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Deploying to Netlify

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of deploying a React application to Netlify. Netlify is a popular all-in-one platform that provides hosting and serverless backend services for web applications and static websites.

We will begin with a React app created using create-react-app. If you have a different setup, don't worry because the overall process will still be quite similar.

Prerequisites​

  • A basic understanding of React.
  • A GitHub account.
  • A Netlify account - Don't worry if you don't have one, we will cover how to create one.

Step 1: Create a New React App​

First, we need to create a new React application. It's simple. Open your terminal and run the following command:

npx create-react-app my-app

This command will create a new React application named my-app.

Step 2: Push Your App to GitHub​

Next, we need to push our application to GitHub. If you've never done this before, don't worry — it's straightforward. Navigate to your project's root directory and run the following commands:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

Next, create a new repository on GitHub. Do not add a README or .gitignore file when you create this repository. Once you've created the repository, push your local application to GitHub with the following commands:

git remote add origin <your-repository-url>
git push -u origin master

Make sure to replace <your-repository-url> with your actual repository URL.

Step 3: Create a New Netlify Account​

If you don't have a Netlify account, navigate to Netlify's website and click on the "Sign Up" button. You can sign up using GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or your email.

Step 4: Deploy Your React App to Netlify​

Now that we have our application on GitHub and a Netlify account, we can deploy our application. From your Netlify dashboard, click on the "New site from Git" button.

You'll be asked to choose your Git provider. In our case, it's GitHub. You'll then be asked to authorize Netlify — it needs permission to access your repositories.

Next, you'll see a list of your repositories. Choose the repository you just created.

You'll be directed to a new page. Here, you can configure your settings. The two important fields to note are "Build command" and "Publish directory". For a create-react-app project, these will be npm run build and build, respectively.

Click on the "Deploy site" button. Netlify will start the deployment process. This might take a few minutes.

Once the deployment process is complete, you will receive a link to your live, deployed React application.

Congratulations! You've successfully deployed your React application to Netlify. This is a great step towards mastering the deployment process of web applications, and Netlify is a fantastic tool to use in your future projects.

Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you work with these tools, the more comfortable you'll become. Happy coding!