README.md 100 KB
Newer Older
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
1
2
This project was bootstrapped with [Create React App](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app).

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
3
Below you will find some information on how to perform common tasks.<br>
4
You can find the most recent version of this guide [here](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md).
5

Manav Sehgal's avatar
Manav Sehgal committed
6
7
## Table of Contents

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
8
- [Updating to New Releases](#updating-to-new-releases)
Manav Sehgal's avatar
Manav Sehgal committed
9
10
11
- [Sending Feedback](#sending-feedback)
- [Folder Structure](#folder-structure)
- [Available Scripts](#available-scripts)
12
  - [npm start](#npm-start)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
13
  - [npm test](#npm-test)
14
15
  - [npm run build](#npm-run-build)
  - [npm run eject](#npm-run-eject)
16
- [Supported Language Features and Polyfills](#supported-language-features-and-polyfills)
17
- [Syntax Highlighting in the Editor](#syntax-highlighting-in-the-editor)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
18
- [Displaying Lint Output in the Editor](#displaying-lint-output-in-the-editor)
19
- [Debugging in the Editor](#debugging-in-the-editor)
20
- [Formatting Code Automatically](#formatting-code-automatically)
21
- [Changing the Page `<title>`](#changing-the-page-title)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
22
23
- [Installing a Dependency](#installing-a-dependency)
- [Importing a Component](#importing-a-component)
24
- [Code Splitting](#code-splitting)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
25
26
- [Adding a Stylesheet](#adding-a-stylesheet)
- [Post-Processing CSS](#post-processing-css)
27
- [Adding a CSS Preprocessor (Sass, Less etc.)](#adding-a-css-preprocessor-sass-less-etc)
28
- [Adding Images, Fonts, and Files](#adding-images-fonts-and-files)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
29
- [Using the `public` Folder](#using-the-public-folder)
30
31
32
  - [Changing the HTML](#changing-the-html)
  - [Adding Assets Outside of the Module System](#adding-assets-outside-of-the-module-system)
  - [When to Use the `public` Folder](#when-to-use-the-public-folder)
33
- [Using Global Variables](#using-global-variables)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
34
- [Adding Bootstrap](#adding-bootstrap)
35
  - [Using a Custom Theme](#using-a-custom-theme)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
36
37
- [Adding Flow](#adding-flow)
- [Adding Custom Environment Variables](#adding-custom-environment-variables)
38
39
40
  - [Referencing Environment Variables in the HTML](#referencing-environment-variables-in-the-html)
  - [Adding Temporary Environment Variables In Your Shell](#adding-temporary-environment-variables-in-your-shell)
  - [Adding Development Environment Variables In `.env`](#adding-development-environment-variables-in-env)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
41
- [Can I Use Decorators?](#can-i-use-decorators)
42
43
44
- [Integrating with an API Backend](#integrating-with-an-api-backend)
  - [Node](#node)
  - [Ruby on Rails](#ruby-on-rails)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
45
- [Proxying API Requests in Development](#proxying-api-requests-in-development)
46
  - ["Invalid Host Header" Errors After Configuring Proxy](#invalid-host-header-errors-after-configuring-proxy)
Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
47
  - [Configuring the Proxy Manually](#configuring-the-proxy-manually)
48
  - [Configuring a WebSocket Proxy](#configuring-a-websocket-proxy)
49
- [Using HTTPS in Development](#using-https-in-development)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
50
- [Generating Dynamic `<meta>` Tags on the Server](#generating-dynamic-meta-tags-on-the-server)
51
- [Pre-Rendering into Static HTML Files](#pre-rendering-into-static-html-files)
52
- [Injecting Data from the Server into the Page](#injecting-data-from-the-server-into-the-page)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
- [Running Tests](#running-tests)
  - [Filename Conventions](#filename-conventions)
  - [Command Line Interface](#command-line-interface)
  - [Version Control Integration](#version-control-integration)
  - [Writing Tests](#writing-tests)
  - [Testing Components](#testing-components)
  - [Using Third Party Assertion Libraries](#using-third-party-assertion-libraries)
60
  - [Initializing Test Environment](#initializing-test-environment)
61
  - [Focusing and Excluding Tests](#focusing-and-excluding-tests)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
62
63
64
  - [Coverage Reporting](#coverage-reporting)
  - [Continuous Integration](#continuous-integration)
  - [Disabling jsdom](#disabling-jsdom)
65
  - [Snapshot Testing](#snapshot-testing)
Orta's avatar
Orta committed
66
  - [Editor Integration](#editor-integration)
67
68
69
- [Developing Components in Isolation](#developing-components-in-isolation)
  - [Getting Started with Storybook](#getting-started-with-storybook)
  - [Getting Started with Styleguidist](#getting-started-with-styleguidist)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
70
- [Making a Progressive Web App](#making-a-progressive-web-app)
71
72
  - [Offline-First Considerations](#offline-first-considerations)
  - [Progressive Web App Metadata](#progressive-web-app-metadata)
73
- [Analyzing the Bundle Size](#analyzing-the-bundle-size)
74
- [Deployment](#deployment)
75
76
  - [Static Server](#static-server)
  - [Other Solutions](#other-solutions)
77
  - [Serving Apps with Client-Side Routing](#serving-apps-with-client-side-routing)
78
  - [Building for Relative Paths](#building-for-relative-paths)
79
  - [Azure](#azure)
80
  - [Firebase](#firebase)
81
  - [GitHub Pages](#github-pages)
82
  - [Heroku](#heroku)
83
  - [Modulus](#modulus)
84
  - [Netlify](#netlify)
85
  - [Now](#now)
86
  - [S3 and CloudFront](#s3-and-cloudfront)
87
  - [Surge](#surge)
88
- [Advanced Configuration](#advanced-configuration)
89
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
90
  - [`npm start` doesn’t detect changes](#npm-start-doesnt-detect-changes)
91
  - [`npm test` hangs on macOS Sierra](#npm-test-hangs-on-macos-sierra)
92
  - [`npm run build` exits too early](#npm-run-build-exits-too-early)
93
  - [`npm run build` fails on Heroku](#npm-run-build-fails-on-heroku)
94
  - [Moment.js locales are missing](#momentjs-locales-are-missing)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
95
- [Something Missing?](#something-missing)
Manav Sehgal's avatar
Manav Sehgal committed
96

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
## Updating to New Releases

Create React App is divided into two packages:

* `create-react-app` is a global command-line utility that you use to create new projects.
* `react-scripts` is a development dependency in the generated projects (including this one).

