Documentation

OK, let's not get into the "What does the 'F' in RTFM stand for?" debate. My preference is 'friendly' but the sentiment is the same, and is my topic for today: read the manual, or check the documentation.

It is impossible to overemphasise the importance of this.

Throughout Hitesh's video series, he constantly refers to the React Native documentation, both verbally and on-screen.

Now, I understand: the documentation can be overwhelming in its size, and many of us probably have experience of documentation that leaves us more perplexed than before!

But there are two caveats here for React Native (other languages must be considered on an individual basis):

• Firstly, the React Native documentation is not scary. It's laid out nicely and things are explained clearly. Of course, that's my opinion but that leads to the second caveat:

• If you don't like the 'native' documentation (written by the language's own developers), there is a plethora of alternatives all over the web.

Just for instance, suppose you need help with Vanilla JavaScript. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the MDN Web Docs. I much prefer the W3 Schools site. That said, W3 has its limitations. At that point, I just start Googling stuff until I find something I like. If I'm really stuck on a very niche issue (like how to deal with issues I faced setting up a React Native project in Zorin OS), I go to Stack Overflow. Depending on the issue, I might even consult ChatGPT!

A quick note on ChatGPT: user beware, is the bottom line. Chat GPT is an incredibly powerful tool, and can certainly get you out of a jam if you use it carefully / intelligently. Just be sure that you understand what it's telling you to do. If it gives you steps you don't understand, read the explanation it usually provides, or go elsewhere and educate yourself: you're not doing yourself any favours just learning to copy and paste stuff from Chat GPT. That's not a career!

Happy coding everyone!!