5

Phase 5 · 2–4 months

React

This is how real companies build modern websites. Start ONLY after plain JavaScript feels okay — React is much easier when the basics are solid.

What to learn

  • React (= a popular JavaScript framework — a ready-made toolbox — for building screens out of small reusable pieces).
  • Components (= the small reusable pieces), props (= info you hand to a piece), and state (= info a piece remembers and can change).
  • Hooks like useState and useEffect (= special React helpers that give pieces powers like memory).
  • Tailwind CSS (= a fast way to style with tiny labels) and later TypeScript (= JavaScript that warns you about mistakes early).

Step-by-step setup guides

Installing things is the most annoying part, and Windows trips people up more than Mac. These walk you through it.

Practice on your own

  • A counter with + and − buttons.
  • A list where you can add and delete items.
  • Show data from an API, with a "loading…" message and an error message.
  • A small 3-page site you can click between.

Build this

A weather app or movie-search app in React that uses a real API, has pages, and is styled with Tailwind. Put it online with Vercel (= free hosting for the front of a website).
Move on when: You can build a multi-page React app that fetches real data and shows it nicely.