A global CLI for running a single component

This is something @lacker was working on before Create React App. That project got shelved but I think we could revive it in some form now.

The idea is that instead of creating a project, you just start with a single file that is the root component:

App.js

import React from 'react';

export default function App() {
  return <h1>Hello</h1>;
}

run-react-component App.js

It would use the same infrastructure as Create React App (exact same Babel and Webpack settings and CLI output), but would work in any folder without npm start.

So you could run-react-component NavBar.js and see just that component, regardless of where it is in the project, and whether it is in a project or not. The only run-react-component requirement is that whatever you import (e.g. react) exists in node_modules.

Benefits of this approach:

• Can jump right into prototyping with a single file. (#642)
• The install cost is only paid once, you can run run-react-component right away in any folder on the disk. (The downside is you actually have to update global CLI to get updates.)
• We could offer a way to “convert” such a prototype into a full CRA-based project, and they will be compatible.
• You could even use that in a CRA-based project to work on a single component at a time.

What do you think? Would that be useful?

[andreypopp]

Do we really need another project for that? Maybe it is better to rename CRA to react-cli and make it host both CRA functionality and proposed run-react-component?

• react create-app
• react run-component

[gaearon]

I think documenting Storybook integration might address this better than us building a dedicated tool. Closing in favor of #738.