Why we shouldn't use <div> in React JS

In the world of React development, the ubiquitous <div> has long been the default container for structuring components. However, relying solely on <div> elements can lead to bloated, semantically ambiguous code that hampers accessibility and SEO. It's time to break free from this habit and explore more semantic and efficient alternatives.

The Problem with Divitis

Overuse of <div> elements, often referred to as "divitis," can clutter your codebase and hinder its readability. While <div> provides a generic container, it lacks semantic meaning, making it challenging for screen readers and search engines to interpret your content accurately. Additionally, excessive <div> usage can result in unnecessary DOM nodes, leading to performance issues, especially in large-scale applications.

Embracing Semantic Tags

Semantic HTML elements, such as <header>, <footer>, <nav>, <section>, and <article>, offer meaningful structure and improve accessibility and SEO. By utilizing these tags appropriately, you provide valuable context to your content, making it easier for both machines and humans to understand.

In React, integrating semantic tags is straightforward:

function App() {
  return (
    <header>
      <h1>Welcome to My Website</h1>
      <nav>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
          <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
          <li><a href="/contact">Contact</a></li>
        </ul>
      </nav>
    </header>
  );
}

Fragment: A Lightweight Alternative

While semantic tags are essential for structuring your content logically, there are cases where you need to group elements without introducing additional nodes in the DOM. This is where React Fragments come in handy.

Fragments allow you to group multiple elements without adding extra nodes:

function App() {
  return (
    <>
        <Home />
        <Main />
        <Blogs />
        <footer />
    </>
  );
}

Benefits of using Fragment:

• FAST ⚡️⚡️ As we know, the <div> tag creates a node in the Document Object Model (DOM) and occupies some space in it. However, the fragment does not create a node in the DOM, which means it won't take up any space. This makes the application faster than usual.

• Less Cluttered DOM 🧴✨ When an application grows, having many irrelevant nodes can make the code appear messy and hard to read. Nested child components within multiple parent components can further complicate the code, making it difficult to debug. However, using fragments can simplify the code, making it clearer and easier to understand and debug.

Hopefully, this article has provided valuable insights into Why we shouldn't use <div> in React JS

Cheers! 🍻