From my little search, it seems like all you need to do is include your component to the project folder and then "require()" it. Seems straightforward enough - same as with any other node modules.
You can also upload your component to the npm, so that other could use it. By adding "react-component" keyowrd to the description on npm, your component should be available at http://react-components.com/.
If you want to use in on the frontend right away, then maybe write it in AMD format, so that you could load it via require.js?
It's that part at the end there - "write it in AMD format, so that you could load it via require.js" - it just isn't straightforward. Why can I not just use it as is?
I know I'm being a bit silly silly here but it seems awfully difficult to get started. Too difficult if you ask me. Am I missing something fundamental?
I can certainly get there in the end but there are a lot of configuration tasks to get there.
Checked some of the available components and it seems like it should be possible to "just include" .js with the component and use in in the app. Not the best way to go about it as it is not that good of a practice, but possible nevertheless.
This is all about modules. It is a good programming practice to turn piece of code that can be used in multiple projects into the module, so that it is easier to load them up in the next project.
In node.js it is trivial - just like loading external modules in python (if you ever worked with it).
RequireJS is a tough nut, I give you that. That's mainly because of the asynchronous nature of the script loading on the web. Can't really recommend anything on the topic. I myself spent quite some time before it clicked.
You can also upload your component to the npm, so that other could use it. By adding "react-component" keyowrd to the description on npm, your component should be available at http://react-components.com/.
If you want to use in on the frontend right away, then maybe write it in AMD format, so that you could load it via require.js?