Understanding Nodes, Elements, and Components in React

📚 Table of Contents

1. What is a React Node?
2. What is a React Element?
3. What is a React Component?
4. Comparison Table
5. Real-Life Analogy

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1. What is a React Node?

Think of a React Node as the broadest term.
It can be anything React can render — like text, a number, JSX elements, or even null.

const title = "React Rocks!"; // ✅ React Node
const age = 25;              // ✅ React Node
const jsx = <h1>Hello!</h1>; // ✅ React Node
const list = [<li key={1}>One</li>, <li key={2}>Two</li>]; // ✅ React Node

A React Node = any valid return value from a component. It’s like a “renderable thing”.

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2. What is a React Element?

A React Element is a plain JavaScript object that describes what you want to see on screen.

const element = <div className="greeting">Hello</div>;

JSX compiles to:

const element = React.createElement('div', { className: 'greeting' }, 'Hello');

React Elements are like blueprints — React uses them to know what to draw.

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3. What is a React Component?

A React Component is a function or class that returns a React Element or Node.

function Welcome({ name }) {
  return <h2>Welcome, {name}!</h2>;
}

Or:

class Welcome extends React.Component {
  render() {
    return <h2>Welcome, {this.props.name}!</h2>;
  }
}

Components return elements. Elements are then rendered into nodes.

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4. Comparison Table

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5. Real-Life Analogy

• 🧱 React Node → The final bricks, paint, and furniture (what you actually see).
• 📝 React Element → The blueprint of each room (what should be there).
• 👷 React Component → The architect/builder who creates those blueprints.

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🙏 Thank You!

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, please share it with your network and stay tuned for more insights on software development. I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn or have you follow my journey on HashNode for regular updates.

Happy Coding!
Mitesh Kukdeja