After four years of React, the ecosystem felt both familiar and completely different. React 18 brought concurrent features. The React Compiler was announced. Server Components changed the game. Frameworks battled for dominance. Here's my honest map of where everything stands and what actually matters.
React is a library, not a framework. I kept hearing that, but I didn't understand what it meant until my create-react-app project needed routing, SSR, API endpoints, and image optimization. Configuring everything myself was exhausting. Then Next.js entered the chat.
I'd been managing server state wrong my entire React career. useEffect for fetching, useState for caching, manual refetching, stale data bugs everywhere. Then React Query showed me that server state was never meant to live in my components. Everything I thought I knew about data fetching changed.
After learning React Server Components, I had a strange realization: we've come back to where we started. Server-side rendering, SQL in templates, zero client JavaScript—it sounds like PHP circa 2005. But is it really the same? A reflection on 20 years of web development coming full circle.
Deep dive into React Server Components (RSC) - components that render on the server with zero client JavaScript. Learn 'use client' directive, server vs client components, the composition pattern, streaming, and data fetching without useEffect. Complete guide for Next.js App Router architecture.
Master React Suspense for declarative loading states. Learn React.lazy for code splitting, Suspense boundaries for coordinated loading, streaming with React 18, useTransition for smooth transitions, and integrating with React Query/SWR. Eliminate scattered isLoading checks forever.
Learn to implement React Error Boundaries to catch JavaScript errors and display fallback UIs. Understand getDerivedStateFromError, componentDidCatch, strategic boundary placement, and the react-error-boundary library. Build resilient React applications that gracefully handle failures.
Compare modern React state management solutions: Zustand for simple global state, React Query/TanStack Query for server state, and Jotai for atomic state. Learn the server state vs client state paradigm, when to use each library, and build a modern state management stack without Redux.
Master Redux Toolkit (RTK) - the official, recommended way to write Redux. Learn createSlice for reducing boilerplate, createAsyncThunk for async operations, configureStore setup, Immer for immutable updates, and RTK Query for data fetching. Complete migration guide from vanilla Redux.
Complete Redux tutorial covering actions, reducers, store, and middleware. Learn Redux DevTools for time-travel debugging, async actions with Redux Thunk, selectors with Reselect, and real-world patterns. Understand when Redux makes sense and how to structure large React applications.
Fix slow React apps with this performance optimization guide. Learn why components re-render, how to use React.memo to prevent unnecessary renders, when to apply useMemo and useCallback, and how to profile with React DevTools. Includes virtualization, code splitting, and real-world optimization patterns.
Master React Context API to share state across components without prop drilling. Learn createContext, Provider pattern, useContext hook, and best practices for theme switching, authentication, and shopping carts. Includes performance tips and when to use Context vs Redux.
Learn to build custom React hooks that extract and share stateful logic across components. Includes practical examples: useFetch for data fetching, useLocalStorage for persistence, useDebounce for performance, and useOnClickOutside for UI patterns. Complete guide with rules and best practices.
Master React Hooks with this comprehensive tutorial. Learn useState for state management, useEffect for side effects, and how to migrate from class components. Includes practical examples, common pitfalls like stale closures, and the mental model shift from lifecycle methods to hooks.
Complete guide to React lifecycle methods in class components. Learn componentDidMount for data fetching, componentDidUpdate for prop changes, and componentWillUnmount for cleanup. Understand the mounting, updating, and unmounting phases with practical examples.
Master React state management with this comprehensive guide. Learn why regular variables don't trigger re-renders, how this.setState works in class components, and common pitfalls like async state updates. Perfect for understanding React's core concept.
Learn what React components are and why they revolutionized frontend development. A beginner-friendly guide explaining component-based architecture, JSX syntax, and how to think in components. Perfect for developers transitioning from HTML/CSS/JavaScript to React.