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0 pointslacker9y ago0 comments

And it needs tools upon tools upon tools to set up, whateverify, transpile and pack the files you write into something that can display in a browser.

I think this was true six months ago but now there is create-react-app. You might want to try it out - you won't need to whateverify your code, you just need that one tool. Also it works on Windows.

https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app

I want to edit some HTML and Javascript, then reload the browser and see my changes.

With create-react-app the browser will know you've made a change, and reload for you ;-)

0 comments

jasonkester9y ago

npm install -g create-react-app

The fun thing watching the new world of Javascript is that overtooling is so built in to everything that nobody even realizes how many tools they're using. You can't even install this thing until you have the standard pile of javascript tooling in place. And it never occurred to them to even mention how to get said pile set up.

Once set up, this still uses all the same stuff. It just removes a few steps to produce the Big Red Button you press to run it all.

BigJono9y ago

This is the problem I have with all these "easy" setups and boilerplate projects. It doesn't matter how you set up your project, unless you do it wrong, it all comes down to a one liner in the end. All these things do is hide the complexity from you with the goal of being able to "get up and running quick", which I find fairly pointless for projects that are of a significant enough size that you're considering using React or Angular for them. You're much better off learning all the tools and understanding how your project works.

But then again, the thing about the overtooling is: I can't find anything in my React stack that is unnecessary or can be removed. And really, all it is is React, Redux and Webpack. I think the complexity of front-end Javascript development is blown a little bit out of proportion.

dismantlethesun9y ago

Ah well rather than being uncessary, theres' alternatives for all of those options.

React could be replaced with Preact or Inferno.

Redux could be replaced with MobX or RxJS.

Webpack could be replaced with JSPM.

JustSomeNobody9y ago

Exactly. It's "Oh, you don't like all the tooling, let's hide it all so when something breaks you have no idea where to look! HA! Isn't this FUN!"

No thanks.

mcintyre19949y ago

> With create-react-app the browser will know you've made a change, and reload for you ;-)

Isn't that hot reloading of components which they say is unsupported?

jefffan2419y ago

It actually refreshes the whole page it isn't hot reloading. It's more like live reloading (who page instead of pieces of the page).

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