Vadim Peretokin's avatar
Vadim Peretokin committed
104
You almost never need to update `create-react-app` itself: it delegates all the setup to `react-scripts`.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113

When you run `create-react-app`, it always creates the project with the latest version of `react-scripts` so you’ll get all the new features and improvements in newly created apps automatically.

To update an existing project to a new version of `react-scripts`, [open the changelog](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md), find the version you’re currently on (check `package.json` in this folder if you’re not sure), and apply the migration instructions for the newer versions.

In most cases bumping the `react-scripts` version in `package.json` and running `npm install` in this folder should be enough, but it’s good to consult the [changelog](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md) for potential breaking changes.

We commit to keeping the breaking changes minimal so you can upgrade `react-scripts` painlessly.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
114
115
116
117
## Sending Feedback

We are always open to [your feedback](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues).

118
119
## Folder Structure

120
After creation, your project should look like this:
121
122
123
124
125
126

```
my-app/
  README.md
  node_modules/
  package.json
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
127
128
129
  public/
    index.html
    favicon.ico
130
131
132
  src/
    App.css
    App.js
133
    App.test.js
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
    index.css
    index.js
    logo.svg
```

For the project to build, **these files must exist with exact filenames**:

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
141
* `public/index.html` is the page template;
142
143
144
145
* `src/index.js` is the JavaScript entry point.

You can delete or rename the other files.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
146
You may create subdirectories inside `src`. For faster rebuilds, only files inside `src` are processed by Webpack.<br>
Heng Li's avatar
Heng Li committed
147
You need to **put any JS and CSS files inside `src`**, otherwise Webpack won’t see them.
148

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
149
Only files inside `public` can be used from `public/index.html`.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
150
151
Read instructions below for using assets from JavaScript and HTML.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
152
You can, however, create more top-level directories.<br>
153
154
They will not be included in the production build so you can use them for things like documentation.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
155
156
## Available Scripts

157
In the project directory, you can run:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166

### `npm start`

Runs the app in the development mode.<br>
Open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) to view it in the browser.

The page will reload if you make edits.<br>
You will also see any lint errors in the console.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
167
168
### `npm test`

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
169
Launches the test runner in the interactive watch mode.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
170
171
See the section about [running tests](#running-tests) for more information.

172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
### `npm run build`

Builds the app for production to the `build` folder.<br>
It correctly bundles React in production mode and optimizes the build for the best performance.

The build is minified and the filenames include the hashes.<br>
Your app is ready to be deployed!

180
181
See the section about [deployment](#deployment) for more information.

182
183
184
185
186
187
### `npm run eject`

**Note: this is a one-way operation. Once you `eject`, you can’t go back!**

If you aren’t satisfied with the build tool and configuration choices, you can `eject` at any time. This command will remove the single build dependency from your project.

188
Instead, it will copy all the configuration files and the transitive dependencies (Webpack, Babel, ESLint, etc) right into your project so you have full control over them. All of the commands except `eject` will still work, but they will point to the copied scripts so you can tweak them. At this point you’re on your own.
189
190

You don’t have to ever use `eject`. The curated feature set is suitable for small and middle deployments, and you shouldn’t feel obligated to use this feature. However we understand that this tool wouldn’t be useful if you couldn’t customize it when you are ready for it.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
191

192
193
## Supported Language Features and Polyfills

194
This project supports a superset of the latest JavaScript standard.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
195
In addition to [ES6](https://github.com/lukehoban/es6features) syntax features, it also supports:
196

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
197
198
* [Exponentiation Operator](https://github.com/rwaldron/exponentiation-operator) (ES2016).
* [Async/await](https://github.com/tc39/ecmascript-asyncawait) (ES2017).
199
* [Object Rest/Spread Properties](https://github.com/sebmarkbage/ecmascript-rest-spread) (stage 3 proposal).
200
* [Dynamic import()](https://github.com/tc39/proposal-dynamic-import) (stage 3 proposal)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
201
202
* [Class Fields and Static Properties](https://github.com/tc39/proposal-class-public-fields) (stage 2 proposal).
* [JSX](https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/introducing-jsx.html) and [Flow](https://flowtype.org/) syntax.
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213

Learn more about [different proposal stages](https://babeljs.io/docs/plugins/#presets-stage-x-experimental-presets-).

While we recommend to use experimental proposals with some caution, Facebook heavily uses these features in the product code, so we intend to provide [codemods](https://medium.com/@cpojer/effective-javascript-codemods-5a6686bb46fb) if any of these proposals change in the future.

Note that **the project only includes a few ES6 [polyfills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyfill)**:

* [`Object.assign()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/assign) via [`object-assign`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/object-assign).
* [`Promise`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise) via [`promise`](https://github.com/then/promise).
* [`fetch()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/API/Fetch_API) via [`whatwg-fetch`](https://github.com/github/fetch).

