The Best React Tutorials: Learn React and React Native with These Resources

React is a powerful library for JavaScript development that powers the web applications for Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, the New York Times, and Dropbox. Since its launch in 2013, React has been in contention with Angular for the title of most popular web development framework. Over the past two years, it has surpassed Angular to become the most popular library for developing Javascript-based web applications.

Engineers at Facebook were the first to imagine and build React. While they still do a fair amount of maintenance on the code, it’s now an open source project that anyone can download and use. In 2015, Facebook open sourced ReactJS’s little brother, React Native, which allows anyone to build native mobile applications without needing to learn Swift/Objective-C/Java. Mobile apps can now share a code base across iOS and Android.

Below, we’ve gathered together all the best tutorials for learning React, improving your React skills, and getting started with React Native.

React Tutorials

React focuses on breaking web pages into components, each with its own set of code and display properties. It allows you to build complex single-page web applications that offer nuanced functionality and interactivity.

To get started learning React, there are a couple key tutorials:

• The official tutorial from React’s documentation has all the important stuff you need to learn. It’s a great place to start if you’re already familiar with web development.
• Tyler McGinnis’s tutorial is another great one to get you started quickly using React on a sample project.
• Similarly, Build With React offers a stepwise tutorial introduction as well as added resources to get you on the React path.
• Perhaps the quickest beginner tutorial is React Express. Check that one out if you’re ready to spend some time learning all the ropes. (View it on a desktop browser to use the interactive examples.)

Advanced Tutorials

So you’re ready to go deep, huh?

React plays nicely with several other libraries in different contexts to produce powerful results. Learning those other libraries and how to use them is the key to getting the most out of React and becoming an advanced React Developer. You’ll likely want to learn Redux, React Router, and Webpack.

Additionally, you’ll want to learn about data flow, component patterns, function binding, and key principles of functional programming. I know that seems like I just mentioned a thousand different things for you to google. You’re right. However, here are some great resources to get you started:

• This GitHub repository is a treasure trove of information for anyone who wants to get better at using React (and Redux). Seriously, click that link and be in awe of all the resources developers have compiled.
• TotalReact has a free advanced course that walks you through more complicated projects so you learn how to build something more than just a tic-tac-toe game or a checklist.

React Native Tutorials

Airbnb, Instagram, Tesla, and Facebook all build their mobile apps using React Native. It uses much of the same code that you use for your web app, combines it with new instructions you give it, and compiles it to native code for Android or iOS. Although there are key differences between building a ReactJS app and a React Native app, the idea is you can learn a concept once and apply it everywhere.

That said, getting started with React Native can be a little tricky. However, once you’re up and running developing mobile apps gets much quicker and easier.

Here are the top tutorials to learn how to use React Native:

• The official documentation is of course the definitive source and the first place you should start.
• The makers of ReactExpress also created ReactNativeExpress. It’s a great way to quickly get started, and it has received positive reviews from the community.
• This GitHub repository is home to React Native Katas, a hidden gem of a tutorial for beginners

Intertech Tutorials

Here at Intertech, we’ve got experts of our own working on and writing about React. We’ve launched several guides and tutorials over the past year:

• Our introductory guide on when, how, and why to use React
• We recently released a tutorial on getting started with React Redux
• Here are the pros and cons of using React Native to build mobile apps

Learning React

Good luck learning React! Since it’s the most popular front end development library in the world, React plays an important role in the world of web development. Learning React is a major step for any JavaScript developer. React developers are a hot commodity on the job market right now, as well, especially if you learn React Native and can work on mobile apps in addition to web apps.

Ready to get serious about your React training and take it to the next level? Check out our React training courses available online with real Intertech instructors. Need help implementing a React project? Get in in touch to talk about our React consulting practice.

Originally published at Intertech Blog.