In this section, we will guide you through the initial steps of setting up and planning a complete React application. This project will consolidate the knowledge you've gained throughout the course and provide hands-on experience in building a real-world application.

• Define the project requirements and scope.
• Set up the development environment.
• Plan the application structure and components.
• Establish a version control system.

Before diving into the code, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of what you want to build. This involves defining the project requirements and scope.

For this project, we will build a simple Task Management App with the following features:

• User authentication (login and registration).
• Create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) tasks.
• Categorize tasks by status (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
• Filter tasks by category.
• Responsive design for mobile and desktop.

• User Authentication: Users should be able to register and log in.
• Task Management: Users can create, edit, delete, and view tasks.
• Task Categorization: Tasks can be categorized by their status.
• Filtering: Users can filter tasks based on their status.
• Responsive Design: The app should be usable on both mobile and desktop devices.

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)
• A code editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code)

1. Create a new React application:

   npx create-react-app task-manager
   cd task-manager
   

2. Install necessary dependencies: For this project, we will use some additional libraries:

   • react-router-dom for routing.
   • axios for making HTTP requests.
   • redux and react-redux for state management.
   • redux-thunk for handling asynchronous actions.

   Install these dependencies:

   npm install react-router-dom axios redux react-redux redux-thunk
   

3. Set up version control: Initialize a Git repository and make the initial commit:

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

Organize your project directory as follows:

Identify the main components and pages of the application:

• Components:

  • Header: Navigation bar.
  • TaskList: Displays a list of tasks.
  • TaskItem: Represents a single task.
  • TaskForm: Form for creating and editing tasks.
  • Filter: Component for filtering tasks by status.

• Pages:

  • HomePage: Displays the task list and filter.
  • LoginPage: User login form.
  • RegisterPage: User registration form.

1. Create a new repository on GitHub.
2. Link the local repository to GitHub:

   git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/task-manager.git
   git push -u origin master
   

Adopt a branching strategy to manage your codebase effectively:

• master: Production-ready code.
• develop: Development branch.
• feature/feature-name: Feature-specific branches.

1. Create a new feature branch:

   git checkout -b feature/user-authentication
   

2. Work on the feature and commit changes:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Implement user authentication"
   

3. Merge the feature branch into develop:

   git checkout develop
   git merge feature/user-authentication
   

4. Push changes to GitHub:

   git push origin develop
   

In this section, we have outlined the initial steps for setting up and planning a complete React application. By defining the project requirements, setting up the development environment, planning the application structure, and establishing a version control system, you are now ready to start building the Task Management App. In the next section, we will begin by building the user interface.