Components in React

In React, think of components as building blocks for your user interface — they’re like Lego pieces that you can assemble to create your application. These components are self-contained and can be reused, making it easier to manage and organize your user interface. It’s as if you’re constructing your application with Lego bricks, where each brick represents a specific part of your user interface.

This modular approach simplifies the development process and encourages a more flexible and maintainable code structure.

Dumb components: Think of these components as the friendly faces you see in a store’s display window. They’re there to catch your eye and make everything look inviting. These components are all about the visual appeal, like the welcoming decor of a shop, without getting into the technical details or behind-the-scenes work.

2. Smart components:Think of these components as the wise decision-makers. They not only handle the important business details but also decide when and how things should appear on the screen. It’s like having an event planner for your app — they manage the behind-the-scenes work and ensure everything shows up at just the right time and in the best way possible.

NOTE ?:These components can come to life either as classes or functions. They’re adaptable, like a versatile tool that can be crafted in different ways based on your needs.

State of a component

In the world of React, think of the state as a component’s personal notebook — it’s where the component keeps track of information that can change over time. This information might shift based on how users interact with the component or how the outside world reacts to it. Whether the component is a classic novel (a class) or a snappy note (a function), it handles its state in its own unique way. What’s really neat is that when this internal state undergoes a change, it’s like the component automatically freshens up, updating its look without any fuss — kind of like a quick, seamless makeover happening in the background.

Properties of a component

In React, components communicate with each other through a feature called “Props.” It’s like sharing notes or gifts between them, but here’s the catch: the communication is a one-way street, flowing strictly from a parent component to its child. Imagine it as a parent passing a sealed letter to their child. What’s interesting is that these messages, or props, are unchangeable once delivered. It’s akin to sending a secure package — the information remains intact, ensuring a clear and organized flow of data between React components.

Life cycle of a component

Components in React have a lifecycle, and it’s like understanding the natural flow of a component’s journey. This lifecycle serves as our guide, allowing us to make smart decisions at different points in the component’s existence. It’s a bit like knowing when to take specific actions, such as making an HTTP request or tidying up the user interface.

componentDidMount: Think of this as the behind-the-scenes moment when the component takes its place on the UI stage for the first time.
componentDidUpdate:
Picture this as the component’s way of adapting and evolving — a sort of behind-the-scenes dance that happens when the component experiences a change in its mood or receives something new to work with.
componentWillUnmount: Function executed when the component is unmounted from the UI.

React Hooks are a set of functions that were introduced in React 16.8 to enable the use of state and other React features in functional components. Before the introduction of hooks, state and lifecycle methods were primarily associated with class components. Hooks allow functional components to have state, lifecycle features, and more, making them a powerful and concise alternative to class components.

The most commonly used React Hooks include:

use State: Enables functional components to manage state.

2. use Effect: Provides a way to perform side effects in functional components, similar to component DidMount and component DidUpdate in class components.

3. use Context: Allows functional components to subscribe to React context without introducing a nested component.

4. use Reducer: An alternative to use State for managing more complex state logic in functional components.

5. use Callback and use Memo: Optimize performance by memoizing functions and values to prevent unnecessary re-renders.

Hello world with create react app

Create React App is a ready-to-go setup designed for building React applications. It works seamlessly with Node version 14.0.0 or higher and npm version 5.6 or higher. To kickstart a new project, simply run the following commands in your terminal:

“npx create-react-app your-project-name”

Most used add-on libraries in React JS

1. Redux: A predictable state container for managing the state of your application in a more organized and scalable way.

2. React Router: Provides navigation and routing functionalities for React applications, allowing you to create dynamic and SPA (Single Page Application) experiences.

3. Axios: A promise-based HTTP client that simplifies making HTTP requests in React applications.

4. Styled-components: Enables writing CSS directly in your JavaScript files using tagged template literals, promoting component-based styling.

5. Material-UI: A popular React component library that implements Google’s Material Design, offering a set of pre-designed and customizable components.

6. Formik: A form management library that simplifies form building, validation, and handling form submissions.

7. React Query: A library for managing, caching, and syncing asynchronous data in React applications, making it easier to work with API calls and data fetching.

8. Chakra UI: A component library for React that provides a set of accessible and customizable UI components.

9. React Helmet: Allows manipulation of the document head, useful for managing meta tags, titles, and other document head elements.

10. React-Bootstrap: Integrates the Bootstrap CSS framework with React components, providing a set of responsive and customizable UI elements.

Recursos React JS

React Official Website: Explore the heart of React at React official websites. Immerse yourself in comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and fundamental concepts that form the backbone of React development.

React Blog: Stay updated on the latest in React by checking out the React Blog. Dive into news, official articles, and insightful posts that illuminate the evolving world of React development.

Thinking in React: Embark on your React journey by embracing the philosophy of “Thinking in React.” Learn how to kickstart your understanding by focusing on the core concept of thinking in components. The journey begins with a guide to getting started thinking in components.