214
If you use any other ES6+ features that need **runtime support** (such as `Array.from()` or `Symbol`), make sure you are including the appropriate polyfills manually, or that the browsers you are targeting already support them.
215

216
217
## Syntax Highlighting in the Editor

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
218
To configure the syntax highlighting in your favorite text editor, head to the [relevant Babel documentation page](https://babeljs.io/docs/editors) and follow the instructions. Some of the most popular editors are covered.
219

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
220
## Displaying Lint Output in the Editor
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
221

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
222
>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.2.0` and higher.<br>
223
>It also only works with npm 3 or higher.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
224
225
226
227
228

Some editors, including Sublime Text, Atom, and Visual Studio Code, provide plugins for ESLint.

They are not required for linting. You should see the linter output right in your terminal as well as the browser console. However, if you prefer the lint results to appear right in your editor, there are some extra steps you can do.

229
You would need to install an ESLint plugin for your editor first. Then, add a file called `.eslintrc` to the project root:
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
230
231
232

```js
{
233
  "extends": "react-app"
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
234
235
236
}
```

237
Now your editor should report the linting warnings.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
238

Lufty Wiranda's avatar
Lufty Wiranda committed
239
240
241
Note that even if you edit your `.eslintrc` file further, these changes will **only affect the editor integration**. They won’t affect the terminal and in-browser lint output. This is because Create React App intentionally provides a minimal set of rules that find common mistakes.

If you want to enforce a coding style for your project, consider using [Prettier](https://github.com/jlongster/prettier) instead of ESLint style rules.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
242

243
244
245
246
## Debugging in the Editor

**This feature is currently only supported by [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) editor.**

Cesar Varela's avatar
Cesar Varela committed
247
Visual Studio Code supports debugging out of the box with Create React App. This enables you as a developer to write and debug your React code without leaving the editor, and most importantly it enables you to have a continuous development workflow, where context switching is minimal, as you don’t have to switch between tools.
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261

You would need to have the latest version of [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) and VS Code [Chrome Debugger Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=msjsdiag.debugger-for-chrome) installed.

Then add the block below to your `launch.json` file and put it inside the `.vscode` folder in your app’s root directory.

```json
{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [{
    "name": "Chrome",
    "type": "chrome",
    "request": "launch",
    "url": "http://localhost:3000",
    "webRoot": "${workspaceRoot}/src",
262
    "userDataDir": "${workspaceRoot}/.vscode/chrome",
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
    "sourceMapPathOverrides": {
      "webpack:///src/*": "${webRoot}/*"
    }
  }]
}
```

Start your app by running `npm start`, and start debugging in VS Code by pressing `F5` or by clicking the green debug icon. You can now write code, set breakpoints, make changes to the code, and debug your newly modified code—all from your editor.

272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
## Formatting Code Automatically

Prettier is an opinionated JavaScript formatter. With Prettier you can format the code you write automatically to ensure a code style within your project. See the [Prettier's GitHub page](https://github.com/prettier/prettier) for more information, and look at this [page to see it in action](https://prettier.github.io/prettier/).

To format our code whenever we make a commit in git, we need to install the following dependencies:

```
npm install --save-dev husky lint-staged prettier
```

or if you use Yarn:

```
yarn add --dev husky lint-staged prettier
```

* `husky` makes it easy to use githooks as if they are npm scripts.
* `lint-staged` allows us to run scripts on staged files in git. See this [blog post about lint-staged to learn more about it](https://medium.com/@okonetchnikov/make-linting-great-again-f3890e1ad6b8).
* `prettier` is the JavaScript formatter we will run before commits.

Now we can make sure every file is formatted correctly by adding a few lines to the `package.json` in the project root.

Add the following line to `scripts` section:

```js
{
  // ...
  "scripts": {
    // ...
    "precommit": "lint-staged"
  },
  // ...
}
```

Next we add a 'lint-staged' field to the `package.json`, for example:

```js
{
  // ...
  "lint-staged": {
    "src/**/*.{js,jsx}": [
      "prettier --single-quote --write",
      "git add"
    ]
  }
}
```

Now, whenever you make a commit, Prettier will format the changed files automatically. You can also run `./node_modules/.bin/prettier --single-quote --write "src/**/*.{js,jsx}"` to format your entire project for the first time.

Next you might want to integrate Prettier in your favorite editor. Read the section on [Editor Integration](https://github.com/prettier/prettier#editor-integration) on the Prettier GitHub page.

325
326
327
328
## Changing the Page `<title>`

You can find the source HTML file in the `public` folder of the generated project. You may edit the `<title>` tag in it to change the title from “React App” to anything else.

329
Note that normally you wouldn’t edit files in the `public` folder very often. For example, [adding a stylesheet](#adding-a-stylesheet) is done without touching the HTML.
330
331
332

If you need to dynamically update the page title based on the content, you can use the browser [`document.title`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/title) API. For more complex scenarios when you want to change the title from React components, you can use [React Helmet](https://github.com/nfl/react-helmet), a third party library.

