This guide provides a comprehensive step-by-step process of how I created a Weather app using React. It covers everything from setting up the environment, installing necessary dependencies, and structuring the project to managing state with useState hook, integrating Open Weather Map's API for fetching current weather data and implementing user authentication.
1 Begin by installing Node.js on your system. Then, open Visual Studio Code and create a React app using the npx create-react-app command in the terminal. This will initialize your React project structure.
2 Download and install all the necessary libraries, including Styled Components for styling, Axios for API requests, and React Icons for incorporating icons into the UI
3 Inside the index.js file, ensure your main App component is rendered within the root element of your project.
4 Develop an api.js component that will handle storing your API key. It will also be responsible for fetching data using Axios, particularly for making API requests to get the relevant weather data from openWeatherMap API.
5 Build a SearchBar.js component that will manage user searches. It will use React’s useState hook to track the search input. Implement a function to handle search input changes and execute the necessary API calls. The component should return a form that takes user input and triggers the search functionality
6 In App.js, introduce three useState hooks to manage different pieces of data: location, current weather, and weather forecast. Create a function to fetch weather data, which will assign the current weather and forecast to specific variables. Then, utilize useEffect to trigger this function whenever the location changes, ensuring the weather data updates accordingly.
7 Implement a WeatherCard.js component to display the fetched weather data. The component will return structured JSX that presents the current weather conditions in a user-friendly format.
8 Construct a WeatherChart.js component to visualize the hourly weather forecast using the Chart.js library. The component will use various Chart.js elements (e.g., Line chart, tooltips) to build a responsive and informative weather forecast chart.
9 Ensure that all components are properly exported and imported as needed across your project files to maintain modularity and efficiency in your codebase.
10 Within App.js, render the different components (search bar, weather card, weather chart) in their respective positions to form the overall structure of your app.
11 Use Styled Components to add styling across all your components. This will enhance the user interface and improve the overall look and feel of the app. Keep the styles modular and specific to each component for better maintainability.
Link to Git hub: https://github.com/Devibbi/react-weather-app
Link to Weather-App : https://weather.devibbi.com/
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