"Developing with create-react-app can be frustrating due to its sluggish performance and tendency

As I delve into the world of React, my lack of experience becomes evident. Each time I attempt to start a new project using the create-react-app command, I find myself waiting for what seems like an eternity. Discovering CodeSandbox was a game-changer - it effortlessly generates clean and straightforward React apps at lightning speed, unlike the convoluted messes produced by create-react-app. Is there perhaps a boilerplate out there that can assist me in quickly creating simple React apps?

Answer №1

If you're looking for a quick start, here's the simplest way to begin

npx create-react-app my-app
cd my-app
npm start

For those willing to tackle a more complex setup, consider this alternative method

mkdir my-app // create directory
cd my-app
npm init -y //create package.json
npm install react react-dom //install react and react-dom
touch index.js index.css

To start writing code, edit the index.js file with something like this

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';

class App extends React.Component{
    render(){
        return(
            <div>Hello World</div>
        )
    }
}

ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('app'))

Next, set up Babel by running the following command

npm install --save-dev @babel/core @babel/preset-env @babel/preset-react webpack webpack-cli webpack-dev-server babel-loader css-loader style-loader html-webpack-plugin

touch webpack.config.js

Customize your webpack configuration as needed

var path = require('path');
var HtmlWebpackPlugin =  require('html-webpack-plugin');

module.exports = {
    entry : './my-app/index.js',
    output : {
        path : path.resolve(__dirname , 'dist'),
        filename: 'index_bundle.js'
    },
    module : {
        rules : [
            {test : /\.(js)$/, use:'babel-loader'},
            {test : /\.css$/, use:['style-loader', 'css-loader']}
        ]
    },
    mode:'development',
    plugins : [
        new HtmlWebpackPlugin ({
            template : 'my-app/index.html'
        })
    ]

}

Lastly, add Babel presets and npm scripts for building (build) and running (dev) your project in package.json

"main": "index.js",
"babel": {
  "presets": ["@babel/preset-env", "@babel/preset-react"]
},
"scripts": {
  "build": "webpack",
  "dev": "webpack-dev-server --open"
}

Answer №2

To optimize your package installation process, consider using the pnpm package instead of the traditional npm install or npm i commands. This is because pnpm utilizes symlinks and caching mechanisms, resulting in significantly faster installations.

If you have a Git repository set up with create-react-app, it's recommended to list commonly used packages in the package.json file. By cloning this repository for new projects and running the following command, you can expedite the package installation process. While initial setup may take some time for pnpm to cache the packages, subsequent installations will be much quicker.

pnpm i

For demonstration purposes, I've created a sample repository that you can clone from this link.

P.S 1: To learn more about pnpm, visit their official page at this link.

Answer №3

Three options to start a project quickly:

Option one: Run npm init vite@latest

Option two: Use Yarn create vite@latest

Each option will prompt you with questions, helping you set up and run React applications at lightning speed compared to the standard CLI.

Answer №4

Personally, I recommend using yarn over npm. Many users have reported that it is faster and more efficient:

npm install --global yarn

To create a directory for your projects with yarn:

yarn create react-app my-app

If you want to check the version of yarn:

yarn --version

Answer №5

To quickly start a new React project, I use the command npx create-react-app boilerplate to create the initial setup and then save it in a specific directory before pushing it to GitHub.

Once that is done, all I have to do is clone the repository using git clone boilerplate, rename the folder as needed, and update information in the package.json file such as the app name and source repository. I usually only need to adjust those two fields in the package.json file.

Answer №6

If you're looking to enhance your React app's offline capabilities, consider checking out create-react-app-offline:

  1. Begin by running the command
    npm install -g create-react-app-offline
  2. After installation, navigate to your project directory and use crao -n my-app to create your app

Answer №7

If you're working on temporary projects, make use of the CDN link and get started right away. Just keep in mind that an internet connection is required to run these projects.

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/react@18/umd/react.development.js" crossorigin></script>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/react-dom@18/umd/react-dom.development.js" crossorigin></script>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@babel/standalone/babel.min.js"></script>

Make sure to use these three scripts for your project! For further guidance, check out the React CDN Reference

Answer №8

Allow me to bring up the subject again, as I have discovered a resolution that goes as follows.

git clone 'repository-url' 
git init
cd 'directory of the cloned repository'
npx create-react-app <name-of-the-application>

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