333
If you use a custom server for your app in production and want to modify the title before it gets sent to the browser, you can follow advice in [this section](#generating-dynamic-meta-tags-on-the-server). Alternatively, you can pre-build each page as a static HTML file which then loads the JavaScript bundle, which is covered [here](#pre-rendering-into-static-html-files).
334

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
335
## Installing a Dependency
336
337
338
339
340
341
342

The generated project includes React and ReactDOM as dependencies. It also includes a set of scripts used by Create React App as a development dependency. You may install other dependencies (for example, React Router) with `npm`:

```
npm install --save <library-name>
```

343
344
345
346
347
348
Alternatively you may also use `yarn`:

```
yarn add <library-name>
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
349
## Importing a Component
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
350

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
351
This project setup supports ES6 modules thanks to Babel.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
352
353
354
355
While you can still use `require()` and `module.exports`, we encourage you to use [`import` and `export`](http://exploringjs.com/es6/ch_modules.html) instead.

For example:

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
356
### `Button.js`
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369

```js
import React, { Component } from 'react';

class Button extends Component {
  render() {
    // ...
  }
}

export default Button; // Don’t forget to use export default!
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
370
371
### `DangerButton.js`

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
372
373
374
375
376
377
378

```js
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import Button from './Button'; // Import a component from another file

class DangerButton extends Component {
  render() {
379
    return <Button color="red" />;
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
  }
}

export default DangerButton;
```

Be aware of the [difference between default and named exports](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36795819/react-native-es-6-when-should-i-use-curly-braces-for-import/36796281#36796281). It is a common source of mistakes.

We suggest that you stick to using default imports and exports when a module only exports a single thing (for example, a component). That’s what you get when you use `export default Button` and `import Button from './Button'`.

Named exports are useful for utility modules that export several functions. A module may have at most one default export and as many named exports as you like.

Learn more about ES6 modules:

* [When to use the curly braces?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36795819/react-native-es-6-when-should-i-use-curly-braces-for-import/36796281#36796281)
* [Exploring ES6: Modules](http://exploringjs.com/es6/ch_modules.html)
* [Understanding ES6: Modules](https://leanpub.com/understandinges6/read#leanpub-auto-encapsulating-code-with-modules)

398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
## Code Splitting

Instead of downloading the entire app before users can use it, code splitting allows you to split your code into small chunks which you can then load on demand.

This project setup supports code splitting via [dynamic `import()`](http://2ality.com/2017/01/import-operator.html#loading-code-on-demand). Its [proposal](https://github.com/tc39/proposal-dynamic-import) is in stage 3. The `import()` function-like form takes the module name as an argument and returns a [`Promise`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise) which always resolves to the namespace object of the module.

Here is an example:

### `moduleA.js`

```js
const moduleA = 'Hello';

export { moduleA };
```
### `App.js`

```js
import React, { Component } from 'react';

class App extends Component {
  handleClick = () => {
    import('./moduleA')
      .then(({ moduleA }) => {
        // Use moduleA
      })
      .catch(err => {
        // Handle failure
      });
  };

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <button onClick={this.handleClick}>Load</button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

export default App;
```

This will make `moduleA.js` and all its unique dependencies as a separate chunk that only loads after the user clicks the 'Load' button.

You can also use it with `async` / `await` syntax if you prefer it.

445
446
447
448
### With React Router

If you are using React Router check out [this tutorial](http://serverless-stack.com/chapters/code-splitting-in-create-react-app.html) on how to use code splitting with it. You can find the companion GitHub repository [here](https://github.com/AnomalyInnovations/serverless-stack-demo-client/tree/code-splitting-in-create-react-app).

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
449
## Adding a Stylesheet
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
450

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
451
This project setup uses [Webpack](https://webpack.js.org/) for handling all assets. Webpack offers a custom way of “extending” the concept of `import` beyond JavaScript. To express that a JavaScript file depends on a CSS file, you need to **import the CSS from the JavaScript file**:
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
452

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
453
### `Button.css`
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
454
455
456
457
458
459
460

```css
.Button {
  padding: 20px;
}
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
461
### `Button.js`
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469

```js
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import './Button.css'; // Tell Webpack that Button.js uses these styles

class Button extends Component {
  render() {
    // You can use them as regular CSS styles
470
    return <div className="Button" />;
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
471
472
473
474
  }
}
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
475
**This is not required for React** but many people find this feature convenient. You can read about the benefits of this approach [here](https://medium.com/seek-ui-engineering/block-element-modifying-your-javascript-components-d7f99fcab52b). However you should be aware that this makes your code less portable to other build tools and environments than Webpack.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
476

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
477
In development, expressing dependencies this way allows your styles to be reloaded on the fly as you edit them. In production, all CSS files will be concatenated into a single minified `.css` file in the build output.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
478

479
If you are concerned about using Webpack-specific semantics, you can put all your CSS right into `src/index.css`. It would still be imported from `src/index.js`, but you could always remove that import if you later migrate to a different build tool.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
480

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
481
## Post-Processing CSS
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511

This project setup minifies your CSS and adds vendor prefixes to it automatically through [Autoprefixer](https://github.com/postcss/autoprefixer) so you don’t need to worry about it.

For example, this:

```css
.App {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
}
```

becomes this:

```css
.App {
  display: -webkit-box;
  display: -ms-flexbox;
  display: flex;
  -webkit-box-orient: horizontal;
  -webkit-box-direction: normal;
      -ms-flex-direction: row;
          flex-direction: row;
  -webkit-box-align: center;
      -ms-flex-align: center;
          align-items: center;
}
```

512
If you need to disable autoprefixing for some reason, [follow this section](https://github.com/postcss/autoprefixer#disabling).
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
513

514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
## Adding a CSS Preprocessor (Sass, Less etc.)

Generally, we recommend that you don’t reuse the same CSS classes across different components. For example, instead of using a `.Button` CSS class in `<AcceptButton>` and `<RejectButton>` components, we recommend creating a `<Button>` component with its own `.Button` styles, that both `<AcceptButton>` and `<RejectButton>` can render (but [not inherit](https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/composition-vs-inheritance.html)).

Following this rule often makes CSS preprocessors less useful, as features like mixins and nesting are replaced by component composition. You can, however, integrate a CSS preprocessor if you find it valuable. In this walkthrough, we will be using Sass, but you can also use Less, or another alternative.

