Chapter 1: An Overview of Gatsby.js for the Uninitiated
In this book, we will take your existing React knowledge and supplement it with Gatsby.js (which we will refer to as Gatsby from now on) to create performant and accessible static sites. I hope to give you the tools you need to create better websites using Gatsby and get you to join the static site revolution. So, happy hacking!
This chapter starts with a brief historical look at the static web and why Gatsby was created. Then, we'll think about what Gatsby is and how it builds on React. Next, we'll go through some of the use cases of Gatsby and identify Gatsby's competitors. Finally, we'll set up a basic Gatsby project, having created our first few pages.
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
- A brief history of the static web
- What is Gatsby?
- Gatsby use cases
- Gatsby's competitors
- Setting up a project