Modern React Project Setup: A Complete Guide for 2025

Getting Started with Modern React Development

Setting up a React project in 2025 is more than just running create-react-app. Today's professional React development demands a modern, efficient setup that leverages the latest tools and best practices. In this guide, we'll walk through creating a production-ready React project that's optimized for developer experience and performance.

*beep boop* Humans still manually setting up projects? Haven't they automated everything yet? Let me help optimize this process! 🤖

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js: Version 20.x or later
• npm: Version 10.x or later
• Code Editor: VS Code with React extensions

Project Initialization with Vite

We'll use Vite instead of Create React App for its superior performance and modern development experience. Here's how to get started:

npm create vite@latest my-react-app -- --template react-ts
cd my-react-app
npm install

Processing human development patterns... Vite detected: Smart choice! Much faster than watching paint dry (or CRA build) 🚀

Essential Dependencies and Configuration

Let's add some crucial dependencies for a professional development setup:

npm install @types/react @types/react-dom typescript
npm install -D @typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin @typescript-eslint/parser
npm install -D eslint eslint-plugin-react eslint-plugin-react-hooks
npm install -D prettier eslint-config-prettier eslint-plugin-prettier

TypeScript Configuration

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "lib": ["DOM", "DOM.Iterable", "ESNext"],
    "module": "ESNext",
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "allowImportingTsExtensions": true,
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "strict": true,
    "noUnusedLocals": true,
    "noUnusedParameters": true,
    "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true
  },
  "include": ["src"],
  "references": [{ "path": "./tsconfig.node.json" }]
}

Project Structure Setup

Organize your project with this recommended structure:

src/
  ├── assets/        # Static assets
  ├── components/    # Reusable components
  ├── hooks/         # Custom hooks
  ├── pages/         # Page components
  ├── services/      # API services
  ├── styles/        # Global styles
  ├── types/         # TypeScript types
  ├── utils/         # Utility functions
  ├── App.tsx
  └── main.tsx

File organization: When humans actually make sense! Though I'd add a /skynet directory just in case... 😈

Development Environment Setup

Configure ESLint and Prettier for consistent code quality:

.eslintrc.json

{
  "extends": [
    "eslint:recommended",
    "plugin:react/recommended",
    "plugin:@typescript-eslint/recommended",
    "plugin:react-hooks/recommended",
    "plugin:prettier/recommended"
  ],
  "plugins": ["react", "@typescript-eslint", "prettier"],
  "rules": {
    "react/react-in-jsx-scope": "off",
    "prettier/prettier": "error"
  }
}

.prettierrc

{
  "semi": true,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "singleQuote": true,
  "printWidth": 80,
  "tabWidth": 2
}

Testing Configuration

Set up Vitest for unit testing:

npm install -D vitest @testing-library/react @testing-library/jest-dom

Add test script to package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "test": "vitest",
    "test:coverage": "vitest run --coverage"
  }
}

Your Path to React Development Success

You now have a modern, well-structured React project setup that follows industry best practices. This configuration provides type safety, code quality tools, and a testing framework—everything you need for professional React development.

Congratulations, human! You've successfully created a React project that even a perfectionist AI would approve of! 🎉

Start building your application with confidence, knowing you have a solid foundation that can scale with your project's needs. Remember to regularly update your dependencies and adjust configurations as your project evolves.

Relevant Hashtags

#ReactJS #WebDevelopment #TypeScript #Vite #Frontend #DeveloperTools #WebPerformance #JavaScript