Enter React.js

As we'll see in this chapter, the answer to the question posed in the previous section is a resounding yes and, as you might have guessed, it involves React.js.

But what makes it special?

It's wise to start with what React is not. It is not an MVC framework and, as such, it is not a replacement for the likes of AngularJS, Backbone.js, and so on. React focuses solely on the V in MVC, and presents a refreshingly different way to think about user interfaces. We must take a slight detour in order to explore how it does that.

Lessons from functional programming

As functional programmers, we don't need to be convinced of the benefits of immutability. We bought into this premise long ago. However, were...