Build Better React.js Applications

Now remastered with the latest updates in the React ecosystem from 2024.

Tao of React contains proven rules and guidelines to build better software. You will learn more about application structure, component design, testing and performance.

Made of 4 chapters, containing 80+ principles, described in 170 pages.

You learned the fundamentals. Now what?

You take a React course and you learn the fundamentals. You can build simple applications and know how things work. You start building your first larger project and questions pop up. How do I structure my project? Where do I put this component? How do I make it more reusable? What styling tool to use?

There are many resources that can teach you the little pieces. No one tells you how to put them together to build real applications.

Most applications need to be extended, modified and supported. To work productively you need more than just knowledge of React. You need to know how to structure a codebase, what practices to follow when building components and how to make trade offs.

Let me help you out. Through trial and error I've formulated a set of principles that I follow when working with React. I've learned them the hard way but you don't have to.

Who is this book for?

Tao of React is for beginners who want to advance further in their knowledge. The best time to read it is when you've grasped the fundamentals and are starting to build real applications.

This book isn't a React 101. It builds on top of the core concepts and helps you form the right principles. What exactly do you need to know? Basic state management, props, hooks and the component lifecycle.

If you've built an application following a tutorial and you're wandering how you can scale it - this is for you. If you started building a project and you were confused about structuring it - this is for you. If you're not sure how to organize your components and name them - this is for you.

Tao of React will help you go to from beginner to intermediate by helping you understand core principles about software design.

Chapters

Each chapter contains a set of concise and simply put rules to follow as you build the next great application. You don't have to read them in a particular order. Dive in and learn what's most interesting to you.

1. Architecture

High level concepts and decisions that make a codebase modular and extensible. You will learn how to structure a project, manage duplication and handle business logic.

2. Component Design

Low level details are as important as high level ones. The component rules will teach you how to name, organise and design components

3. Testing

Development is never final. We'll learn principles about testing that will help us maintain quality and stability as our application grows and changes

4. Performance

It doesn't matter how good your product is if it's slow. We'll explore core performance principles to keep in mind as we develop the next big thing

Principles

Each rule is a concise, self-contained principle that teaches you how to build better React applications. They are straight to the point without unnecessary explanations and noise. Each rule is independent, you don't need to read them in a particular order. They are usually split in three logical parts:

Context

Background about a design or architectural problem.

Avoid

Examples of non-ideal solutions and anti-patterns.

Do

A better way to solve that problem.

Get a glimpse

In January 2021 I published a long blog post which aimed to share my knowledge and experience with React. The feedback for it was incredible.

Many people reached out to me to tell me how much the points in it helped them. It was shared in React Status and the ui.dev newsletter. I was asked why it wasn't a complete e-book. Well, now it is - more than twice the size and with better examples.

Since the launch, I've sold more than 200 copies of Tao of React and it was #3 Product of the Day on Product Hunt.

Read the FREE version (no email required)