Principles of back-end development for React applications
Some absolute truths about React
The client-side rendering methodology is the one that React employs. After retrieving HTML, CSS, and JS files from the server, the browser only sends requests to the server for the data required to render the page interface modifications that have occurred at this particular minute. What information must be requested from the server if, for example, the user simply clicks the "Like" button on a web page and does nothing else while they are on this page? Correct, just the feature that can boost the total number of favoriting actions will do. This more efficient use of requests and answers decreased the strain on the server. This transforms React into a tool that can be used to construct websites that, according to the owners' expectations, will be accessed concurrently by thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions of people. Because of this method, developers are able to construct only the dynamic portions of the website using React, rather than the complete website.
Websites that were developed using only React have a difficult time being indexed by search engines because client-side rendering is used. However, the server-side rendering approach and the Next framework, which is based on React and serves as the tool that implements this approach, can change the situation.
Websites built with React have a more straightforward structure when compared to traditional websites. You will find below an explanation of what the significance of this finding is for this topic.
And now for the final question, which may or may not be answered: can React be utilised in the development of the backend? The correct response is "no," because the sole purpose of this tool is the creation of user interfaces.
Basic principles of back-end development
Regardless of whether we decide to use React or another component for the client side of the application, the following are the fundamental rules that should be adhered to while developing the server side of the application:
The technologies for the servers are chosen based on the anticipated number of users, the particulars of the project, and the results of any stress tests.
The server component is built using a variety of programming languages, each of which consumes a unique quantity of server resources. When choosing the technologies to use for your project, you need to ensure that you take into account any high loads or significant amounts of data that will be generated. You can scale out a properly-designed programme nearly indefinitely, but there are languages that may create a business activity in such a manner that it takes fewer resources from the processor and random access memory, making the calculations cheaper. This affects the budget as well.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used for the data transfer between the client and the server.
The data transmission protocol is the language that all of the individual computers that make up a system use to interact with one another. The selection of the protocol is based on how these systems are intended to be used. When it comes to exchanging data over the Internet, the HTTP protocol is utilised, or rather HTTPS as its secure counterpart, which has already become a standard sanitation practise.
Programming languages such as PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, and JavaScript are frequently used while developing an application's server component.
Even PHP, which is currently the most widely used language for back-end programming, was not developed to be the language that is used exclusively in one environment. This is the only reasonable thing to state about any of these languages. All of them are, to a greater or lesser extent, appropriate for the construction of a wide variety of applications and programmes, including desktop apps, video players, text editors, and so on. JavaScript, on the other hand, was the language that was first designed to serve as a browser and programme the user's interaction with the various aspects of the interface. Later on, it evolved into a language that could be used for a variety of purposes thanks to a programme called Node.js, which transformed it into the universal machine code.
If the client side of an application is developed in React, then the backend stack of the programme should probably contain something that is JavaScript-oriented, like Node.js. Right? It's not quite that. When developing the backend of an application in which the client and the server are kept distinct, the most important thing to do is to specify the ways in which they will communicate with one another.
Therefore, it is high time that we discuss the architecture of clarity.
Clear architecture
Applications that have a well-defined structure are simpler to provide support for. In applications of this type, tracking down and removing problems is much simpler. During the process of developing the application, the developer has control over the data streams, layout, and styles, and he or she should, ideally, be familiar with the programming patterns that make it possible to build applications more quickly and with more flexibility.
Applications that have been designed with a distinct architecture are distinguished by the following:
readable code. A newly hired employee who is exposed to established procedures will have an easier time assimilating into the team;
scalability. Even in the middle of the process, it is feasible to make adjustments to what has already been done or to add something new to it;
improved efficiency of operating An application that is quick to load is more appealing than one that is sluggish.
When we talk about React apps, what exactly do we mean when we refer to the clear architecture?
Despite the fact that the client and the server, also known as the frontend and the backend, are connected to one another, they are two separate apps. API (Application Programming Interface) is the set of agreements between the client and the server sides concerning the use of certain procedures for some operations with a specific end result. The details of backend implementation are not as important for the frontend as API (Application Programming Interface). API is an abbreviation for "Application Programming Interface." After an agreement has been reached, they will be able to be split off and developed simultaneously. This is a quirk of the way that development works in React.
The backend and the frontend of an application are frequently split out in an effort to achieve architectural clarity. This is done because it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain a monolithic programme as its scope expands. Consider the content management system Drupal, in which all of these components are interconnected. Let's say the website contains a form where you can update something; it's quite likely that the developer will have to alter the display of the form in the content management system settings. If the user interface is designed in React, then all necessary updates will be implemented on the client side, without touching the server in any way. The same may be said about the backend of the system. One example of this would be an online business that has recently altered the way in which they compute discounts or handle deliveries. If the frontend and the backend are kept in distinct locations, the developer can make modifications to the backend without necessarily having those modifications reflect in the frontend.
Architectural styles of API and data formats
The frontend and the backend are considered to be two separate programmes from the point of view of the architecture of software products. They interact with one another via a protocol known as API.
The following are the architectural styles of APIs that are considered the most relevant today:
SOAP;
REST API;
GraphQL.
Let's take a more in-depth look at the different architectural types of APIs.
