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My struggle to learn React

bradfrost.com

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Re: My struggle to learn React

#41

Post by IloveHN84 »

a_c wrote: post #32
hardwaregeek wrote: post #9

Honestly I don't know how I learned React. It's not fun at all. Oh sure, the basics of React is not too hard. If you ignore all the outdated examples and code (using var, no JSX, overusing component lifecycle, not using functional components). But then learning Redux, React Router, React JSS, Reselect, Redux Thunk, Webpack, etc., is just terrible. Sure, there are tutorials for each individual library, or maybe even t…

In the pursuit of React, something is added everyday. In the pursuit of enlightenment, something need to be dropped everyday. [1] In the react realm, every problem is solved by throwing another layer of complexity/abstraction/whatever you call it [1] Adapted from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/175803-in-the-pursuit-of-kn...

Like Java/Spring.

Why do not use a more simple approach, say jQuery?

Re: My struggle to learn React

#43

Post by tenaciousDaniel »

camdenreslink wrote: post #29
rhapsodic wrote: post #6

I don't get what the benefit of using React is, aside from having it on my resume. A virtual DOM? What does that get me? It renders faster? Rendering speed is not a problem my CRUD screens have. Etc., etc. Perhaps some UIs are so complex and dynamic that they're easier to build and maintain using React. I'm not saying other people shouldn't use React, but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't give me enough payback to justi…

Its top down `(props) => rendered view` paradigm is a breath of fresh air if you've ever spent a significant amount of time in an Angular 1.x application with a complicated web of watchers and scope sharing all over the place.

I'm currently still on Angular 1 at work. We migrated to 1.6, where they introduced Angular.component(). It's actually very nice, since it allows for explicit I/O and enforces isolate scopes. It's actually made Angular 1 enjoyable for me.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#44

Post by rhapsodic »

diggan wrote: post #37
rhapsodic wrote: post #6

I don't get what the benefit of using React is, aside from having it on my resume. A virtual DOM? What does that get me? It renders faster? Rendering speed is not a problem my CRUD screens have. Etc., etc. Perhaps some UIs are so complex and dynamic that they're easier to build and maintain using React. I'm not saying other people shouldn't use React, but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't give me enough payback to justi…

Not sure what you're trying to say here. Sounds like you don't need React, and that's perfectly fine. I've had applications like that as well. React becomes useful when you have really complex and dynamic websites, not when you're building basic CRUD todo applications.

>React becomes useful when you have really complex and dynamic websites, not when you're building basic CRUD todo applications

I realize you're just trying to be dismissive, but in point of fact, my CRUD applications are far more complex than basic todo applications.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#45

Post by diggan »

rhapsodic wrote: post #44
diggan wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what you're trying to say here. Sounds like you don't need React, and that's perfectly fine. I've had applications like that as well. React becomes useful when you have really complex and dynamic websites, not when you're building basic CRUD todo applications.

>React becomes useful when you have really complex and dynamic websites, not when you're building basic CRUD todo applications I realize you're just trying to be dismissive, but in point of fact, my CRUD applications are far more complex than basic todo applications.

Sorry, was not meant to be dismissive, maybe the "basic" and "todo" was too much. Basically, unless you need dynamic elements on a page, you're better off without JavaScript. If you have lots of them, React might help.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#46

Post by ben509 »

rhapsodic wrote: post #6

I don't get what the benefit of using React is, aside from having it on my resume. A virtual DOM? What does that get me? It renders faster? Rendering speed is not a problem my CRUD screens have. Etc., etc. Perhaps some UIs are so complex and dynamic that they're easier to build and maintain using React. I'm not saying other people shouldn't use React, but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't give me enough payback to justi…

> I don't get what the benefit of using React is

It's frontend technology that is robust enough to deliver Facebook. If you haven't worked on or aren't working on a complex UI with a team of developers, you might not appreciate how incredibly solid React is. This isn't something that can be explained well through anecdotes, but this comment is getting at it:

> Its top down `(props) => rendered view` paradigm is a breath of fresh air if you've ever spent a significant amount of time in an Angular 1.x application with a complicated web of watchers and scope sharing all over the place.

The complicated web issue isn't peculiar to Angular. Many UI frameworks are modeled in such a way that they become a rats' nest of objects, events, etc. all firing back and forth. Using React with good practices enable an overall structure that mitigates that tremendously.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#47

Post by the_new_guy_29 »

IloveHN84 wrote: post #41
a_c wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the pursuit of React, something is added everyday. In the pursuit of enlightenment, something need to be dropped everyday. [1] In the react realm, every problem is solved by throwing another layer of complexity/abstraction/whatever you call it [1] Adapted from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/175803-in-the-pursuit-of-kn...

Like Java/Spring. Why do not use a more simple approach, say jQuery?

This question is so wrong on so many levels

Re: My struggle to learn React

#48

Post by faitswulff »

I've been doing React Native development in my spare time, and I've found that React is...finicky. `class` this and `extend` that, and if you get it wrong, the whole thing screeches to a halt. There are a few other comments noting that it's mostly difficulties learning ES6 and I would actually agree - that doesn't mean React itself is any less difficult to learn, due to the fact that the entire ecosystem depends on all of these ES6 features.

I was discussing this with another developer who had the same sort of impression - it seems like it should be simple, conceptually, but there are a myriad of details to keep track of to keep the build system happy, to keep the components happy, to keep JSX happy. Compared to learning Vue, the whole process is much more difficult.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#49

Post by pixelperfect »

I've also struggled to learn React, but for me it's because I learned ClojureScript/Reagent/re-frame first. I get demotivated because I vastly prefer those tools, but unfortunately there are many more job opportunities for JS/React than CLJS.

Re: My struggle to learn React

#50

Post by Brendinooo »

The examples don't work inline anymore, but https://chibicode.com/react-js-introduction-for-people-who-k... was what made React click for me.

My approach to React was similar to Brad's, as I am far more proficient with HTML and CSS than JavaScript. I'd done plenty of wacky stuff in jQuery, and that tutorial demonstrated how React can iron out some of the problems that spaghetti jQuery can create.

I'll also add that part of the problem with wading into React is that, if you're a certain kind of frontend designer, you remember the browser wars, and you would often wait until tech was mature before you went out and used it in production. But React was adopted quickly and has changed quickly. React Native is even worse in that regard. So even if you learn how to do something a certain way, that knowledge could be obsolete in a year, or less.

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