React uses a virtual representation of the UI through "Elements". But what exactly is a React Element? Let's take a look under the hood!
When you write JSX like this:
const element = (
<div className="greeting">
Hello React!
</div>
);
What you're actually creating is a plain JavaScript object:
const element = {
$$typeof: Symbol.for('react.element'),
type: 'div',
props: {
className: 'greeting',
children: 'Hello React!'
},
key: null,
ref: null
};
This simple object structure is at the core of how React works. These Elements can be nested to create complex UI structures:
const element = (
<div>
<h1>Title</h1>
<p>Content</p>
</div>
);
Becomes:
{
type: 'div',
props: {
children: [
{
type: 'h1',
props: { children: 'Title' }
},
{
type: 'p',
props: { children: 'Content' }
}
]
}
}
This is just a glimpse into React Elements. In our complete guide, we explore:
- The detailed structure of React Elements
- How JSX gets transformed into these objects
- The reconciliation process that compares Elements
- How React uses this structure to efficiently update the DOM
Ready to master React Elements? Read the full article here: https://www.56kode.com/posts/level-up-react-deep-dive-into-react-elements/
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