SOAP
The protocol known as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is the one that is utilised by web services in order to connect either with one another or with customers. The Web service SOAP API that makes use of this protocol enables servers to communicate with one another by exchanging messages. To summarize the primary limitations of SOAP, you might argue that in order to share data, you are required to compose convoluted messages that must be carefully formatted in XML, and you only receive one response to each request. Because of the growth in traffic and, as a result, the burden on the server, sending large messages is inconvenient for the use of the protocol by a large number of people.
Despite this, it is still utilised in apps that are used internally within corporations, such as bank applications.
REST
An application programming interface (API) can be built using the REST (or RESTful) architectural style and the HTTP protocol. The phrase "Representational State Transfer" may be deciphered from its acronym. The REST API supports not only the XML format but also JSON, TXT, CSV, and HTML. In addition, rather than submitting a complicated XML query, you only need to provide the client with the appropriate URL. For example, if a user wishes to access data on a particular product, clicking on the product would cause the client-side form to generate a URL as a server request in order to acquire the data (GET-request), which will include the ID of the product. This simplifies and clarifies this procedure, lessens the strain placed on the server, and paves the way for the creation of high-performance, scalable applications.
The following are examples of when REST is utilised:
limited server bandwidth;
need to cache requests;
future extension of the project;
the client and the server communicate by the AJAX method.
GraphQL
GraphQL may be defined in a few different ways. There are others who believe that this is a query language for API interfaces and the environment in which inquiries are processed. This is what some people, including us, refer to as the standard description, which may be put into practice in a variety of ways. In any event, this is the subsequent step in the development of client-server communication, and it also happens to be our personal favourite.
In comparison to the languages that came before it, GraphQL offers server requests that are even more detailed and efficient. When a large number of resources are included in the project and the REST API architectural style is utilised, the client will request several endpoints. GraphQL enables clients to send queries solely through a single endpoint, and the client is responsible for determining what data is required and in what format. One such example is the React application, which is a website that compares various pieces of electronic equipment. The client initiates a data query to the JSON server on the model of the phone and the locations of the stores where the client may purchase the phone based on specific rules that are provided by the GraphQL standard. If the server was designed and set up properly, it will be able to comprehend the query and transmit the necessary information. The ability of the client to choose which pieces of data should be transmitted from the server is the defining characteristic of GraphQL.
GraphQL supports the following three kinds of queries:
inquiry is a data request;
A mutation is a request to update data following the completion of specific actions, such as the generation of an order.
A subscription is an automated notice that is given to the client over a WebSocket connection to alert them that the data on the page needs to be updated as a result of specific changes that have taken place.
What makes a connection using WebSocket so fascinating to look into? Most protocols don’t keep the doors opened wide for data: the client sends a query, the server responds. The link has now been severed. That's all there is to it. On the other hand, the HTTP-based protocol known as WebSocket was designed specifically for the The The protocol transfer of data. In contrast to connections made using the regular HTTP protocol, those made using this protocol are not terminated as soon as the server gives a response. For this reason, it is essential for the development of projects such as online games, online stores, chat rooms, and other similar applications in which the client and the server must continually exchange data. If you want to construct interactive and high-load React applications, you can certainly do it successfully using this method.
Advantages of GraphQL:
There is no requirement for the creation of several REST requests. Even if the data comes from a variety of sources, it is only necessary to do one query in order to access it;
It is not dependent on a particular database or storage method in any way;
GraphQL makes use of a stringent data type system, which defines the many different data types that are utilised by the application.
You will need a tool in order to implement GraphQL because the language is not a single product but rather a standard. The state management library Apollo, which consists of two libraries called Apollo Client and Apollo Server, is one technique of implementation that may be utilised.
Backend-for-frontend
The data and business logic stored on your server are not required to be a component of the application at all. Soundcloud introduced the Backend-for-Frontend (BBF) pattern in 2015, and it has since gained a lot of traction in the industry. This suggests that the backend may be developed in any language and that data can be sent in any manner. Because GraphQL operates on the backend as a distinct service, obtaining data from the server and transferring it to the client side, it will still be able to comprehend the frontend.
Imagine for a moment that you have an outdated legacy project in which SOAP is used for communication between the client and the server. When using the BBF design, it is not essential to completely rewrite the backend; rather, all that is required is the addition of an intermediary using GraphQL. When it comes to brand-new apps, utilising GraphQL from the very beginning is the obvious choice to make.
Conclusion
Any application's backend will benefit from careful consideration given to the selection of technologies used in its development. The following are some criteria to consider while selecting database and server technology:
the task;
resources (team and budget);
anticipated application load;
quantity of users;
data processing scope and complexity.
The choice of technology for the backend is not dependent on whether or not React is used for the frontend of the application. To begin, the WebSocket protocol for exchanging data may also be implemented using Node.js, Python, or C# respectively. Second, although having the frontend and backend written in JavaScript will make your full-stack developer feel at ease, the Backend-for-Frontend method is advantageous simply because it enables the creation of a GraphQL schema. interlayer between the client and the server without requiring a great deal of consideration regarding the compatibility of the technologies used on both sides. In other words, you may create the backend for React apps in any popular language or the language that your team is familiar with and prefers to use. This is possible by utilising a variety of well-known know-hows.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is current as of 19 August 2022. For updated information visit https://uptechunt.com/
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