Learning new skills is an important part of remaining viable as a worker in the technology industry. In the tech industry, the people who are acquainted with the latest and greatest developments are constantly engaged in projects.
If you are a web developer who knows the basics, you are ready to start learning about web development frameworks. Frameworks are built upon an existing programming language. Frameworks give access to a wide range of features that can speed up your development process and allow you to write more efficient code.
In the web development community, one framework has emerged as a popular investment among developers: React JS. React is so popular that if you have any experience with JavaScript, it’s likely you’ve heard the term “React” being used a few times.
But how long does learning React take? That’s a great question. In this guide, we’re going to discuss the basics of React, how long it takes to learn React and the salary prospects for people who know React.
What is React JS?
React JS, also known as simply “React,” is an open-source JavaScript library that allows you to build powerful web applications.
When using React, you can bundle up parts of a website into components, which are small building blocks for your application. This component-based approach to coding allows you to reduce repetition in your code and improve the speed of a web application.
The React library is perhaps the most popular JavaScript library in the world. As a result of its ease of use, and its ability to help you build cutting-edge user interfaces, React has become an incredibly popular framework, used by companies ranging from Facebook – who initially developed React – to Netflix and Slack.
How Long Does Learning React JS Take?
In short, becoming proficient with the basics of React will take you between one and six months. The exact time to master React depends on your prior software development experience and the time you are willing to dedicate toward learning.
If you spend 10 hours a week learning React then you’ll learn how to use the library much quicker than someone who only practices their React skills for a few hours. If you spend two hours per day learning React, you should easily be able to master the fundamentals within a few months.
On the other hand, if you spend only five hours a week learning React then learning it could take you longer. At this pace, it could take you up to a year to learn the basics of React.
However, these time frames do not take into account how long it takes to learn React if you have no programming experience. Because React is a JavaScript framework, the first thing you’ll need to do is master the fundamentals of JavaScript. Then, you’ll be ready to start researching how to code using React.
If you’re interested in learning more about the journey to learning JavaScript, read our article “How hard is it to learn JavaScript?”
How Long Does Getting Started with React Take?
Now you know that learning how to code using React JS can take months, but you may also be wondering how long getting started and mastering the basic concepts will take.
The answer depends on how committed you are to learning React. If you commit sufficient amounts of time, you should be able to learn the basics of React within a few days. This assumes that you already know the basics of JavaScript, upon which React is built.
The great part about learning to code is that it is an iterative process. Once you’ve learned the basics, all you have to do is push yourself to learn new skills – the basics almost always stay the same, no matter what direction a library or programming language takes.
With each day that you spend time learning React, you’ll be able to refine your skills and get closer to your goal of achieving mastery over the programming language.
What is the Journey to Learning React?
Learning how to code in React is a long-term investment. After all, even though learning the basics may take a few days, even React developers with years of experience using the framework are still refining their skills.
That is the case for two reasons. First, React is constantly updating, so over time, there will be new skills for you to learn that may not have been around when you first started learning the language. Second, like any programming technology, with practice, you’ll find new and more efficient ways of solving problems, which means that your learning will never really be over.
The journey to learning React may be long, but it can be broken down into a few stages.
Stage 1: Learn the Basics of Web Development
As we mentioned earlier, React JS is a web development framework built upon JavaScript. This means that you cannot learn React without a working knowledge of the three core languages used in web development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
To start your journey, you’ll need to become proficient in using these languages. HTML is a language used to define the structure of a web page, CSS is a language used to apply visual styles to a webpage, and JavaScript allows you to add interactive elements to a web page.
Ideally, you should build websites using all three languages before you progress onto learning React. If you don’t learn these languages up front, you’ll lack the foundational knowledge you need to understand many of the features in React, which can make your learning journey difficult.
Stage 2: Learn How to Build a React Application
The next step is to learn how to build an application in React. This part of the process will only take a few days, and once you know the basics, you can start experimenting with more advanced configurations.
You can use Create React App to build an application, which is the officially-supported way to create single-page web applications using React. This tool comes with everything you need to get started.
Then, as you become more familiar with React, you can start dipping your toe into the Node.js and NPM ecosystem, which allow you to do even more with the React library.
Stage 3: Build a Few Different Applications
Once you’ve learned how to configure and build a basic application, you can start building prototypes of your own. One great way to get started is to follow the official React tutorial, which provides a solid introduction to all the basics.
You should follow tutorials and guides until you feel comfortable with the basics of React and how it works. Once you feel confident, you can start working on personal projects. Remember that when you’re getting started, it is always best to start small. You can always work your way up to building more advanced web applications later on.
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Stage 4: Explore the React Ecosystem
This is the stage that will take the longest in your learning journey. After you’ve built a few applications, you’ll want to explore the React ecosystem in more depth.
React is relatively simple, and does not take too long to learn. But, the React ecosystem is more complex and offers you access to a wide range of libraries that can help you improve your web applications.
These libraries will all have their own learning curve and take time to learn. For instance, if you’re looking to improve state management in your apps – which is a core feature of React – you could spend time learning about Redux. Learning Redux will take time on its own because while it is built upon React, it still has its features that you’ll need to learn.
Learning React is Time Consuming
Learning how to code using React is a time-consuming endeavor.
While you can master the basics of React in a few days, such as understanding the basics of components and how to configure a simple web application, it will take longer for you to develop mastery over the programming library.
If you invest a sufficient amount of time each week, you should be able to learn how to code using React in a few months. But, your learning journey will never really be over because React is so frequently updated with new improvements to experience.
Being able to use React is advantageous for several reasons. For one, it can help you write more efficient web applications (and write those applications quicker, too). Also, React is an in-demand skill in the tech industry, so knowing how to use React could help you with your job search, too.
As with any skill, the more you practice, the better you get. React has a good learning curve in comparison to other web development frameworks, and so you should have no trouble learning the basics in a few days or weeks, and mastering the language in a few months.
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