
Learn React for free - mrborgen
https://scrimba.com/g/glearnreact
======
ggregoire
Why would you even pay to learn React? The official doc is free and takes only
few hours of reading.

~~~
benbristow
I learned most of it myself but bought a Udemy course for Black Friday. I find
the docs to be quite confusing to be honest. I know it's not React but Redux's
docs aren't great either. Concepts quite hard to understand at first.

~~~
acemarke
Hi, I'm a Redux maintainer.

FWIW, a lot of people tell us Redux's docs are "great", but we've also had
people tell us they aren't helpful. Kinda hard to figure out how to make
improvements based on that kind of conflicting feedback :)

We are actually looking at revamping the Redux docs in the near future [0]. If
you've got any specific concerns or suggestions on how we can improve things,
please let me know directly, or comment on that issue.

Also, besides the docs, you may be interested in my suggested resources for
learning Redux [1], including my own Redux workshop slides [2].

[0]
[https://github.com/reduxjs/redux/issues/2590](https://github.com/reduxjs/redux/issues/2590)

[1] [http://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2017/12/blogged-answers-
lea...](http://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2017/12/blogged-answers-learn-redux/)

[2] [https://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2018/06/redux-
fundamentals...](https://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2018/06/redux-fundamentals-
workshop-slides/)

~~~
munchbunny
Maybe I can help on this one. I'm midway through learning Redux - enough to
have stuff working, but not enough to write complex UI code with it.

The problem for me is that Redux uses a set of higher order constructs, which
requires a set of functional abstractions that are pretty unique to Redux and
Redux-likes. There isn't remotely enough documentation to explain _why_ the
boilerplate is put where it is or named the way it is, so I have working code,
but no real understanding of why the boilerplate is this way vs. any other
way.

So what happens in the docs is that I follow the tutorial along, and it's
great about setting up the problems to show why Redux is useful, but then it
goes "ok so to solve the problem you use this magical incantation in Redux."
Yes, I can adapt the magical incantation, but that doesn't really help me grok
who owns which callback that makes which modifications or transformations to
be consumed by which objects.

~~~
acemarke
Can you point to some specific "boilerplate" examples you're having trouble
with, and possibly also docs pages showing those items?

------
acemarke
This actually looks like a pretty good resource. The combination of a
voiceover and an interactive editor looks pretty neat. Noting this for future
reference.

If anyone's interested in further resources, I'd suggest checking out my
suggested resources for learning React [0], my React/Redux links list [1], and
the Reactiflux chat channels on Discord [2].

[0] [http://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2017/12/blogged-answers-
lea...](http://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2017/12/blogged-answers-learn-react/)

[1] [https://github.com/markerikson/react-redux-
links](https://github.com/markerikson/react-redux-links)

[2] [https://reactiflux.com](https://reactiflux.com)

~~~
juandazapata
It's pretty nice. You might like Imba too!

[http://imba.io/](http://imba.io/)

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PacifyFish
I use React daily so wasn't expecting to learn much, but the vids on forms
were helpful! Handling form submission can actually get pretty annoying in
React if you want to do anything remotely customized.

Also love the idea of including "Project Ideas for Practicing" as its own
module. Two thumbs way up.

~~~
acemarke
I can highly recommend Gosha Arinich's articles on working with forms in
React:

[https://goshakkk.name/on-forms-react/](https://goshakkk.name/on-forms-react/)

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sburdge
I started listening to this yesterday and really like it! Great, short videos!

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conanthe
Am I the only one who thinks that courses that don't teach TDD from the start
are useless? How can you write an app and not programmatically prove it is
working as expected?

~~~
bobziroll
I imagine it would be very difficult to teach a topic no one is familiar with
by teaching how to test it _first_. A TDD approach to teaching a brand new
topic would be very hard to follow and require the viewer to go back to re-
watch the testing portion. (Imagine teaching a total beginner how to test a
function before teaching them what a function even is...)

However, I think there's a lot of validity to the idea that every tutorial
should include lessons on how to test it that new topic, and even give
examples of how to implement a TDD approach. But those lessons would (IMO)
have to come after the initial parts of the tutorial that taught the concept
first.

------
azangru
Have you listened to the "Why React" video? He says there, repeatedly, that,
quote, "For now, it's enough to know that the virtual DOM helps make React
work a lot faster than vanilla JavaScript". How can anyone make such a
statement and expect to remain a credible source of information? I mean, even
if you are targeting complete novices, how?!

~~~
matthewmacleod
Because it's kind of right, in the way that it's not technically accurate, but
a bit of an approximation that's reasonable for a beginner-level introduction.

~~~
azangru
But how, how? I wouldn't be able to bring myself to say something that I knew
to be strictly inaccurate. Even if you are talking to beginners, don't you owe
it to them to say only things that you believe to be true? There are lots of
ways to put it differently so that it wouldn't be so outrageously inaccurate
and so that, if you are a beginner, more senior developers don't laugh at you
if you repeat those things.