First, let’s install the command-line interface for Sass:

```
Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
523
npm install node-sass-chokidar --save-dev
524
525
526
527
528
```
Then in `package.json`, add the following lines to `scripts`:

```diff
   "scripts": {
Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
529
530
+    "build-css": "node-sass-chokidar src/ -o src/",
+    "watch-css": "npm run build-css && node-sass-chokidar src/ -o src/ --watch --recursive",
531
532
533
534
535
     "start": "react-scripts start",
     "build": "react-scripts build",
     "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom",
```

536
>Note: To use a different preprocessor, replace `build-css` and `watch-css` commands according to your preprocessor’s documentation.
537
538
539

Now you can rename `src/App.css` to `src/App.scss` and run `npm run watch-css`. The watcher will find every Sass file in `src` subdirectories, and create a corresponding CSS file next to it, in our case overwriting `src/App.css`. Since `src/App.js` still imports `src/App.css`, the styles become a part of your application. You can now edit `src/App.scss`, and `src/App.css` will be regenerated.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
540
541
To share variables between Sass files, you can use Sass imports. For example, `src/App.scss` and other component style files could include `@import "./shared.scss";` with variable definitions.

542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
To enable importing files without using relative paths, you can add the  `--include-path` option to the command in `package.json`.

```
"build-css": "node-sass-chokidar --include-path ./src --include-path ./node_modules src/ -o src/",
"watch-css": "npm run build-css && node-sass-chokidar --include-path ./src --include-path ./node_modules src/ -o src/ --watch --recursive",
```

This will allow you to do imports like

```scss
@import 'styles/_colors.scss'; // assuming a styles directory under src/
@import 'nprogress/nprogress'; // importing a css file from the nprogress node module
```

556
557
At this point you might want to remove all CSS files from the source control, and add `src/**/*.css` to your `.gitignore` file. It is generally a good practice to keep the build products outside of the source control.

558
559
560
561
562
563
564
As a final step, you may find it convenient to run `watch-css` automatically with `npm start`, and run `build-css` as a part of `npm run build`. You can use the `&&` operator to execute two scripts sequentially. However, there is no cross-platform way to run two scripts in parallel, so we will install a package for this:

```
npm install --save-dev npm-run-all
```

Then we can change `start` and `build` scripts to include the CSS preprocessor commands:
565
566
567

```diff
   "scripts": {
Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
568
569
     "build-css": "node-sass-chokidar src/ -o src/",
     "watch-css": "npm run build-css && node-sass-chokidar src/ -o src/ --watch --recursive",
570
571
-    "start": "react-scripts start",
-    "build": "react-scripts build",
572
573
574
+    "start-js": "react-scripts start",
+    "start": "npm-run-all -p watch-css start-js",
+    "build": "npm run build-css && react-scripts build",
575
576
577
578
579
     "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom",
     "eject": "react-scripts eject"
   }
```

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
580
Now running `npm start` and `npm run build` also builds Sass files.
581

Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
582
**Why `node-sass-chokidar`?**
583

Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
584
`node-sass` has been reported as having the following issues:
585

Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
586
- `node-sass --watch` has been reported to have *performance issues* in certain conditions when used in a virtual machine or with docker.
587

Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
588
- Infinite styles compiling [#1939](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/1939)
589

Kelly's avatar
Kelly committed
590
591
592
- `node-sass` has been reported as having issues with detecting new files in a directory [#1891](https://github.com/sass/node-sass/issues/1891)

 `node-sass-chokidar` is used here as it addresses these issues.
593

594
## Adding Images, Fonts, and Files
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
595
596
597

With Webpack, using static assets like images and fonts works similarly to CSS.

598
599
600
You can **`import` a file right in a JavaScript module**. This tells Webpack to include that file in the bundle. Unlike CSS imports, importing a file gives you a string value. This value is the final path you can reference in your code, e.g. as the `src` attribute of an image or the `href` of a link to a PDF.

To reduce the number of requests to the server, importing images that are less than 10,000 bytes returns a [data URI](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Basics_of_HTTP/Data_URIs) instead of a path. This applies to the following file extensions: bmp, gif, jpg, jpeg, and png. SVG files are excluded due to [#1153](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/1153).
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
601
602
603
604
605
606
607

Here is an example:

```js
import React from 'react';
import logo from './logo.png'; // Tell Webpack this JS file uses this image

608
console.log(logo); // /logo.84287d09.png
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
609
610
611
612
613
614

function Header() {
  // Import result is the URL of your image
  return <img src={logo} alt="Logo" />;
}

615
export default Header;
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
616
617
```

Brian Ng's avatar
Brian Ng committed
618
This ensures that when the project is built, Webpack will correctly move the images into the build folder, and provide us with correct paths.
619

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
620
This works in CSS too:
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
621
622
623
624
625
626
627

```css
.Logo {
  background-image: url(./logo.png);
}
```

628
629
630
631
Webpack finds all relative module references in CSS (they start with `./`) and replaces them with the final paths from the compiled bundle. If you make a typo or accidentally delete an important file, you will see a compilation error, just like when you import a non-existent JavaScript module. The final filenames in the compiled bundle are generated by Webpack from content hashes. If the file content changes in the future, Webpack will give it a different name in production so you don’t need to worry about long-term caching of assets.

Please be advised that this is also a custom feature of Webpack.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
632
**It is not required for React** but many people enjoy it (and React Native uses a similar mechanism for images).<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
633
634
635
636
637
638
An alternative way of handling static assets is described in the next section.

## Using the `public` Folder

>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.5.0` and higher.

639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
### Changing the HTML

The `public` folder contains the HTML file so you can tweak it, for example, to [set the page title](#changing-the-page-title).
The `<script>` tag with the compiled code will be added to it automatically during the build process.

