Have you been intrigued by React’s simplicity and ability to create rich interfaces? Are you seeking a way to get started learning React.js fast and make something cool?
If so, then this is the best place for you. In this post, I’ll show you how to learn React JS quickly from the ground up.
What is React?
To answer the question of how to learn React JS quickly, you first need to understand a brief overview of what React is. It is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces developed and maintained by Facebook. React is lightweight, simple, and flexible, which makes it easy to build any UI.
The concept behind React is simple: instead of creating your own view, you create a virtual DOM tree and update it as changes occur on the underlying HTML page. This allows you to write fast and responsive single-page applications (SPAs) with minimal effort on the front end.
Why should you learn React?
React was first introduced in 2013 and has gained popularity among developers ever since. It has gained immense popularity as one of the leading JavaScript libraries in recent years. It’s used by thousands of developers across the world, including many companies and organizations that you may have heard of, such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, Dropbox, Discord, and Pinterest.
Learning React JS can be a good way to learn more about how to use JavaScript, especially if you’re looking for something that will help you build responsive web applications or jumpstart your career.
React has a lot of benefits as well:
- It’s modular and easy to use.
- It’s easy to learn and improve with time.
- It has an active community that helps out with questions and issues.
So how to learn React JS quickly?
Now, it’s time to answer the question of how to learn React JS quickly. With so many resources on the internet, it can be overwhelming to start learning React. How do you know which tutorials or courses are right for you?
To help you save time, I have composed this tutorial based on my personal experience and lessons in learning React.js.
With that being said, let’s go through the step-by-step process of learning React.
1. Learn JavaScript first
If you are a beginner, it is better to know JavaScript first and then learn React. Why? Because React is a library that was developed in JavaScript, you will never be able to use it without knowing JavaScript.
However, you don’t need to master JavaScript before starting to learn React. React is built using new JavaScript features, which are mostly ES6+. You should understand fundamental JS concepts and the following ES6+ features before getting started:
- Arrow functions
- Default parameters, function rest parameters
- Promises and async/await
- Import and export JS modules
- Object destructuring
- Rest and spread operators
- ES6 classes
If you’re already familiar with JavaScript ES6+, feel free to move on. Otherwise, here are some helpful tutorials that can help you learn it quickly in just an hour:
- JavaScript ES6, ES7, ES8 Tutorial – freeCodeCamp
- ES6 Tutorial: Learn Modern JavaScript in 1 Hour – Mosh Hamedani
2. Take a look at React’s starter guide
React’s starter guide is a great resource for beginners. It covers the basics of React and shows you how to get started with creating your first app.
React was designed from the beginning to be used gradually, and you may use it as little or as much as you desire. The links in this guide will help you get started with React.js, whether you want to try it out, add some interaction to a simple HTML page, or build a complex React-powered web application.
3. Watch some tutorial videos
There are plenty of books and video courses that will teach you everything about this library. However, you may quickly get overwhelmed when choosing which resources to follow.
Books about React are usually out-of-date because the React ecosystem grows very fast. Some popular best practices and third-party libraries in the book at the time of writing could be irrelevant or deprecated now.
With technical learning, tutorial videos are a better option. They are easier to follow and usually get updated with the latest technologies. Here are two free YouTube videos to start learning React that I recommend:
If you are looking for all-in-one courses that teach you everything from start to finish, here is the list of premium courses (you only need to choose one of them):
- The Complete React JS Guide – Maximilian Schwarzmüller
- Complete React Developer – Zero to Mastery
- Modern React with Redux – Stephen Grider
4. Build some React JS projects
With the essential concepts and skills you gained from the previous steps, it’s time to build your first React JS project. You don’t need to start big, just need to start with some small applications or features of a large app. Here is a list of some React project ideas:
- Build an authentication system
- Build a todo app
- Build a blog
- Build an app that uses some social third-party APIs such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- Build a simple chat app
- and so on
The projects you developed can be added to your portfolio when you are looking for a React job.
5. Use the React documentation as the reference
One thing that you need to do when learning any new technology is read its official documentation.
I would recommend that you make use of the official documentation as a reference. It contains all the up-to-date information regarding React that you need. It includes comprehensive explanations of React’s features and also provides links to other useful resources.
The React documentation is very well written and easy to navigate through, so it won’t take long for you to understand everything about it.
6. Read React blog posts and articles
After all the previous steps, you should have a good understanding of React and how to build web applications using it.
The React ecosystem is constantly growing and evolving. It’s very important to stay up-to-date with new technologies, tools, and libraries. As a developer, you should read blogs and articles about React so that you can stay updated with the latest technologies.
Here is a list of some popular blogs that I recommend:
7. Join an online React community
There are a lot of great resources on the internet to learn React. But if you’re looking to learn React quickly, you should join a community to learn from and share your knowledge with other React developers.
When you join a community, you’ll be able to ask questions directly to other members and get feedback on your code. You can also get tips on how to improve your skills, which is essential for learning new technologies like React.
Here are some great communities that you can be a part of:
Conclusion
So, at this point, you should have a pretty good understanding of what programming with React JS entails. Now, you know what React is, the benefits of learning React, how to learn React JS quickly, and valuable resources to help you get started.
Make sure to get some practice by setting up a few projects, and soon enough you will start understanding the various aspects of this library in depth. You might want to check out this post to advance your React skills after you have a solid understanding of the basics.
If you think I missed anything or something is unclear, please put a comment in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!