EJS (Embedded JavaScript) and React.js are both technologies used in web development, but they serve different purposes and have different features. Let’s compare EJS and React.js:
1. Purpose:
- EJS: EJS is a template engine for rendering HTML content on the server side. It allows you to embed JavaScript code within your HTML templates to generate dynamic content before sending it to the client’s browser.
- React.js: React.js is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, primarily on the client side. It enables you to create dynamic and interactive UI components that update in response to changes in data and user interactions.
2. Rendering:
- EJS: EJS templates are rendered on the server side before being sent to the client’s browser. The server generates the HTML content and delivers a complete HTML page to the client.
- React.js: React components are rendered on the client side. React takes care of efficiently updating the DOM based on changes to component state and props.
3. Components:
- EJS: EJS doesn’t provide a concept of components like React. It focuses on embedding JavaScript within HTML templates to generate dynamic content.
- React.js: React is centered around building reusable components that encapsulate a piece of UI and its behavior. Components can be composed together to create complex interfaces.
4. Data Binding:
- EJS: EJS templates can embed JavaScript code to generate dynamic content, but data binding might be more manual compared to React.
- React.js: React uses a virtual DOM and employs a diffing algorithm to efficiently update the actual DOM based on changes in the component’s state or props. This leads to automatic data binding and minimizes manual manipulation of the DOM.
5. Single-Page Applications (SPAs):
- EJS: EJS can be used in SPAs, but it’s more commonly associated with server-rendered web applications.
- React.js: React is frequently used in the context of building SPAs. It provides tools like React Router for handling client-side routing and creating multi-page-like navigation within a single-page app.
6. Learning Curve:
- EJS: EJS is relatively simple to learn, especially if you’re familiar with HTML and JavaScript.
- React.js: React has a steeper learning curve, especially if you’re new to concepts like component-based architecture, JSX syntax, and the virtual DOM. However, it offers more powerful tools for creating dynamic and interactive UIs.
7. Community and Ecosystem:
- EJS: EJS has been around for a while, but its ecosystem might not be as large and active as React’s.
- React.js: React has a large and active community, a vast ecosystem of libraries and tools, and is widely adopted in the industry.