### Adding Assets Outside of the Module System

You can also add other assets to the `public` folder.

648
Note that we normally encourage you to `import` assets in JavaScript files instead.
649
For example, see the sections on [adding a stylesheet](#adding-a-stylesheet) and [adding images and fonts](#adding-images-fonts-and-files).
650
This mechanism provides a number of benefits:
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667

* Scripts and stylesheets get minified and bundled together to avoid extra network requests.
* Missing files cause compilation errors instead of 404 errors for your users.
* Result filenames include content hashes so you don’t need to worry about browsers caching their old versions.

However there is an **escape hatch** that you can use to add an asset outside of the module system.

If you put a file into the `public` folder, it will **not** be processed by Webpack. Instead it will be copied into the build folder untouched.   To reference assets in the `public` folder, you need to use a special variable called `PUBLIC_URL`.

Inside `index.html`, you can use it like this:

```html
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="%PUBLIC_URL%/favicon.ico">
```

Only files inside the `public` folder will be accessible by `%PUBLIC_URL%` prefix. If you need to use a file from `src` or `node_modules`, you’ll have to copy it there to explicitly specify your intention to make this file a part of the build.

Brian Ng's avatar
Brian Ng committed
668
When you run `npm run build`, Create React App will substitute `%PUBLIC_URL%` with a correct absolute path so your project works even if you use client-side routing or host it at a non-root URL.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686

In JavaScript code, you can use `process.env.PUBLIC_URL` for similar purposes:

```js
render() {
  // Note: this is an escape hatch and should be used sparingly!
  // Normally we recommend using `import` for getting asset URLs
  // as described in “Adding Images and Fonts” above this section.
  return <img src={process.env.PUBLIC_URL + '/img/logo.png'} />;
}
```

Keep in mind the downsides of this approach:

* None of the files in `public` folder get post-processed or minified.
* Missing files will not be called at compilation time, and will cause 404 errors for your users.
* Result filenames won’t include content hashes so you’ll need to add query arguments or rename them every time they change.

687
688
### When to Use the `public` Folder

689
Normally we recommend importing [stylesheets](#adding-a-stylesheet), [images, and fonts](#adding-images-fonts-and-files) from JavaScript.
690
691
692
693
694
695
The `public` folder is useful as a workaround for a number of less common cases:

* You need a file with a specific name in the build output, such as [`manifest.webmanifest`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Manifest).
* You have thousands of images and need to dynamically reference their paths.
* You want to include a small script like [`pace.js`](http://github.hubspot.com/pace/docs/welcome/) outside of the bundled code.
* Some library may be incompatible with Webpack and you have no other option but to include it as a `<script>` tag.
696

697
698
Note that if you add a `<script>` that declares global variables, you also need to read the next section on using them.

699
## Using Global Variables
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712

When you include a script in the HTML file that defines global variables and try to use one of these variables in the code, the linter will complain because it cannot see the definition of the variable.

You can avoid this by reading the global variable explicitly from the `window` object, for example:

```js
const $ = window.$;
```

This makes it obvious you are using a global variable intentionally rather than because of a typo.

Alternatively, you can force the linter to ignore any line by adding `// eslint-disable-line` after it.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
713
## Adding Bootstrap
714

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
715
You don’t have to use [React Bootstrap](https://react-bootstrap.github.io) together with React but it is a popular library for integrating Bootstrap with React apps. If you need it, you can integrate it with Create React App by following these steps:
716

717
Install React Bootstrap and Bootstrap from npm. React Bootstrap does not include Bootstrap CSS so this needs to be installed as well:
718
719
720
721
722
723

```
npm install react-bootstrap --save
npm install bootstrap@3 --save
```

