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by alexlrobertson 2964 days ago
I found React one of the easiest frameworks to learn and pick up but I had the benefit of learning React after working for a few years with Backbone and Angular. I found the opinions of the framework to be sensical and guided by the realities of web application development and developer experience.

> 1. i haven’t invested enough time on learning it.

I usually find the types of tutorials Brad references in this section to be very bad at actually connecting with the real process of using a framework. What you're building is just as important as what you're building it with. When you find the right project to use the right tool, it helps the principals click so much more quickly.

> 2. react and es6 travel together

This is definitely a pain point but I think the crux of this is JSX. Most every other convention in React is a very straightforward use of ES6 syntax. Most of the awesome, difficult, but not broadly available parts (generators) of ES6 aren't used in React's public API.

> 3. syntax & conventions

I think React could benefit from a clearer breakdown of how JSX translates to actual JavaScript. Babel's REPL is a good first step. [0]

> 4. getting lost in this-land.

For the most part I've found React's use of JavaScript OOP and `this` to be the most sane. You can use what amounts to a bit of boilerplate in any component that needs state and use `this` within lifecycle methods without batting an eye. Backbone and Angular had all kinds of headaches when trying to explain `this` to junior developers. And don't get me started on libraries that used `this` to pass context around.

> 5. i haven’t found sample projects or tutorials that match how i tend to work.

I think React excels at matching his ideal workflow, but doesn't do a good job explaining how to achieve it. Higher Order components and smart/presentation components are very under-documented.

[0]: https://babeljs.io/repl/#?babili=false&browsers=&build=&buil...
2 comments
acdha 2964 days ago
> I think React could benefit from a clearer breakdown of how JSX translates to actual JavaScript.

I think a key factor here is that JSX is JavaScript but it pretends to be HTML. Things like `className` vs. `class` aren't insurmountable but it seems to be a common source of confusion until people have internalized that divide.

link
tracker1 2964 days ago
I don't think so...

   <button class="MyButton" onclick="doSomeJsStuff()">...</button>
   <script>function doSomeJsStuff() { ... }</script>
vs

    function MyButton(props) {
      return <button className="MyButton" onClick={this.props.onClick}>
        {props.children}
      </button>
    }
The latter is a reusable component, the former is a one-off that has to be repeated over and over instead of re-used. Both wrap one syntax into another.
link