CST438 Learning Journal 2

During this React lab, I gained a much better understanding of how React applications are structured and how the different pieces work together. One of the biggest concepts I learned was that React is built around components, which are reusable pieces of the user interface. Breaking an application into components like Login, Register, Order, and Settings made the project much easier to organize and understand.

I also learned how state works using the { useState } hook. Instead of manually updating the page, React automatically re-renders components whenever the state changes. The { useEffect } hook was another important concept because it allowed me to load data from the backend when a component first renders, such as displaying a customer's order history.

Another valuable lesson was learning how React communicates with a Spring Boot backend using the fetch() API. I used GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests to retrieve, create, update, and delete customer and order information. Along the way, I also became more comfortable reading React and browser error messages to troubleshoot problems like incorrect imports and API routing issues.

One thing I appreciate about React is how reusable and organized it makes an application. Features like React Router make navigating between pages feel seamless, and components help keep the code clean and maintainable. However, I also noticed that React has a fairly steep learning curve. Understanding hooks, routing, state management, and API communication all at once can be challenging for someone new to the framework.

This lab helped me become more confident working with React. While I still have a lot to learn, I now have a much stronger understanding of the fundamentals and feel better prepared to build more interactive web applications in the future.

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