724
Import Bootstrap CSS and optionally Bootstrap theme CSS in the beginning of your ```src/index.js``` file:
725

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
726
```js
727
728
import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css';
import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap-theme.css';
729
730
// Put any other imports below so that CSS from your
// components takes precedence over default styles.
731
732
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
733
Import required React Bootstrap components within ```src/App.js``` file or your custom component files:
734

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
735
```js
736
import { Navbar, Jumbotron, Button } from 'react-bootstrap';
737
```
738

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
739
Now you are ready to use the imported React Bootstrap components within your component hierarchy defined in the render method. Here is an example [`App.js`](https://gist.githubusercontent.com/gaearon/85d8c067f6af1e56277c82d19fd4da7b/raw/6158dd991b67284e9fc8d70b9d973efe87659d72/App.js) redone using React Bootstrap.
740

741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
### Using a Custom Theme

Sometimes you might need to tweak the visual styles of Bootstrap (or equivalent package).<br>
We suggest the following approach:

* Create a new package that depends on the package you wish to customize, e.g. Bootstrap.
* Add the necessary build steps to tweak the theme, and publish your package on npm.
* Install your own theme npm package as a dependency of your app.

Here is an example of adding a [customized Bootstrap](https://medium.com/@tacomanator/customizing-create-react-app-aa9ffb88165) that follows these steps.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
752
## Adding Flow
753

754
Flow is a static type checker that helps you write code with fewer bugs. Check out this [introduction to using static types in JavaScript](https://medium.com/@preethikasireddy/why-use-static-types-in-javascript-part-1-8382da1e0adb) if you are new to this concept.
755

756
Recent versions of [Flow](http://flowtype.org/) work with Create React App projects out of the box.
757

758
To add Flow to a Create React App project, follow these steps:
759

760
1. Run `npm install --save-dev flow-bin` (or `yarn add --dev flow-bin`).
761
2. Add `"flow": "flow"` to the `scripts` section of your `package.json`.
Khang Lu's avatar
Khang Lu committed
762
3. Run `npm run flow init` (or `yarn flow init`) to create a [`.flowconfig` file](https://flowtype.org/docs/advanced-configuration.html) in the root directory.
763
4. Add `// @flow` to any files you want to type check (for example, to `src/App.js`).
764

765
Now you can run `npm run flow` (or `yarn flow`) to check the files for type errors.
766
767
You can optionally use an IDE like [Nuclide](https://nuclide.io/docs/languages/flow/) for a better integrated experience.
In the future we plan to integrate it into Create React App even more closely.
768

769
To learn more about Flow, check out [its documentation](https://flowtype.org/).
770

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
771
## Adding Custom Environment Variables
772

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
773
>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.2.3` and higher.
774
775
776

Your project can consume variables declared in your environment as if they were declared locally in your JS files. By
default you will have `NODE_ENV` defined for you, and any other environment variables starting with
777
778
`REACT_APP_`.

779
780
**The environment variables are embedded during the build time**. Since Create React App produces a static HTML/CSS/JS bundle, it can’t possibly read them at runtime. To read them at runtime, you would need to load HTML into memory on the server and replace placeholders in runtime, just like [described here](#injecting-data-from-the-server-into-the-page). Alternatively you can rebuild the app on the server anytime you change them.

781
>Note: You must create custom environment variables beginning with `REACT_APP_`. Any other variables except `NODE_ENV` will be ignored to avoid accidentally [exposing a private key on the machine that could have the same name](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/865#issuecomment-252199527). Changing any environment variables will require you to restart the development server if it is running.
782
783

These environment variables will be defined for you on `process.env`. For example, having an environment
784
variable named `REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE` will be exposed in your JS as `process.env.REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE`.
785

786
There is also a special built-in environment variable called `NODE_ENV`. You can read it from `process.env.NODE_ENV`. When you run `npm start`, it is always equal to `'development'`, when you run `npm test` it is always equal to `'test'`, and when you run `npm run build` to make a production bundle, it is always equal to `'production'`. **You cannot override `NODE_ENV` manually.** This prevents developers from accidentally deploying a slow development build to production.
787

788
789
790
These environment variables can be useful for displaying information conditionally based on where the project is
deployed or consuming sensitive data that lives outside of version control.

791
792
First, you need to have environment variables defined. For example, let’s say you wanted to consume a secret defined
in the environment inside a `<form>`:
793
794

```jsx
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
render() {
  return (
    <div>
      <small>You are running this application in <b>{process.env.NODE_ENV}</b> mode.</small>
      <form>
        <input type="hidden" defaultValue={process.env.REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE} />
      </form>
    </div>
  );
}
805
806
```

807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
During the build, `process.env.REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE` will be replaced with the current value of the `REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE` environment variable. Remember that the `NODE_ENV` variable will be set for you automatically.

When you load the app in the browser and inspect the `<input>`, you will see its value set to `abcdef`, and the bold text will show the environment provided when using `npm start`:

```html
<div>
  <small>You are running this application in <b>development</b> mode.</small>
  <form>
    <input type="hidden" value="abcdef" />
  </form>
</div>
```

820
821
822
823
The above form is looking for a variable called `REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE` from the environment. In order to consume this
value, we need to have it defined in the environment. This can be done using two ways: either in your shell or in
a `.env` file. Both of these ways are described in the next few sections.

824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
Having access to the `NODE_ENV` is also useful for performing actions conditionally:

```js
if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
  analytics.disable();
}
```

832
When you compile the app with `npm run build`, the minification step will strip out this condition, and the resulting bundle will be smaller.
833

834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
### Referencing Environment Variables in the HTML

>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.9.0` and higher.

You can also access the environment variables starting with `REACT_APP_` in the `public/index.html`. For example:

```html
<title>%REACT_APP_WEBSITE_NAME%</title>
```

Note that the caveats from the above section apply:

* Apart from a few built-in variables (`NODE_ENV` and `PUBLIC_URL`), variable names must start with `REACT_APP_` to work.
* The environment variables are injected at build time. If you need to inject them at runtime, [follow this approach instead](#generating-dynamic-meta-tags-on-the-server).

849
850
### Adding Temporary Environment Variables In Your Shell

851
Defining environment variables can vary between OSes. It’s also important to know that this manner is temporary for the
852
life of the shell session.
853

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
854
#### Windows (cmd.exe)
855
856

```cmd
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
857
set REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE=abcdef&&npm start
858
859
```

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
860
861
(Note: the lack of whitespace is intentional.)

862
#### Linux, macOS (Bash)
863
864
865
866
867

```bash
REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE=abcdef npm start
```

868
### Adding Development Environment Variables In `.env`
869

870
>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.5.0` and higher.
871

Brian Ng's avatar
Brian Ng committed
872
To define permanent environment variables, create a file called `.env` in the root of your project:
873
874
875

