React is considered the best JavaScript library for creating responsive mobile and website applications. It also supports the developers by providing reusable custom HTML code for the apps, ensuring good use of time and energy.
Global companies are looking to hire ReactJS developers to leverage the growing web and mobile app space. However, a common question amongst recruiters is what skills they should look for in an ideal candidate.
This blog addresses this question by outlining the skills needed in a typical ReactJS developer and why these skills are important.
Top 11 Skills for ReactJS Developer
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HTML + CSS
Every ReactJS developer must be able to develop good-looking user interfaces and a smooth user experience in web pages and applications using HTML and CSS. To achieve this, they need the following abilities:
- Coding semantic HTML tags used by CSS selectors
- Deploying a CSS reset
- Knowledge of the box model and resetting border-box
- Strong understanding of Flexbox
- Deploying responsive web pages
- Using media queries in applications
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JSX
A ReactJS developer does not work only with HTML codes. They also have to work with a syntax extension called JSX that is integrated into the React ecosystem.
JSX can be thought of as JavaScript with a few HTML features. In technical terms, it is an abstraction on top of React.createElement() API. HTML elements can be embedded in JavaScript and then placed in the DOM without utilizing createElement() or appendChild(). JSX assists in writing React applications without converting HTML tags into Javascript objects.
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JavaScript Fundamentals + ES6
A typical ReactJS developer must have a strong grasp of JavaScript fundamentals and ES6, in addition to the following:
Function Declarations and Arrow Functions
React applications are developed using components built using JS functions and classes. There are two ways of writing a JavaScript function:
- Using the “function” keyword (also known as function declarations), or
- As an arrow function introduced in ES6
The arrow functions are very concise, which is their greatest advantage. A developer can use numerous shorthands for writing any function and removing any excess boilerplate, ultimately writing a single-line function declaration.
Conversely, function declarations allow developers to bypass hoisting problems, which cannot be done with arrow functions. The hoisting behavior of JavaScript allows the developers to use several function declarations to build function components and place them in any order in a single file.
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DOM and Event Handling
While we have JSX abstraction at our disposal, it is still important to understand DOM elements and use them whenever necessary. The native event object found in regular DOM manipulation in React is a part of SyntheticEvent. Developers can attach numerous events, such as ‘mouseover’, ‘onclick ‘, ‘onchange’, and much more to HTML elements.
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Three Array Methods: .map(), .filter(), .reduce()
Imagine an instance where we have an array and want to iterate over it to display every element as a JSX element. In this case, it is wise to use the .map() method, which allows us to change each item in the array as we prefer by using the inner function. As you can see, the arrow function comes in handy in this situation.
The function .filter() helps in filtering a few elements out of the array. For instance, if we want to eliminate all the names of individuals starting with ‘J’, it can be done using .filter().
The .reduce() function can turn array values into almost any kind of data, including non-array values. Hence, one can argue that .map() and .filter() are two versions of the .reduce() function.
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Object Tricks
In addition to using arrays in React, a ReactJS developer must be proficient in accessing and modifying the object attributes. The objects are utilized in storing key-value pairs in an organized manner. Every time a developer creates an object, they must provide it with a name and value. An easy formula is to list the property name if it is similar to the value.
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Variables and Scoping
A ReactJS developer must know when and where to access the data needed. Variables in JavaScript help in this regard by retaining the data in the memory and providing access within the application. With ES6, there are new variables for storing variables other than the ‘var’ keyword (like ‘let’ and ‘const’).
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Prototypal Inheritance and Object Creation
React behaves like a functional programming language in many aspects. However, the ReactJS developer must utilize classes to learn how objects are created in JavaScript. If the developer understands how JavaScript’s prototype chain works, they will also understand inheritance. It is important to note that the class keyword is only a syntactic sugar on top of the ‘object prototype’ chain.
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Git
Git is undoubtedly the most popular tool for application developers. Since React is like an extensive JavaScript library with numerous reusable components, it becomes important to use Git repositories to share code and other components with the community. Git allows React developers to post and update web application projects on several coding platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket. Furthermore, the toolkit allows developers to merge various strategies, handle conflicts, push and pull code changes, and much more.
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Node + npm
The npm is basically a cloud storage facility for packages known as dependencies. It is where all the software developers go for using the dependencies that help in building software. Ultimately, these packages help in extending React’s library.
A good example of a full-stack environment is the MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node) stack, where the front-end development is handled by React and the back-end by Node. The React code can also be deployed directly in the Node environment, as well as the other way around.
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Redux
React development suffers from its asynchronicity of state updates. To solve this issue, React developers depend on Reduct, which is a built-in state controlling the preserving the React library. It is not a data framework, only a method of working with data to ensure state management. Furthermore, React developers can create consistent and easy-to-test applications that function similarly across other environments using Redux’s functional programming and immutability principles.
Final Words
Any developer with strong command over the aforementioned programs and framework can easily deliver high-quality ReactJS projects. While these are technical skills, it is advised that you should also look for developers with good soft skills, such as strong communication, problem-solving, and team-building abilities.