react-scripts: command not found error

If you're new to ReactJS, you might come across this error that reads "react-scripts: command not found". This error can come up while creating a new React project or trying to start an existing one. This error occurs because the environment is missing the react-scripts package that is essential for running React applications.

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to troubleshoot and fix this error step-by-step.

Check Node.js Installation and Environment Variables

Before diving deeper into the error, the first step is checking whether you have Node.js installed on your machine. ReactJS is based on Node.js, so having Node.js installed is a must-have. Check for Node.js existence by typing node -v in the terminal. If it returns a version number, you have Node.js installed.

Additionally, make sure you have set up environment variables correctly. If you're on a Linux or Mac machine, the command to check if environment variables are correctly set is echo $PATH.

If there's no output, you need to set the path for node on your system. To do that, navigate to your .bash_profile file and add the following line to it:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin/node

If you are using Windows, you can check if the environment variable is correctly set by typing echo %PATH% in the Command Prompt. If there's no output, set the node.js path as follows:

• Open Control Panel, System Properties, and click on the Advanced tab.
• Click Environment Variables, then under System Variables, look for the Path variable.
• Click Edit and add the path to the node.js executable file, e.g. *C:\Program Files\nodejs*.

Installing react-scripts

The second step in troubleshooting the "react-scripts: command not found" error is installing the react-scripts package.

To install the latest version, open the terminal and type the following command:

npm install react-scripts

This installs the latest version of react-scripts into the node_modules directory. If you want to install a specific version, append the version number after the package name, e.g. react-scripts@2.0.0.

If the installation process finishes successfully, react-scripts should be available in the system path, and the "react-scripts: command not found" error should no longer occur.

Updating npm

A common cause of the "react-scripts: command not found" error is using an outdated version of npm. Make sure you have the latest version of npm installed by running the command:

npm install -g npm

This updates the npm package to the current version, which might have a fix for the error.

Reinstalling node_modules

The fourth step in fixing the "react-scripts: command not found" error is reinstalling the node_modules directory. Follow these steps:

• Stop the current npm process by typing Control-C.
• Delete the node_modules directory by typing the command rm -rf node_modules or rmdir node_modules on Windows.
• After that, execute the command npm install to reinstall all project dependencies.
• Once the reinstallation is complete, try to start the project using the npm start command.

Alternative Solutions

If none of the solutions mentioned above work, try creating a new React project using the create-react-app command.

To create a new React project, run the following command:

npx create-react-app my-app

This creates a new React project called my-app. Once the project is set up, you can start the project by typing the following command:

cd my-app
npm start

Another possible solution is specifying the path to the react-scripts module directly. To do that, add the following scripts to the package.json file:

"scripts": {
   "start": "node ./node_modules/react-scripts/bin/react-scripts.js start",
   "build": "node ./node_modules/react-scripts/bin/react-scripts.js build",
   "test": "node ./node_modules/react-scripts/bin/react-scripts.js test"
}

This explicitly sets the paths to the react-scripts module on Windows and Linux systems, and should fix the error.

Conclusion

The "react-scripts: command not found" error can be frustrating, especially for developers who are new to ReactJS. However, armed with this guide, you can easily troubleshoot and resolve the error with minimal fuss.

As with all troubleshooting steps, if none of the solutions work, it might be worth considering reinstalling Node.js or using an alternative development environment.