11 ms·

Learn React.js in a weekend

70 points by jon_kuperman 10y ago

dopeboy 10y ago
Question for people who learn by video rather than text based guides - why do you find it more effective? I have trouble following someone else's pace in a video (or audio for that matter). I also like to be able to copy and paste code into my editor. Navigation to particular sub sections is easier too.
- Pfhreak 10y ago
  I use a combination of both, and I'll scrub a video a lot to see a concept. For me, hearing a description will often come with some emotional cues. Stuff like, "Now this is cool..." or "Oof, forgot the iterator..." help me learn where I should be paying attention. Text often has a hard time conveying the same set of information. Sure, you can type 'watch out!' in a yellow box around some text, but my ape brain doesn't pick those up as the same as watching (or listening) to another ape brain make the mistake or exclaim in delight.
- mmanfrin 10y ago
  Sometimes it's seeing the workflow. Sometimes it's seeing the outcome without having to run a hello-world yourself. But I think mostly it's because videos give a much better overall topology quicker than reading. For example, I'll watch a screencast end-to-end, and then I'll begin the project and start to go through it slower, knowing which branches of the text tutorial are important because I've seen the complete picture.
- _asummers 10y ago
  I get different things from videos than I do text. From a video, I get a "why" and a "how" most often, whereas from text I get a "what". Obviously text can represent why and how, but I feel there's something lost going from screencap to screencap that is perfectly captured in video about the process of getting from point A to point B. Additionally, most blog posts don't publish the mistakes (let's try this thing! crap it didn't work, here's why. This is especially true as a result of a question.) but you can very easily convey that type of information in video by just showing it not working. The pacing thing is totally a valid concern and I find myself watching youtube videos at 1.5 or 2x speed to consume the content.
- natmaster 10y ago
  My brain simply absorbs information at a faster rate with video/audio than reading.
- michaelbuckbee 10y ago
  I always liked Railscasts and the companion/transcribed "Asciicasts". I think the video format is a kind of forcing function in terms of the presenter really explaining things (if they aren't just reading off the screen). Which in turn made the transcript great to read.
- wtf_is_frp 10y ago
  Maybe the problem is that you are assuming others have no trouble. Videos tend to pack more stuff in a shorter amount of time and new concepts require extra effort. I have heard that some "learn better by video rather than text, etc..." but doubt it is true.
payne92 10y ago
Is this all paid content?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- jon_kuperman 10y ago
  Nope! Everything is free except the first link!
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
hit8run 10y ago
How about: RTFM https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/getting-started.html https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/getting-started.html I don't get the react hype anyways. Writing inline HTML in JavaScript seems so weird to me (JSX).
- andy_ppp 10y ago
  Yeah, the jsx bit is weird to start with, the best bit is changing data diffs the DOM and updates it for you. However, unless building a madly complex UI I've decided it's best avoided; mostly because now that I can build super complex UIs I probably will rather than simplify things that can work in a progressively enhanced way.
- jon_kuperman 10y ago
  haha that's the 5th link in the blog post
- Pfhreak 10y ago
  Everyone has different mechanisms for learning. As someone who learns from manuals, tutorials, and videos simultaneously, a new technology presented as a wall of text can seem impenetrable until I've watched another human make something happen. Then, I can loop back to that text armed with a little context. Videos are often examples of how to develop with the technology outside of a bubble. (Using React? Consider setting up webpack!) That seems to be missing from manuals sometimes.
- walmartian 10y ago
  Separating html out into a separate file/template always seemed weird to me. In every JS Framework HTML and Javascript are tightly coupled. JSX is also javascript, not HTML.
- firasd 10y ago
  The argument (among others) is that if you're going to be using if/else, for loops, and all that in a templating language you might as well use a full-featured language like JavaScript... (youtube timestamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cQ3mrcKaY&t=4m13s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cQ3mrcKaY&t=4m13s)
a13n 10y ago
I don't recommend learning Redux the first weekend you learn React. This would be akin to learning about Relativity the first weekend you learn Mechanics. I actually think it's detrimental to suggest beginners learn Redux alongside React because it unnecessarily steepens the learning curve. Not that Redux is too complicated (it actually has a super simple API). Redux is a (fantastic!) tool you should use once your project is at a large enough scale that you need it. You can go a long way in vanilla React before you feel the pains that Redux (or Relay) solves. The React part of my current codebase is over 25k LoC and I still don't feel the need to throw Redux into the mix. Take a peep at http://djcordhose.github.io/hh-react-conf-2016/redux-vs-relay.png http://djcordhose.github.io/hh-react-conf-2016/redux-vs-rela... If you're just starting out then first spend several weeks/months in vanilla React. Unless you need to learn Redux to work on a bigger codebase at a new job or something... Qualification: I used to work on React Native at Facebook.
- falsestprophet 10y ago
  What stacks would you recommend for starting a React Native application of low complexity (like single man operation) and low-to-moderate complexity (like a several man seed-funded company)?
  - a13n 10y ago
    If you don't need a server then React Native should basically be your entire stack. :) Since you do probably need a server, I don't have an incredibly educated answer for you but I use Node + Mongo on AWS because it's cheap, easy, entirely JS, and seems like it'll scale reasonably well (to some point).
    - falsestprophet 10y ago
      I mean does an application being React Native change your opinion on using Redux or Relay?
      - a13n 10y ago
zghst 10y ago
React is 1 hr at the most to fully learn and get a good grasp...
DavidGuan 10y ago
Something about react life cycles, in a daily sharing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf8c1-WBBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf8c1-WBBs
skc 10y ago
For me the thing I'm finding most annoying is how many errors I get just setting up this stuff, whether it's Angular or React or something else. I'm on Windows though so I assume a lot of my issues stem from the tutorial authors assuming they are talking to a purely *nix crowd.

