Outlining the Tech Behind WMS 5
One of the big names in tech nowadays is React, as well as its mobile offshoot, React Native. In fact, both these technologies were unveiled as part of the recent Wildix upgrade, WMS 5.
Although it’s been promised that React will improve Wildix software, many may be wondering how exactly that will happen.
To answer that and other questions, let’s discuss what exactly React and its uses are.
What is React?
According to its website, React is “a JavaScript library for building user interfaces,” and is used for such big-name apps as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Skype, Salesforce and more.
Also, we should note a basic but notable difference between React and React Native: React is for browser usage, while React Native is for mobile apps.
Wait — What’s a JavaScript Library?
Basically, it’s a repository of pre-made functions written in JavaScript (the code that powers the interactive elements of websites).
Libraries are helpful because they give programmers functional code to instantly create an interactive feature, rather than having to create it from scratch. For example, if a programmer wants a webpage to make use of keyboard shortcuts, they can just use React to find and then instantly implement pre-made code for that function.
So in the simplest terms possible, a JavaScript library — and React in particular — is a resource that lets developers build more functional apps and webpages much more quickly.
What Are the Benefits for End-Users?
Technology that lets developers save time on programming enables them to spend more time on polishing, improving and updating features.
To be more specific, React has allowed the Wildix team to rewrite the basic foundation of the software, making the platform more responsive while also implementing new capabilities. Although it’s technically true that the new features coming in WMS 5 (like a tile layout and direct messaging) could have been created without React, actually using React meant those features were implemented much more quickly and with better performance.
Additionally, React Native makes it easy to bring all of these features to the mobile versions of Wildix software, as the similar design environment simplifies the normally complicated process of duplicating desktop features on mobile. That translates to more consistency when using Wildix across different devices.
Finally, React and React Native can be updated much more quickly than other programming frameworks. Since React is just JavaScript (that is, the code that’s right in webpages), updating a React-powered site or app is as simple as refreshing the code.
To Sum Up…
React is an intuitive, flexible framework for designing user interfaces on the web and in desktop applications. React Native is effectively the same thing, but for mobile apps.
Using either of these technologies results in more responsive and more reliably functional interactive elements, especially in how they deliver updates. But by using the two in conjunction, devs can create a significantly more cohesive experience between desktop and mobile versions of software due to the similarity in function and programmability of React and React Native.
In WMS 5 in particular, all these advantages are poised to create an even more consistent and feature-rich user experience.
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