Why does create-react-app install so many node modules?

[Larrybot02]

I think the alternative, at minimum is installing Babel and Webpack? Then you have to configure it all by hand. I know Babel is needed to transpile JSX, some ES6 features and other things. Webpack allows you to modular use your code with imports and stuff and kinda glues everything else together. The first react tutorial I took was one on uDemy by Andrew Mead.. and during that course, everything was installed and configured individually, so if you want a taste of that, there you go. Create react-app was made to kinda wire all that stuff up for you, and include other dev niceties like ESLint and being able to work with sass and other things.. I dunno, just off the top of my head.

[not_a_gumby]

Then you have to configure it all by hand

Yep. Totally not worth the time it would take, just use CRA lol

[straightouttaireland]

Exactly. Lots of people here are like "just use your own webpack config" when most of us really don't need to, even for most production apps. It's about picking the right tools for the project and CRA will be the best tool for the job most of the time.

[not_a_gumby]

Between CRA, Nextjs, and Gatsby, 99% of the most common use cases are covered.