Background/Description
Context: In unit 3 of our boot camp, we shifted our focus back to front-end development. This unit marked our introduction to a game-changing library, React. The transition from manipulating the DOM manually in unit 1 to working with React’s abstractions was a significant shift that offered a more efficient and enjoyable development experience.
Process/Insights:
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Understanding React’s Internals: To use React effectively, it was crucial to understand what happens under the hood. React’s abstraction is a double-edged sword; it simplifies development, but without a deeper understanding, it can lead to more bugs. To tackle this challenge, I focused on breaking down the flow of data in React. I asked questions like when do certain hooks run, what triggers a render, how does state change affect the application, and are there any side effects? These are the questions I constantly asked myself when developing with React.
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Project Migration Challenge: As part of this unit, I was presented with a challenging task: migrating an existing application developed with Create-React-App to a custom framework. This project not only tested my React knowledge but also pushed me to apply my understanding of React’s internals in a real-world scenario. To succeed in this project ( and in future ones ), I recognized the importance of having a strong grasp of the fundamental tools that power most modern web development frameworks. I delved deep into understanding the roles of three crucial tools: Babel, for transpiling, Gulp, for automating, and Webpack, for bundling.
Links
Key Takeaways:
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Promoting reusability and maintainability of code with Component-Driven Development
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React’s internal workings: components lifecycle, state management, side effects.
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Real-world project experience, like migrating applications to custom frameworks, tests and reinforces knowledge.
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Proficiency in Babel, Gulp, Webpack makes it easier to adapt when learning new frameworks, as the core principles remain consistent across different technologies.