How to create a React project using an old version of Create React App?

Question

I am learning react from an old tutorial, so I have to create a project with the version 1.5.2 of Create React App. I have installed [email protected] globally with no problems. After I executed npx create-react-app it uses the latest version of Create React App.

Is there any way that I could do it, or where can I find the code for a project with that version?

`npx [email protected] ...`? But that's very old, why not find a newer tutorial? — jonrsharpe, Mar 13 '22 at 20:07
If you update your question with the link to the tutorial we can probably find you a better one that uses the latest version of React. — Andy, Mar 13 '22 at 20:12

DoRyu Dracken · Answer 1 · 2022-03-13T21:11:45.130

It's no possible because of several reasons:

I installed the package "[email protected]" from here to assure I'm using the correct create-react-app version:

npm init -y
npm install [email protected]
    
or 

yarn init -y
yarn add [email protected]

In the \node_modules\create-react-app folder I executed the command:

node index.js app-folder

And it installed the last version of react without a template because it's an old version of the package, but still the latest version:

Checking the file createReactApp.js I can see it's meant to be that way, even if it's an old version of the builder "create-react-app" it will install the last version of the packages.

Also, if you try this command: node index.js app-folder --scripts-version 1.5.2

It will not found the version you want, instead, it will show a list of available versions of react-scripts.

According to the date, the correct packages are:

react: 16.4.2 react-dom: 16.4.2 react-scripts: 1.1.5

So you can install the version you want with this:

npm init -y
npm install [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

or

yarn init -y
yarn add [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 22 '22 at 07:08

If you're react v18, and you want to go down to the previous non-change breaking version, here's what you can do:

In your package.json replace:

"react": "^18.0.0"
"react-dom": "^18.0.0"

With

"react": "^17.0.2"
"react-dom": "^17.0.2"

Then go to your entry file index.js At the top, replace:

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client'

With

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';

In your index.js file, replace:

const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(
  <React.StrictMode>
    <App />
  </React.StrictMode>
);

With

ReactDOM.render(
 <React.StrictMode>
   <App />
 </React.StrictMode>,
 document.getElementById('root')
);

Delete your node_modules and run yarn install or npm i --force
After installation, run yarn start or npm start

--------------------------------------OR------------------------

If you want through npx command

npx create-react-app[version] my-app 
npx [email protected] my-app

How to create a React project using an old version of Create React App?

2 Answers2