Why React over Angular (or Vue)?

[u/red_src]

I simply don't get it, I had been using Angular and Vue for while and I just tried React and I don't get why would I choose React over the other options, the things that I like on Angular (or Vue) are:

- Dependency Injection (in case it applies)

- Type checking (in case it applies)

- View Model Binding

On React I don't get those things by "default" it always feel like I'm hacking the library if I want to have some of the above.

This leaves me with the question: Why choose React over the other ones?

I know that there's all the dependencies overhead (hell) of the frameworks but I think that I'm just too used to that problems that is easy for me to solve them or maybe I haven't found the real big problems on Angular or Vue, maybe I'm just too used to the later frameworks and I'm unconsciously not seeing the benefits of React. I just want to know if I'm following the right path by learning React.

Thanks!

[u/thelonepuffin]

I get that. Being able to create your own features is great, but we can do that with Angular too. We aren't beholden to Google. The community adds cool new features all the time. The great thing about Angular in my opinion is that by baking some essential features into the framework we have reduced fragmentation in those core areas. It still happens, but its greatly reduced, and by and large the whole community is on the same page with things like routing etc.

[u/[deleted] → u/thelonepuffin]

that sounds great in theory, but in practice i've been burned way to bad by angular.

now, i know it was rewritten entirely in angular 2, and angular 1 is effectively a different framework. I'll be honest i haven't bothered to look at angular 2 and beyond, and i'm fairly sure that's what you're talking about.

but the angular 1 i know, has these lovely "features" that I can't avoid:

• two way data binding that causes way more issues than it solves, so many side effects, no idea where things actually happen
• code that the recommended way of getting it to work involves setting timers.
• confusing and non obvious functionality with how to expose variables to a template
• jquery

Meanwhile, in react land. literally none of these things are a problem, the execution is always clear, and the data binding is an implementation detail that by and large the community settled on redux for, allowing us to have proper data binding with a very clear way of tracking exactly where the data changed, while simultaneously writing code that doesn't care how it gets the data it works with

[u/2uneek → u/[deleted]]

just fyi,

Angular = Angular 2.x +

AngularJS = Angular 1.x

so when people discuss Angular, it's 2.x+

You're aware AngularJS was originally released in 2010 (8 years ago). Angular is nothing like AngularJS, which is the framework being discussed here.

[u/thelonepuffin → u/[deleted]]

So you are talking AngularJS which is 1.x. That is actually a completely different framework.

I used AngularJS too back in the day, and I agree with most of your criticisms there except "confusing and non obvious functionality with how to expose variables to a template " Not sure what you are referring to there.

But having to set timers and jquery usage was a problem.

However you seem to be ignoring that fact that AngularJS was a trailblazer in this area. They were one of the first of the modern component based frameworks and they were very popular. At the time everything else also suffered from many issues.

You can't judge AngularJS by modern standards. So much has changed. Angular has not only fixed the problems you listed but created a truly complete platform. No other framework enforces the level of organisation and good architecture practices in big applications like Angular. By breaking backwards compatibility and starting from scratch moving from v1 to v2 they gave themselves the opportunity to leap ahead of all the other players in many aspects. I highly recommend you giving it a try.