JavaScript Stack from Scratch
A step-by-step tutorial for wiring together a modern JavaScript web stack by hand.verekia/js-stack-from-scratch
- Stars
- 20.1k
- Forks
- 1.9k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 2.4 years ago
- Type
- Learning resource
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
This is a tutorial that walks you through assembling a JavaScript web stack piece by piece, from Node, Yarn and package.json through Babel, ESLint, Flow, Jest, Express, Webpack, React, Redux, server-side rendering and Socket.IO. It focuses on connecting tools together with the simplest possible example for each, rather than teaching each tool in depth. People use it to understand what a boilerplate contains and why, or to build their own starter project from scratch.
- Follow the chapters to build a Node and Yarn project with Babel, ESLint and Jest configured
- Work through the Webpack and React chapter to set up hot module replacement
- Study the Redux and Immutable chapter to see how state management is wired together
- Use the final boilerplate code from the linked repository as a reference project
Great for
- Developers who already know JavaScript basics and want to understand how a React and Node setup is put together
- People who want to learn what goes into a boilerplate instead of using a pre-made configuration
- Developers joining a team that uses this kind of stack and need to see the pieces
- Learners who prefer following written chapters that build on each other
Not ideal for
- Complete beginners, since the README says it requires general programming knowledge and JavaScript basics
- People who just want to learn React quickly; the README points to create-react-app for that
- Anyone needing a current, maintained starter, since the README notes some libraries have changed APIs since the tutorial was last edited in May 2017
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Node.js · Yarn
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/verekia/js-stack-from-scratchRun the code examples
yarn && yarn start - 2
Run it
- Clone the repository to your machine
- Follow the chapters in order, starting with 01 - Node, Yarn, package.json
- Or run the code examples for each chapter with yarn && yarn start
- Compare your result with the final boilerplate repository linked in the README
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Write each chapter's code yourself, as the README recommends, rather than only running the examples
- Check the open bug issues on GitHub if a step behaves differently from the text
- Use the no-services boilerplate zip from the latest release if you want a starting point without the extra services
- Read the CHANGELOG to see what changed between versions before following the old steps
Downloads
Strengths
- Explains how tools are wired together rather than hiding the configuration
- Each chapter gives a minimal, focused example
- Code examples are provided for each chapter and the final code is available in releases
Trade-offs
- The README says the tutorial was last edited in May 2017 and some libraries have changed APIs since then
- Covers several tools that may now be outdated, and the README lists the V2 chapters as the current version
- Many chapters are required reading in sequence, so it is not a quick reference
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| js-stack-from-scratch (this) | 20.1k | Learning resource | intermediate | 2.4 years ago | Developers who already know JavaScript basics and want to understand how a React and Node setup is put together |
| create-react-app | 103k | Dev tool | beginner | 1.7 years ago | Following an existing React tutorial that uses Create React App |
| vite | 83.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Frontend developers starting a new modern web project |
| next.js | 143k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers already comfortable with React who want a full framework around it |
| front-end-guide | 15.2k | Learning resource | beginner | 3.4 years ago | Back end engineers joining a team that works on web apps |
| react-redux-typescript-guide | 13.3k | Learning resource | intermediate | 6 months ago | Developers who already know React and want to add TypeScript to an existing app |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.