React JS Learning Path

React JS is among the most popular JavaScript libraries for web application front-end or GUI development. In recent times, React JS, also recognized only as React, has evolved hugely, and has become the power library for component-based GUI development, supported by Facebook. Although other front-end frameworks such as Angular and Vue.js are available, what distinguishes React from others is perhaps the idea that it only emphasizes the development of component-based GUIs and does not interfere with other fields.

Angular, for instance, is a comprehensive framework that provides you with many unique features, such as dependency injection, routing scheme, handling of forms, HTTP requests, animations, and a powerful lazy-loading module system.

So, what does the React learning path look like? We have created a list of things you need to take care of if you are planning to become a React developer.

1. Start With The Basics

HTML

As it offers the basis for a web page, it is the basic foundation & the most essential expertise for web developers. Start learning it and make a few pages by yourself while you are at it.

CSS

Another important factor for web development is CSS which is used to style web pages to make them look aesthetic and beautiful. Start from learning the basic fundamentals of style pages while developing a Grid and Flexbox Page.

JS

JS lets you make your website interactive and the only important thing that’s left after designing and styling web pages. Understand the syntax and learn basic operations on DOM. Get your hands on JS mechanisms like Hoisting, Prototyping, etc, and get adequately familiar with the jQuery library.

2. Get Your Hands On General Development Skills

It should not matter if you are a front end developer, a back-end developer, or even a full-stack software engineer. To succeed in the coding industry, you must understand certain general development skills, and we have rounded up the same for you.

Learn GIT

GIT has become really essential skill to have in recent times. Try to build a few GitHub repositories, share your code with different individuals, and understand how you can download your favorite IDE code from GitHub. You can choose to enroll yourself in an online course or two to understand the basics.

Understand HTTP(S) Protocol

If you are on your way to becoming a web developer, then learning HTTP and knowing it well is an absolute necessity. You must, at the very least, must be aware of the standard methods of HTTP requests, such as GET, POST, PUT, Fix, DELETE, OPTIONS, and how HTTP/HTTPS functions in particular.

Explore the terminal

While a front-end developer is not required to learn Linux or terminal, it is highly recommended for you to get acquainted with the terminal, and customize your shell (bash, zsh, csh), etc. If you want to understand terminal and bash concepts, then taking up a Shell Scripting course can go a long way.

Data Structure & Algorithms

Again, this is not one of those skills that are inherently necessary to become a React developer, but something that you must have in order to become a programmer. You can acquire the knowledge of data structures through books, online courses, video tutorials, and whatnot.

Learn Design Patterns

Much like Data Structures, mastering design patterns to become a React Developer is not mandatory, but by practicing it you can do yourself a huge amount of good. Design patterns are proven to work solutions for daily challenges that arise in software development. Understanding them will assist you in seeking a long-term solution.

3. Get Started With React Principles

Understand the basic fundamentals of React and use online code editors to practice these concepts. You can develop a React application to get better at what you have been learning. It is recommended to take up React official tutorials or any other online course that you are most comfortable with. Once you do that, then there is no harm in building a few projects like:

1. Basic to-do-list app
2. Basic calculator app
3. Build a shopping cart

4. Identify The Essential Tools

You will have to invest some time in acquiring knowledge about various essential tools that you can use as a web developer to become a React developer, such as built-in tools, unit testing tools, debugging tools, etc.

Here are some of the build tools:

i. Package Managers

ii. Task Runners

• npm scripts
• gulp
• Webpack
• Rollup
• Parcel

5. Styling

If you aspire to be a front-end developer like React developer, knowing about styling will work in your favor. Although a lot of things like CSS Preprocessors, CSS Frameworks, CSS Architecture, and CSS in JS are known to be mandatory. We also recommend that you study Bootstrap at least as it is the most important CSS framework that will also come in handy a lot of times.

CSS Preprocessor

A CSS preprocessor is a platform that enables you to create CSS from the specific syntax of the preprocessor itself. CSS code can be made more organized by preprocessors.

• Sass/CSS
• PostCSS
• Less
• Stylus

CSS Frameworks

The CSS framework is a code library that deduces typical website design and allows the designs to be a lot simpler for a developer to incorporate in their web apps. In plain terminology, a CSS framework is a set of fully prepared CSS style sheets.

• Bootstrap
• Materialize, Material UI, Material Design Lite
• Bulma
• Semantic UI

CSS Architecture

• BEM
• OOCSS
• SMACSS
• CSS Modules
• Atomic
• SUITCSS

CSS in JS

• Styled Components
• JSS
• Radium
• Emotion

6. State Management

This is another important area to be concentrated on by a React developer. The following parameters and frameworks to master are listed below:

1. Component State/Context API
2. Redux

a. Async actions

• Redux Thunk
• Redux Better Promise
• Redux Saga
• Redux Observable

b. Helpers

c. Data persistence

• Redux Persist
• Redux Phoenix

d. Redux Form

3. MobX
4. Recoil

If this seems a little more than usual to handle, it is then recommended that you concentrate on Redux.

