Hooks are one of the most exciting additions to React in years. They allow you to add state and other React features to function components. Hooks enable cleaner code and unlock new possibilities. In this post, we’ll dive deep into fully utilizing React’s powerful hooks system.
Introduction
React Hooks were introduced in React 16.8 as a way to “hook into” React features like state from function components. Prior to Hooks, state was only available in class components. Hooks allow you to write entire React apps with functions. This introduces a more functional programming approach to React. Hooks help reduce complexity and enable beautiful code patterns. They give function components almost parity with classes. Mastering hooks unlocks the next evolution of React code.
Using State with useState()
The useState hook allows you to add state to function components. Calling useState declares a state variable. It returns an array with the current state value and a function to update it. You’ll typically destructure this array to name the variables better. Here is an example:
Updates using the setter function will trigger a re-render of the component. useState accepts the initial state as an argument. You can use it to declare multiple state variables as well. useState is the hook you’ll use most often.
Fetching Data with useEffect()
The useEffect hook allows you to perform side effects from your function components. These side effects include data fetching, subscriptions, manually changing the DOM, and more. useEffect accepts a callback function where you put your side effect code. For example:
You can also return a cleanup function from the callback to clean up the effect before unmounting. This is useful for subscriptions, timers, etc.
Sharing Logic with Custom Hooks
One of the best parts of hooks is the ability to create reusable custom hooks. This allows you to extract reusable logic from components into sharable hooks. Custom hooks start with “use” and call other hooks inside. For example:
Now you can abstract complex React code into easy to use custom hooks!
Final Thoughts
React Hooks introduce a more functional programming approach to React. They enable cleaner code, better organization, and powerful customization. Hooks give function components almost parity with classes while reducing complexity. Mastering hooks unlocks the next evolution of React code. Your components will become more streamlined and reusable. Entire apps can be built with streamlined function components using hooks! With some practice, hooks can take your React skills to the next level.
Fortunately, Amity, the complete suite of pre-built features to enable in-app social experiences and fuel user engagement now supports React-JS UIKit open-source which uses React hook so it’s easier for client to easily fork the UI Kit and customize the entire codebase with lint format which simplifies the process of adding Chat and Social features to your application. This means developers don’t need to worry about ongoing maintenance, updates, or infrastructure issues.