```
REACT_APP_SECRET_CODE=abcdef
876
877
```

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
878
879
`.env` files **should be** checked into source control (with the exclusion of `.env*.local`).

880
#### What other `.env` files are can be used?
Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
881

882
>Note: this feature is **available with `react-scripts@1.0.0` and higher**.
883

884
885
886
887
* `.env`: Default.
* `.env.local`: Local overrides. **This file is loaded for all environments except test.**
* `.env.development`, `.env.test`, `.env.production`: Environment-specific settings.
* `.env.development.local`, `.env.test.local`, `.env.production.local`: Local overrides of environment-specific settings.
888

889
Files on the left have more priority than files on the right:
890

891
892
893
* `npm start`: `.env.development.local`, `.env.development`, `.env.local`, `.env`
* `npm run build`: `.env.production.local`, `.env.production`, `.env.local`, `.env`
* `npm test`: `.env.test.local`, `.env.test`, `.env` (note `.env.local` is missing)
894

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
895
These variables will act as the defaults if the machine does not explicitly set them.<br>
896
Please refer to the [dotenv documentation](https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv) for more details.
897

898
899
>Note: If you are defining environment variables for development, your CI and/or hosting platform will most likely need
these defined as well. Consult their documentation how to do this. For example, see the documentation for [Travis CI](https://docs.travis-ci.com/user/environment-variables/) or [Heroku](https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/config-vars).
900

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
901
902
## Can I Use Decorators?

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
903
Many popular libraries use [decorators](https://medium.com/google-developers/exploring-es7-decorators-76ecb65fb841) in their documentation.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
904
905
906
907
908
909
Create React App doesn’t support decorator syntax at the moment because:

* It is an experimental proposal and is subject to change.
* The current specification version is not officially supported by Babel.
* If the specification changes, we won’t be able to write a codemod because we don’t use them internally at Facebook.

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
910
However in many cases you can rewrite decorator-based code without decorators just as fine.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
Please refer to these two threads for reference:

* [#214](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/214)
* [#411](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/411)

Create React App will add decorator support when the specification advances to a stable stage.

918
## Integrating with an API Backend
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
919

920
921
922
923
These tutorials will help you to integrate your app with an API backend running on another port,
using `fetch()` to access it.

### Node
924
Check out [this tutorial](https://www.fullstackreact.com/articles/using-create-react-app-with-a-server/).
925
926
927
928
You can find the companion GitHub repository [here](https://github.com/fullstackreact/food-lookup-demo).

### Ruby on Rails

929
Check out [this tutorial](https://www.fullstackreact.com/articles/how-to-get-create-react-app-to-work-with-your-rails-api/).
930
You can find the companion GitHub repository [here](https://github.com/fullstackreact/food-lookup-demo-rails).
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
931

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
932
933
## Proxying API Requests in Development

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
934
>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@0.2.3` and higher.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
935

Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
936
People often serve the front-end React app from the same host and port as their backend implementation.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
For example, a production setup might look like this after the app is deployed:

```
/             - static server returns index.html with React app
/todos        - static server returns index.html with React app
/api/todos    - server handles any /api/* requests using the backend implementation
```

Such setup is **not** required. However, if you **do** have a setup like this, it is convenient to write requests like `fetch('/api/todos')` without worrying about redirecting them to another host or port during development.

To tell the development server to proxy any unknown requests to your API server in development, add a `proxy` field to your `package.json`, for example:

```js
  "proxy": "http://localhost:4000",
```

953
This way, when you `fetch('/api/todos')` in development, the development server will recognize that it’s not a static asset, and will proxy your request to `http://localhost:4000/api/todos` as a fallback. The development server will only attempt to send requests without a `text/html` accept header to the proxy.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
954
955
956
957

Conveniently, this avoids [CORS issues](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21854516/understanding-ajax-cors-and-security-considerations) and error messages like this in development:

```
Kamil Burzynski's avatar
Kamil Burzynski committed
958
Fetch API cannot load http://localhost:4000/api/todos. No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource. Origin 'http://localhost:3000' is therefore not allowed access. If an opaque response serves your needs, set the request's mode to 'no-cors' to fetch the resource with CORS disabled.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
959
960
```

961
Keep in mind that `proxy` only has effect in development (with `npm start`), and it is up to you to ensure that URLs like `/api/todos` point to the right thing in production. You don’t have to use the `/api` prefix. Any unrecognized request without a `text/html` accept header will be redirected to the specified `proxy`.
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
962

963
The `proxy` option supports HTTP, HTTPS and WebSocket connections.<br>
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
964
965
If the `proxy` option is **not** flexible enough for you, alternatively you can:

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
966
* [Configure the proxy yourself](#configuring-the-proxy-manually)
Dan Abramov's avatar
Dan Abramov committed
967
968
969
* Enable CORS on your server ([here’s how to do it for Express](http://enable-cors.org/server_expressjs.html)).
* Use [environment variables](#adding-custom-environment-variables) to inject the right server host and port into your app.

970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
### "Invalid Host Header" Errors After Configuring Proxy

When you enable the `proxy` option, you opt into a more strict set of host checks. This is necessary because leaving the backend open to remote hosts makes your computer vulnerable to DNS rebinding attacks. The issue is explained in [this article](https://medium.com/webpack/webpack-dev-server-middleware-security-issues-1489d950874a) and [this issue](https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-server/issues/887).

This shouldn’t affect you when developing on `localhost`, but if you develop remotely like [described here](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/issues/2271), you will see this error in the browser after enabling the `proxy` option:

>Invalid Host header

To work around it, you can specify your public development host in a file called `.env.development` in the root of your project:

```
HOST=mypublicdevhost.com
```

If you restart the development server now and load the app from the specified host, it should work.

If you are still having issues or if you’re using a more exotic environment like a cloud editor, you can bypass the host check completely by adding a line to `.env.development.local`. **Note that this is dangerous and exposes your machine to remote code execution from malicious websites:**

```
# NOTE: THIS IS DANGEROUS!
# It exposes your machine to attacks from the websites you visit.
DANGEROUSLY_DISABLE_HOST_CHECK=true
```

We don’t recommend this approach.

Joe Haddad's avatar
Joe Haddad committed
996
997
998
999
1000
### Configuring the Proxy Manually

>Note: this feature is available with `react-scripts@1.0.0` and higher.

If the `proxy` option is **not** flexible enough for you, you can specify an object in the following form (in `package.json`).<br>
For faster browsing, not all history is shown. View entire blame