Why React and ReactDOM Are Separate: An Easy Explanation

If you're getting started with React, you might wonder why there are two separate packages: React and ReactDOM. Why not combine them into one? Let’s break it down.

What’s React?

React is a library that helps you build user interfaces (UIs). Think of it as a tool to create different parts of a website, like buttons, menus, and forms, in a way that’s easy to manage and update. It’s not just for websites; it can also be used for mobile apps and other platforms.

What’s ReactDOM?

ReactDOM is like a translator that helps React work specifically with web browsers. It takes the components you build with React and turns them into something the browser can understand and display on your screen.

Why Keep Them Separate?

1. Flexibility Across Platforms: React can be used for more than just websites. By keeping React separate from ReactDOM, it can also work with mobile apps (through React Native) and other platforms. This separation makes React more flexible and powerful.

2. Focused Functionality: By having two separate packages, each can focus on doing its job really well. React handles the creation of components, while ReactDOM focuses on displaying them in the browser.

3. Smaller Size: Not every project needs all the features of ReactDOM. For example, if you’re building a mobile app, you don’t need ReactDOM at all. This separation helps keep your projects lean and efficient.

4. Special Features for the Web: ReactDOM provides special features and methods specifically for web development, like rendering components to the page and managing events.

How ReactDOM Works

Imagine you build a button component with React. ReactDOM is the tool that takes that button and places it on the web page. When something changes (like the button’s text or color), ReactDOM updates the page without reloading everything. This makes your website faster and smoother.

The Big Picture

The separation of React and ReactDOM is a smart design choice. It allows React to be used in different environments (web, mobile, etc.), keeps your projects small and efficient, and ensures that each library can be updated and improved independently.

Conclusion

Understanding why React and ReactDOM are separate helps you see the bigger picture of how React works. It’s all about flexibility, efficiency, and focused functionality. Whether you’re building a website or a mobile app, this separation makes it easier to create amazing user interfaces.