70 points by jon_kuperman 10y ago

Question for people who learn by video rather than text based guides - why do you find it more effective? I have trouble following someone else's pace in a video (or audio for that matter). I also like to be able to copy and paste code into my editor. Navigation to particular sub sections is easier too.

Pfhreak 10y ago
I use a combination of both, and I'll scrub a video a lot to see a concept. For me, hearing a description will often come with some emotional cues. Stuff like, "Now this is cool..." or "Oof, forgot the iterator..." help me learn where I should be paying attention. Text often has a hard time conveying the same set of information. Sure, you can type 'watch out!' in a yellow box around some text, but my ape brain doesn't pick those up as the same as watching (or listening) to another ape brain make the mistake or exclaim in delight.
mmanfrin 10y ago
Sometimes it's seeing the workflow. Sometimes it's seeing the outcome without having to run a hello-world yourself. But I think mostly it's because videos give a much better overall topology quicker than reading. For example, I'll watch a screencast end-to-end, and then I'll begin the project and start to go through it slower, knowing which branches of the text tutorial are important because I've seen the complete picture.
_asummers 10y ago
I get different things from videos than I do text. From a video, I get a "why" and a "how" most often, whereas from text I get a "what". Obviously text can represent why and how, but I feel there's something lost going from screencap to screencap that is perfectly captured in video about the process of getting from point A to point B. Additionally, most blog posts don't publish the mistakes (let's try this thing! crap it didn't work, here's why. This is especially true as a result of a question.) but you can very easily convey that type of information in video by just showing it not working. The pacing thing is totally a valid concern and I find myself watching youtube videos at 1.5 or 2x speed to consume the content.
natmaster 10y ago
My brain simply absorbs information at a faster rate with video/audio than reading.
michaelbuckbee 10y ago
I always liked Railscasts and the companion/transcribed "Asciicasts". I think the video format is a kind of forcing function in terms of the presenter really explaining things (if they aren't just reading off the screen). Which in turn made the transcript great to read.
wtf_is_frp 10y ago
Maybe the problem is that you are assuming others have no trouble. Videos tend to pack more stuff in a shorter amount of time and new concepts require extra effort. I have heard that some "learn better by video rather than text, etc..." but doubt it is true.

payne92 10y ago

Is this all paid content?

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
jon_kuperman 10y ago
Nope! Everything is free except the first link!
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

hit8run 10y ago

How about: RTFM https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/getting-started.html https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/getting-started.html I don't get the react hype anyways. Writing inline HTML in JavaScript seems so weird to me (JSX).

andy_ppp 10y ago
Yeah, the jsx bit is weird to start with, the best bit is changing data diffs the DOM and updates it for you. However, unless building a madly complex UI I've decided it's best avoided; mostly because now that I can build super complex UIs I probably will rather than simplify things that can work in a progressively enhanced way.
jon_kuperman 10y ago
haha that's the 5th link in the blog post
Pfhreak 10y ago
Everyone has different mechanisms for learning. As someone who learns from manuals, tutorials, and videos simultaneously, a new technology presented as a wall of text can seem impenetrable until I've watched another human make something happen. Then, I can loop back to that text armed with a little context. Videos are often examples of how to develop with the technology outside of a bubble. (Using React? Consider setting up webpack!) That seems to be missing from manuals sometimes.
walmartian 10y ago
Separating html out into a separate file/template always seemed weird to me. In every JS Framework HTML and Javascript are tightly coupled. JSX is also javascript, not HTML.
firasd 10y ago
The argument (among others) is that if you're going to be using if/else, for loops, and all that in a templating language you might as well use a full-featured language like JavaScript... (youtube timestamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cQ3mrcKaY&t=4m13s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cQ3mrcKaY&t=4m13s)

a13n 10y ago

I don't recommend learning Redux the first weekend you learn React. This would be akin to learning about Relativity the first weekend you learn Mechanics. I actually think it's detrimental to suggest beginners learn Redux alongside React because it unnecessarily steepens the learning curve. Not that Redux is too complicated (it actually has a super simple API). Redux is a (fantastic!) tool you should use once your project is at a large enough scale that you need it. You can go a long way in vanilla React before you feel the pains that Redux (or Relay) solves. The React part of my current codebase is over 25k LoC and I still don't feel the need to throw Redux into the mix. Take a peep at http://djcordhose.github.io/hh-react-conf-2016/redux-vs-relay.png http://djcordhose.github.io/hh-react-conf-2016/redux-vs-rela... If you're just starting out then first spend several weeks/months in vanilla React. Unless you need to learn Redux to work on a bigger codebase at a new job or something... Qualification: I used to work on React Native at Facebook.

falsestprophet 10y ago
What stacks would you recommend for starting a React Native application of low complexity (like single man operation) and low-to-moderate complexity (like a several man seed-funded company)?
- a13n 10y ago
  If you don't need a server then React Native should basically be your entire stack. :) Since you do probably need a server, I don't have an incredibly educated answer for you but I use Node + Mongo on AWS because it's cheap, easy, entirely JS, and seems like it'll scale reasonably well (to some point).
  - falsestprophet 10y ago
    I mean does an application being React Native change your opinion on using Redux or Relay?
    - a13n 10y ago

zghst 10y ago

React is 1 hr at the most to fully learn and get a good grasp...

DavidGuan 10y ago

Something about react life cycles, in a daily sharing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf8c1-WBBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf8c1-WBBs

skc 10y ago

For me the thing I'm finding most annoying is how many errors I get just setting up this stuff, whether it's Angular or React or something else. I'm on Windows though so I assume a lot of my issues stem from the tutorial authors assuming they are talking to a purely *nix crowd.