This is a step-by-step tutorial to help you start coding with react! Follow the steps below to get started!
First, download node.js: https://nodejs.org/en/download/ This may prompt you to install chocolatey and python, which may be useful for future endeavors. However, they are not absolutely required to code in react.
Download the expo app for your mobile device to be able to test webapps on your phone. You will need to create an account, which you will need to sign into for the next step.
Install expo-cli with npm in the terminal or command line: https://www.npmjs.com/package/expo-cli. If the installation does not prompt you to login, try running expo login when the installation is complete.
Follow this guide to download openssl and add it to the path: https://tecadmin.net/install-openssl-on-windows/.
Optional: install bootstrap: https://www.npmjs.com/package/bootstrap and reactstrap: https://www.npmjs.com/package/reactstrap with npm - this may make it easier to build components in react native.
If you are working off of a github repository, then I suggest downloading either github desktop: https://desktop.github.com/ or git command line: https://git-scm.com/downloads.
With one of the two tools above, clone the repository you are working on to your system. Once you have done that, you can open the repository in your choice of IDEs and get started on coding react!
To run your project, use the expo tools you downloaded earlier. You may use this tutorial to figure out expo commands: https://docs.expo.io/workflow/expo-cli/.
Great job! You now know how to set up a machine to be able to code with react!
If you want a great tutorial on building your first react native app, I suggest watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZOwsmzcro and following along. Good luck and enjoy!
Some tips and problem fixes I encountered:
-Try coding with friends! If you have a couple buddies working on the same topic at the same time, you can debug with each other and help each other through problems.
-If you receive a lengthy EPERM error while installing expo, try restarting your computer. This may terminate processes or other background activity that would interfere with the installation.
-If you are having trouble opening your expo project on your phone’s expo app, make sure you are on a tunnel connection instead of LAN. When devtools opens as you start your expo project, check the bottom left hand corner of the window. Switch the connection if it is not on the correct setting.
-If you have further problems or have trouble with any of the steps, feel free to send me an email at saarang@bondalapati.com! I’ll be glad to help!