Introduction to React

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Developed by Facebook in 2013, it has since become a popular choice for web development projects due to its component-based architecture.

React's Virtual DOM is a lightweight copy of the actual DOM. It allows React to optimize updates by re-rendering only the components that have changed, rather than the entire page.

JSX stands for JavaScript XML. It allows developers to write HTML structures in the same file as JavaScript code, streamlining the component creation process and enhancing readability.

React's building blocks are components. They can be reused and composed. Props are how you pass data and event handlers to components, making them dynamic and interactive.

State allows components to manage their own data, responding to user input and system events. The lifecycle methods provide hooks to run code at key times in a component's life.

React Hooks, introduced in version 16.8, allow you to use state and other React features without writing a class. Hooks like useState and useEffect can simplify your code.

React offers advanced patterns like context for global state, higher-order components for code reuse, and render props for sharing code between components in a more flexible way.