React Components Mirror JavaScript Functions, Not Magic—Here's Why

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A developer essay published on DEV Community argues that React's component model is rooted in a JavaScript principle beginners already encounter: writing reusable code. The author illustrates how vanilla JavaScript functions that generate DOM elements share the same logic as React components, which return JSX instead. Copying and pasting repetitive code creates maintenance problems, while reusable functions centralise logic and make projects easier to update and debug. The piece advises aspiring React developers to first build habits around reusable functions, breaking problems into smaller parts, and prioritising maintainability in plain JavaScript. According to the author, React did not invent reusability but rather built a structured library around a mindset that JavaScript has long encouraged.

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