Ahhhh the never ending should UI live in the code, or should it live outside the code debate. There is definitely a cohort of people who find React and code based UI patterns better. There is also a cohort of people who prefer to keep the two separate. I tend to side with the former architecture, just from years of experience building software where keeping them separate actually doesn't win you anything. Yet I've met engineers who swear by XML/Interface Builder/VB style development. Hey, as long as you can build your software and get the job done and the tools are helping you get the job done, who am I to tell you what pattern to build with?!