So after getting pretty good at HTML, CSS and of course JavaScript, the curriculum I am following switched gears into the land of React. A quick google search and the typical split down the middle debate was uncovered. One side standing fast that it is unnecessary and too much to start over and learn if you already know basic JavaScript and the other side singing its praises as the only true way to build a interactive front end.
As soon as I read that you had to learn something new and it makes JavaScript obsolete, I quickly became overwhelmed and to be honest a bit frustrated.
Why did I waste my time learning JavaScript if there was something better waiting all along? The good thing about being in a well organized bootcamp is you have to trust the journey. I attended the first lecture on React with my guard up.
Sometimes in life you are wrong... dead wrong; This was one of those times. Not only do you need to understand and use JavaScript, but HTML and CSS have their place in this technology too, and in a BIG way.
This phrase of Under the Hood,
it really began to make sense. So let me get this right, react allows me to type cleaner, more semantic code which gets complied into JavaScript.....wait for it..... Under the Hood!
Gone is the Query Selector, Get element, Add Event Listener and so much more. This cumbersome way of doing things is replaced in react and replaced in a refreshing logical way. You use something called JSX to basically combine the big Three (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) into one place that makes sense and is more readable for a newbie.
Now with all things there is a syntax and of course some more brackets to figure out, but all in all.... My React_ion is a positive one. If you are a new to developing like me I strongly suggest you learn Vanilla JavaScript, HTML and foundational CSS, but then dive into React. Your React_ion might be different, but that is the great part about coding, there are so many right ways to do things (enter the never ending debate....)
So after completing a basic little project from scratch in React, I am far from an expert on the matter. There are many great blogs, videos and code along tutorials on how to do things in react. This blog is more to try and convince you to give it a try. Hopefully by not showing you too much, it peaks your interest a enough to hit up the old YouTube and go down the rabbit hole.....
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