React - My recommended resources for Beginners

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. Anthony J. D'Angelo

This is my second blog from the series on React where I've discussed some good resources I used to build foundations in React. There are tons of free and accessible resources available at your disposal. At one point, one gets lost on what to pick and what not to. It's almost frustrating to decide.

Learning how to learn in a skill. A simple formula - Just Start Something. Anything! Play around it. Break it. Let it drive you crazy. Doesn't matter what level it is. Start with something tough. Raise your level. Once it has driven you crazy enough, go back to learning absolute basics in that skill and you'll see how it starts making sense. You'll get you "Ahaa" moment. A sense of achievement which encourages you to dig in further.

With that thought, let's dive right in and explore the resources which helped me significantly.

1. Complete React Tutorial by Net Ninja

The Net Ninja is the Guy you need. He has an excellent way of breaking down concepts into smaller understandable chunks. The tutorials are easy to understand and you'll be working along with him to build a simple Todo app with React. This should and must be your first tutorial on React. Love his videos. Just go to this playlist and take a look at the comments section.

2. Start Learning React - EggHead

A free video course you can finish within an hour. Short and to the point. You'll get to understand the core elements of React and eventually dive deeper into complexities.

3. Code Academy - Learn React JS Part I and II.

Part I will help you understand essential concepts like JSX, React Components and their interaction via props and state. This should take you around 5-6 hours to finish. It's comprehensive and you can code in their environment as you go through the tutorials.

Part II will help you master concepts like Lifecycle Methods, prop-types, styling as well as stateless and functional components. This course will also introduce you to common programming patterns in React. Course duration is around 7 hours.

4. React Crash Course by Mosh

The React Crash Course from Mosh has more than 1 million views. This is a 2:30 hour long thorough course on React. Mosh explains the concepts nicely and the course will augment your knowledge on React.

5. Getting Started - Official Documentation by Reactjs.org

Last but not least. This is your go-to resource for all things React. It is the bible for React. This documentation covers all topics and concepts in detail. It may not be the first thing you need. But it is definitely something you'll need every day. Read through it as you develop components in React. This is a great place to see how you can improve and extend your existing components.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned resources are the ones I personally used as a complete beginner while learning React. The technology and community are constantly changing. New tutorials come up every now and then. If there is an awesome free course which you've used and you think should definitely make the list, please let me know in the comments.