7. Type-checkers

You would not have the benefit of a compiler to detect those subtle type-related errors, because JavaScript is not a heavily typed language. You can identify a lot of errors with type-checking as your app expands, especially if you can use JavaScript extensions such as Flow or Typescript to type-check your entire application. But React has some in-built type-checking capabilities, and mastering them will enable you to spot errors quickly.

8. Form Helpers

Besides Type Checkers, it is also beneficial to understand Form Helps, such as Redux Form, which offers the best way to handle the form state in Redux. Some of them are listed below:

• Redux Form
• Formik
• Formsy
• Final Form

9. Routing

Components are the core of the efficient, declarative programming model of React, and an integral part of any application is routing components. React Router offers a bunch of navigational components that your framework is declaratively constructed with. React Router works anywhere React renders, whether you want to provide bookmarkable URLs for your web app or a configurable form to navigate in React Native.

• React-Router
• Router5
• Redux-First Router
• Reach Router

10. API Clients

Rarely can you create an independent Interface in today’s day and age? Instead, you’re more likely to build something that uses APIs like REST and GraphQL to connect with other applications. Fortunately, there are several API clients available for React developers, a list of which is given below:

REST

GraphQL

11. Utility Libraries

To allow your task to become easier, you can access these libraries. There are several utility libraries that React developers can make use of, some of which are mentioned below:

• Lodash
• Moment
• classnames
• Numeral
• RxJS
• Ramda

12. Testing

Now for React Developers, this is among the essential skills that is sometimes ignored, so if you want to remain competitive in the industry, then you should concentrate on discovering about libraries that will assist you in testing. Here, you have unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing libraries.

Unit Testing

• Mocha
• Chai
• Jest
• Enzyme
• Sinon
• AVA
• Tape

End to End Testing

• Cucumber.js
• Nightwatch.js
• Selenium, Webdriver
• Cypress
• Puppeteer

Integration Testing

13. Internalization

This is yet another significant front-end development concept that is used globally. The local Interface version will need to be sponsored in Japan, China, Spain, and other European countries.

The learning path recommends that you study the following technologies:

Both these libraries provide components for React and an API to format dates, numbers, and strings, including translations for pluralization and handling.

14. Server-side Rendering

You may be wondering about the distinction between Server-Side Rendering and Client-Side Rendering; let’s understand that before getting to learn about the library that facilitates React Server-Side Rendering.

Your browser downloads a minimal HTML page for client-side rendering. The JavaScript is then rendered and the text is filled into it.

React components are rendered on the server in the case of server-side rendering, and the output HTML content is distributed to the client or browser.

Recommended server-side rendering is:

Out of the 3 options, Next.js is considered to be enough.

15. Static Site Generator

Gatsby.js is a modern static generator for websites. You can make use of Gatsby to build a website for customized, logged-in activities. They integrate JavaScript with your data to develop excellent HTML content.

16. Backend Framework Integration

React on Rails combines Rails with the React front-end system of Facebook. Server rendering is provided, mostly used for SEO crawler indexing and UX efficiency, and not provided by rails/webpacker.

17. Mobile

This is yet another field where mastering React can be very useful as React Native is increasingly becoming the preferred way to build a mobile application in JavaScript with a native appearance.

The recommended libraries are:

• React Native
• Cordova/PhoneGap

18. Desktop

There is also a React-based framework for developing desktop GUIs, such as React Native Windows, which enables React to develop native UWP and WPF applications.

The aforementioned libraries are suggested by the Framework:

• Proton Native
• Electron
• React Native Windows

But they’re all for intricate research. You may take a glance at them if you’ve already perfected React.

19. Virtual Reality

If you are inclined towards developing applications focused on Virtual Reality, then you can make use of a framework such as React 360, which enables you to use React and have incredible 360 and VR experiences.

Conclusion

This React Learning Path For Developers is all about learning and practicing while remaining consistent. For instance, it’s very detailed, but there is a fair chance that much of the content may already be understood by most of you. You don’t have to be puzzled or intimidated by this React learning path even if you don’t know what to do or where to start as you can always start small and then move forward in the right direction.

ReactJS is very simple to follow and more responsive than any other JavaScript framework. Due to the flexibility it offers and ease of use, several organizations are moving or implementing the React library. As opposed to other common front-end frameworks such as Angular and Vue, Ease of Learning React is the greatest ability.

The best way to learn react is by following the React learning path and sticking to everything it has mentioned.

For any web development application, both HTML and CSS are essential. If you are already well-equipped with these languages, then learning React should be a simple and easy process. It has its steep learning curve and various different struggles, but it is an outstanding tool to launch or advance your career as a web developer.

All of us know that React is a JS library, so it is not possible to go about React without having an understanding of JavaScript. You cannot learn React without JavaScript or without knowing JavaScript in the first place. In comparison to other frontend solutions, React makes extensive use of JavaScript.