~~~
matthewmacleod
It's not _that_ inaccurate. It's in the right ballpark, just glossing over all
of the details of what that means in practice. Would you prefer "The virtual
DOM helps make React work a lot faster than doing direct manipulation of the
DOM using vanilla Javascript"? Doesn't really seem like it makes that much
difference – and the author links to an external video that explains it all in
more detail.

Anyway, any senior developer who laughs at a less experienced one for
repeating that kind of thing is a bad developer. I'd like to think they'd take
the time to correct the inaccuracy :)

~~~
azangru
> Would you prefer "The virtual DOM helps make React work a lot faster than
> doing direct manipulation of the DOM using vanilla Javascript"?

I am not sure this is even correct. Firstly, the famous js framework
benchmarks ([https://github.com/krausest/js-framework-
benchmark](https://github.com/krausest/js-framework-benchmark)) based on
adding/removing list items used to have vanilla JS as an unbeatable winner,
despite its direct manipulation of the DOM, and React was definitely
significantly behind. Secondly, as the README for morphdom says, the real DOM
is very fast ([https://github.com/patrick-steele-
idem/morphdom](https://github.com/patrick-steele-idem/morphdom)). If I
remember correctly, virtual DOM was supposed to solve the particular
performance problem where you would otherwise just throw huge chunks of DOM
away rerendering them anew every time your app state changed. But this is a
very special (although brilliant) approach to keeping your UI in sync with
your app state; you wouldn't necessarily do so if you wrote your app with
vanilla JS.

~~~
azangru
Oh, I am sorry, I re-read your sentence, and I think I misunderstood it. Yes,
if React were using real DOM rather than virtual DOM it would have been
slower, but the author was not trying to make _that_ point.

------
kreetx
The title could really be a lot better :p It's not like all the other
resources cost.

~~~
bobziroll
The title doesn't suggest that _all_ other programs cost money. But many
people do turn to paid lessons on Udemy (or similar paid programs) first.

------
phosfox
I can't adjust the volume on the player, every time I hover over the soundbar
to adjust it it disappears.

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ja1215
Excellent. Thanks for sharing.

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copperx
How does this compare to, say, Wes Bos's course?

~~~
mrborgen
It's created with the Scrimba technology, so you can edit the code in the
videos whenever you want.

~~~
bobziroll
I find this ^^ to be one of the main selling points. All online courses are in
danger of falling into the "Tutorial Hell" category, where they spend all
their time teaching you without the student actually being more capable
afterword. The Scrimba platform significantly lowers the barrier for students
to get their hands on the code and actually obtain new skills. I have yet to
find another platform that lowers that barrier as efficiently/well as Scrimba.

------
maticaputti
Great platform, not the best React course.

~~~
bobziroll
I'd love to know which IS the best React course out there so I can learn more
for my next time around the block :) (Sincerely)

------
alottafunchata
Awesome, thank you for posting this!

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tannerrenntt
Great work Bob!

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nwengert
this is great

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revskill
React is boring. It's just a javascript function which returns a Virtual DOM
on every local state or external props change.

------
jhcl
What on earth is the purpose of non-informative comments from non-informed
accounts like these:

\- I started listening to this yesterday and really like it! Great, short
videos!

\- Excellent. Thanks for sharing.

\- Great work Bob!

\- this is great

The same time you can't find other background info about the company except
that they collect VC money and the video's you create are MIT licensed.

~~~
mrborgen
What would you like to know about our company?

The accounting for Norwegian companies are public, ours can be found here:

[https://www.proff.no/selskap/scrimba-
as/oslo/internettdesign...](https://www.proff.no/selskap/scrimba-
as/oslo/internettdesign-og-programmering/IF6MBF90C2C/)

We're two co-founders, Sindre and I. Our Twitter profiles are here:

[https://twitter.com/perborgen](https://twitter.com/perborgen)
[https://twitter.com/sindreaars](https://twitter.com/sindreaars)

If you actually spend some time researching, you'll find plenty of information
about us and the company.

As for "collecting VC money" we've raised around $250K from angel investors
and one Norwegian VC and we've also gotten a loan (which we're partly
personally reliable for) from Innovation Norway.

Feel free to ask if you'd like more info.

~~~
jhcl
Thank you for the information. I am however not an investor but a developer.
When 'a free tutorial' is advertised i am always afraid i'll be forced into
later payments or becoming the product myself, especially when professional
investors are willing to support the company financially.

Giving information on your website about the user do's and don'ts are always
appreciated without having to file a request in triplet to the board of
directors. Still I highly appreciate the links to the company information.

