Routers

What is Router in React?

In React, a router is a component or library that provides navigation and manages the application's URL. It enables the creation of single-page applications (SPAs) with multiple views or pages while maintaining smooth transitions between them.

Types of Routers in React

1. BrowserRouter

BrowserRouter uses the HTML5 history API to keep the UI in sync with the URL, providing a clean and user-friendly URL structure.

import { BrowserRouter, Route } from "react-router-dom";
 
function App() {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <Route path="/home" component={HomePage} />
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
}

2. Route

The Route component maps a URL path to a corresponding React component that should be rendered when the path matches.

<Route path="/about" component={AboutPage} />

3. Link and NavLink

Link is used for navigation without a full page reload.
NavLink is similar to Link but provides styling options for the active link.

import { Link, NavLink } from "react-router-dom";
 
<Link to="/home">Go to Home</Link>
<NavLink to="/about" activeClassName="active">About</NavLink>

4. Switch

Switch ensures that only the first matching route is rendered, preventing multiple matches.

import { Switch, Route } from "react-router-dom";
 
<Switch>
  <Route exact path="/" component={HomePage} />
  <Route path="/about" component={AboutPage} />
</Switch>

Alternative Routers for React

1. react-router-redux

This integrates react-router with Redux, allowing centralized state and routing management.

2. react-spring-router

Combines react-router with React Spring for animated transitions between routes.

Difference Between react-router, react-router-dom, and react-router-native

1. react-router

The core package that provides routing functionality for any React environment, including web, mobile, and server-side rendering (SSR).

2. react-router-dom

Built on top of react-router, it is tailored for web applications and includes components optimized for browsers.

3. react-router-native

Designed for React Native applications, offering components optimized for mobile app development.

By understanding React Router and its alternatives, you can build seamless and dynamic SPAs with effective navigation.

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