A Guide to the React Ecosystem
4 minute read
tl;dr:
I’ve written a book about React, React in Action for Manning Publications! I’m thankful to have been able to work on it and fulfill a life-goal of mine. If you’re reading this post, you probably either made your way here from somewhere on the internet or you’re reading React in Action and were directed here from the book.
One of my goals for the book is to give the reader a sense of React that isn’t bogged down in jargon and is instead rooted in solid concepts and practical examples. Another goal I had is to help the reader get a sense for the topology of the broader React ecosystem. This is a difficult thing to do because the community is so broad and multifaceted that I knew I would inevitably present my vantage point of the React community. Not having a way around this, I hope I can still help you get a better sense of the community.
This post has one overall map ( svg | png | webp ) that tries to illustrate the React community in a fun sort of way. Each section in the map has a corresponding section that will tell you a little bit about the area. This is by no means exhaustive and I am working to add more links to it as I find them and have time.
- Downtown React
- TC39 Embassy
- The Grand React Archives
- The React High Council
- Utilitopia
- The Great CSS plains
- The Testing Narrows
- The React Native Bridge
- The Monadic Kingdom
- Component Canyon
- Tooling Town
- Uncharted Territory
- Serverland
Downtown React
There seems to be a sort of nexus in most open-source communities. In my experience, it tends to center around the core team (if there is one), conferences where key people in the community speak, the Twitter interactions of influential community members, and, as more of a background force, the companies that sponsor or build the technology.
in progress!
TC39 Embassy
in progress!
The Grand React Archives
- [JSConfUS 2013] Tom Occhino and Jordan Walke: JS Apps at Facebook - where it all began!
- React.js Conf 2015 Keynote - Introducing React Native
- Lin Clark - A Cartoon Intro to Fiber - React Conf 2017
- Dan Abramov - Suspense! - ReactFest 🎡
- fiber reconciler architecture excellent write-up of the fiber architecture
The React High Council
The React community is centered around a technology, but it’s made from people. People are the most important part of any community — how they interact, how they treat each other, how information flows, how ideas are perceived. I’ve found interacting with people in-person or online to have been one the biggest sources of information (and fun!) about React or software engineering and computer science in general. Here’s a list of people that I’ve found influential and helpful about React or things related to React (usually JavaScript and the web platform). It’s not comprehensive and I plan to keep updating it as I’m sure both that I missed people and and there are many people to add in the future! (Names are alphabetical by first name)
- Andrew Clark
- Adam Rackis
- Ari Rizzitano
- Axel Rauschmayer
- Bill Fisher
- Brian Holt
- Brian Hough
- Cara Kuei
- Cheng Lou
- Cody Lindley
- Cory House
- Dan Abramov
- David Nolen
- Devon Lindsey
- Elijah Manor
- Erik AYbar
- Henrik Joreteg
- Henry Zhu
- Jafar Husain
- James K. Nelson
- James Long
- Jing Chen
- John-David Dalton
- Jordan Walke
- Ken Wheeler
- Kent C. Dodds
- Kent C. Dodds
- Lee Byron
- Lin Clark
- Mark Erikson
- Max Stoiber
- Michael Chan
- Michael Jackson
- Natalie Qabazard
- Paul O’Shannessy
- Preethi Kasireddy
- Rebecca Murphey
- Remy Sharp
- Ryan Florence
- Sasha Aickin
- Sean Larkin
- Sebastian Markbåge
- Sophie Alpert
- Tom Occhino
- Vladimir Novick
- Wes Bos
- Zack Argyle
- Mark Tho… lol jk :)
Utilitopia
in progress!
The Great CSS plains
The Testing Narrows
The React Native Bridge
The Monadic Kingdom
Component Canyon
in progress!
Tooling Town
in progress!
Uncharted Territory
There are some crazy, mad-science areas of the React communities where some really cool stuff happens. People are using React for things you never would’ve thought you would or could.
- React Reason: React but using Reason (https://reasonml.github.io/)
- React VR: React..for VR!
- React Idle: Do things with React while your components are idle
Serverland
As React has found more use on the server (via the node.js runtime), the React communities have created a handful of frameworks and resources dedicated to using React on the server.
- next.js: framework for routing and server rendering
- electrode: framework for routing and server rendering
- ReactDOMServer (official docs): some of the useful methods React comes with for working on the server