Why I Chose React to Start My Full-Stack Journey

As an experienced Python backend developer, I've always been intrigued by full-stack development. Recently, I decided to expand my skill set by diving into React, kicking off my journey into full-stack development. Here are the main reasons why I chose React and my approach to learning it.

Why Choose React?

1. No Need for Deep Frontend Expertise
   As a backend developer, I don't need to delve deeply into every detail of frontend development. With the help of ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot, I can quickly learn and develop the necessary pages. React’s extensive documentation and community resources make it easy for beginners to get started.

2. React’s Similarity to Backend Development
   React's component-based architecture is very similar to the modular thinking used in backend development. This makes the code structure easier to understand and maintain. As a backend developer, I found this approach very natural.

3. Rich Component Libraries
   The React ecosystem boasts many excellent component libraries, such as Ant Design (antd). These libraries offer ready-to-use, powerful, and visually appealing components, allowing for rapid development of beautiful and functional admin pages. This greatly enhances development efficiency.

My Learning Path

1. Reading the Official Documentation
   As a beginner, I first browsed through React’s official documentation. This helped me understand the basic rules of React and the concept of state management. The official documentation is comprehensive and covers all aspects of React, making it an excellent starting point for learning.

2. Referencing Open Source Projects
   After getting familiar with the basic concepts of React, I began searching for open source personal website projects on GitHub. These projects provided concrete code examples and demonstrated how to apply React in real-world scenarios. I chose a project with a clear structure and relatively simple functionality to study, modifying it step-by-step to create my own personal website.

3. Learning and Improving React Admin Systems
   Following the personal website project, my next goal was to learn from and improve React Admin systems. I found several example projects on GitHub that used React, Vite, and A*nt Design (antd)*. These projects typically had more complex functionalities and structures. By studying them, I gained a deeper understanding of how to use React in real projects.

4. Leveraging ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot
   Throughout my learning and development process, I frequently used ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot for coding suggestions. Whether I encountered problems or needed to quickly generate code snippets, these tools provided significant help. Most of the time, the code they generated was effective and helped me solve many issues quickly.

Conclusion

From initially studying the documentation to referencing open source projects and using powerful development tools, I gradually mastered the basics and techniques of using React. For a backend developer, choosing React to start the full-stack journey was undoubtedly a wise decision. React’s component-based development approach, rich component libraries, and comprehensive learning resources allowed me to get up to speed quickly and implement real projects.

I hope my experience can help other backend developers who are looking to start their full-stack journey. Full-stack development not only broadens your skill set but also provides a more comprehensive understanding of the entire development process, which is highly beneficial for personal growth and career advancement.