OpenSourceAs 2024 approaches, I believe a transition towards plugins, rather than libraries and components, can benefit web development. Before exploring this topic, it's essential to establish some key definitions to eliminate any potential confusion.
There are roughly 1.13 billion websites currently online. Remarkably, fewer than half of these platforms utilize tools that are compatible with extendable plugins. This underutilization suggests an area for growth and development.
React Plugin: Plugins are self-contained packages designed to extend the capabilities of a React application. They offer focused solutions to real-world challenges without requiring changes to the core codebase.
React Component: These are the foundational elements of any React application. They are reusable but generally limited to the scope of specific projects and do not provide added functionalities beyond that. (Read more)
React Library: Libraries in React are collections of components and functions designed to solve coding challenges. While useful, their scope is often limited to technical problem-solving and does not extend to addressing broader, real-world functionalities. (Read more)
(In case you're asking, browser extension are independent software components that add specific capabilities to web browsers but are not integrated into a React application’s codebase. Read more)
The Case for Plugins
Given their capability for real-world problem-solving, plugins present an area ripe for expansion within the React ecosystem.
The potential for plugin development in React is extensive. Here are some possibilities:
- Chatbot plugins
- E-Commerce plugins
- SEO plugins
- Event Calendar and Booking plugins
- Social Media Sharing plugins
- Membership and Subscriptions plugins
What is your take on this?
Do you believe there is space for a standard solution for React plugins, similar to how WordPress operates for PHP-based websites?
