Why React? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Rendering with JSX Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Understanding Properties and State Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Event Handling – The React Way Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Crafting Reusable Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. The React Component Lifecycle Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Validating Component Properties Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Extending Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Handling Navigation with Routes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Server-Side React Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Mobile-First React Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Why React Native? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
13. Kickstarting React Native Projects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
14. Building Responsive Layouts with Flexbox Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
15. Navigating Between Screens Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
16. Rendering Item Lists Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
17. Showing Progress Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
18. Geolocation and Maps Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
19. Collecting User Input Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
20. Alerts, Notifications, and Confirmation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
21. Responding to User Gestures Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
22. Controlling Image Display Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
23. Going Offline Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
24. Handling Application State Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
25. Why Relay and GraphQL? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
26. Building a Relay React App Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
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(1 Ratings)
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Caleb Nov 06, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Content is really good, but all pages are black and gray. So, it is hard to see well when you read, I personally recommend reader with color pictures which provided by them. Actually, when I read this book, I had an intermediate level of React Native, also I finished React Native lectures on Udemy, but this is really focused on how it works, and more detail information comparing the Udemy lectures. So, it would be great if you want to know more and use a reference book. However, React Native is changing quickly, and it can be so out-dated easily, but I think it includes the most recent things about React Native. If this book published in color, it would be great to me...haha..
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