The Ultimate Checklist of React Best Practices for 2024: React JS Technical Tips and Tricks

Building user interfaces that are easy to maneuver is no child’s play, and this is something React JS developers are privy to.

React is a popular and powerful JavaScript framework for building web applications and user interfaces. However, to be a successful React developer, you need more than just knowing how to use the framework. You also need to follow some React best practices and conventions that will help you write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.

In this blog, we will explore some common challenges React developers face in their projects. We will also delve into some of the best practices that will help you build on your React skills and productivity.

In the first part of this article, we will look at some of the typical problems that React developers encounter, such as component design, performance optimization, testing, and code quality. In the second part of this article, we will focus on some of the tips & tricks you can apply to your React code, such as using hooks, custom hooks, ESLint, Prettier, etc.

Certain pain points that every React JS developer needs to figure out are,

•  Component design: How to structure your components clearly and consistently, how to use props and state effectively, how to use hooks and custom hooks for managing side effects and logic, how to use functional components and class components appropriately, etc.

•  Performance optimization: How to measure and improve the performance of your web application, how to use techniques such as memoization, lazy loading, code splitting, etc., how to avoid common pitfalls and anti-patterns that can affect performance, etc.

•  Testing: How to write reliable and maintainable tests for your web application, how to use tools such as Jest, Enzyme, React Testing Library, etc., how to test different aspects of your web application such as components, hooks, reducers, etc., how to use mocking and stubbing for testing external dependencies, etc.

•  Code quality: How to write clean and readable code that follows best practices and conventions, how to use tools such as ESLint, Prettier, etc., for enforcing code style and quality rules, how to use tools such as Git, GitHub, etc., for version control and collaboration, how to use tools such as CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery), etc., for automating the deployment process of your web application, etc.

Let’s now shift gears towards React JS best practices that will help you write cleaner and more efficient code seamlessly in 2024 and the years to come. 

1. Deploy the power of Prop Types for Type Checking.

Prop Types are a way to check the types of data that you pass to your components as props. Props are the inputs that you give to your components to control their behavior and appearance. For example, you can pass a prop called name to a component called Greeting that displays a message like “Hello, name”.

However, sometimes, you might pass the wrong type of data to your components, which can cause errors or unexpected results. For example, if you pass a number instead of a string to the name prop, the Greeting component might display something like “Hello, 42”.

To prevent these errors, you can use Prop Types to specify what type of data each prop should have. For example, you can say that the name prop should be a string, and if it is not, React will warn you in the console. This can help you debug your code and make it more reliable.

Prop Types are not only useful for catching errors but also for documenting your code. By using Prop Types, you can make it clear what kind of data your components expect and how they should be used. This can help other developers make sense of your code and use it correctly.

Prop Types are now an official recommendation from the React team, which means that they are supported and encouraged by the creators of React. You can use Prop Types in your React projects by installing a package called prop-types and importing it in your files.

Here is an example of how to use Prop Types in a React component:

import React from ‘react’;

// Define the expected types of the props

interface propTypes = {

name:string|null; // name should be a string or null

};

//Strict use that particular type of props in component 

const Greeting : React.FC<propTypes>= ({name})  =>   {

return (

<div>

<h1>Hello, {name}</h1>

</div>);

}

export default Greeting;

2. Make use of Context API for Global State.

The Context API is a means to share data between components without needing to pass props down through every level of the component hierarchy. It is a great way to manage the global state of your application.

Let’s try to explain this in simple terms. Imagine that you have a React application that has many components, such as a header, a sidebar, a main content, a footer, etc. Each component may have its state and props, which are the data that control how the component looks and behaves.

Now, suppose that you want to share some data across all or some of these components, such as the user’s name, theme, language, etc. These data are called global state, because they are relevant to the whole application, not just to one component.

One way to share a global state is to pass it as props from the top-level component (such as App) to the lower-level components (such as Header, Sidebar, etc.). However, this can be very tedious and inefficient because you have to pass the same data through many levels of components, even if some of them don’t need it. This can also make your code harder to read and maintain.

The Context API is a better way to share global state. It allows you to create a context object that contains the data you want to share. Then, you can use a provider component to make the context available to any component that needs it. You can also use a consumer component or a hook to access the context data from any component that needs it.

The Context API makes it easier and faster to share global state between components. You don’t have to pass props down through every level of the component hierarchy. You can also update the context data from any component that has access to it, and the changes will be reflected in all the components that use it.

The Context API is recommended by the React team and can be used with a package called React. Here is an example of how to use the Context API in a React component:

import React from ‘react’;

// Create a context object with some initial data

const UserContext = React.createContext({

name: ‘John’,

theme: ‘dark’,

language: ‘en’

});

class App extends React.Component {

render() {

return (

// Use a provider component to make the context available to any component that needs it

<UserContext.Provider value={this.state}>

<div className=”App”>

<Header />

<Sidebar />

<MainContent />

<Footer />

</div>

</UserContext.Provider>

);

}

}

class Header extends React.Component {

render() {

return (

// Use a consumer component or a hook to access the context data from any component that needs it

<UserContext.Consumer>

{value => (

<div className=”Header”>

<h1>Hello, {value.name}</h1>

<p>Your theme is {value.theme}</p>

<p>Your language is {value.language}</p>

</div>

)}

</UserContext.Consumer>

);

}

}

export default App;

3. Make use of Keys in Lists.

When you want to display a list of items in React, such as a list of names, products, or tasks, you need to use a special prop called “key” for each item. A prop is a way to pass data to a component, which is a reusable piece of code that can render some part of the user interface.

The key prop is a unique identifier that helps React keep track of which items have changed, added, or removed. This way, React can update the user interface more efficiently and avoid unnecessary re-rendering of the components.

For example, suppose you have a list of names that you want to display in your web application. You can use a component called NameItem to render each name and pass the name as a prop. However, if you don’t use the key prop, React will not know which name corresponds to which component. This can cause problems if you want to change, add, or remove some names from the list.

To solve this problem, you can use the key prop and assign a unique value to each name. For example, you can use the index of the name in the array, or some other unique value that you have. This way, React can identify each name and component by their key, and update only the ones that have changed.

Here is an example of how to use the key prop in a React component:

import React from ‘react’;

// A component that renders a single name

function NameItem(props) {

return <li>{props.name}</li>;

}

// A component that renders a list of names

function NameList(props) {

return (

<ul>

{props.names.map((name, index) => (

// Use the index as the key prop

<NameItem key={index} name={name} />

))}

</ul>

);

}

export default NameList;

4. Make use of State Management Tools

State management tools are libraries that help you store, update, and access the data that your React app needs. They can make your code easier to write, read, and maintain, especially for complex and large-scale apps.

Some of the popular state management tools for React are:

•  Redux: Redux is a library that uses a central store to keep the global state of your app. You can access and modify the state by dispatching actions and using reducers.

•  MobX: MobX is a library that uses observable objects to keep track of the state changes in your app. You can create and update the state by using actions and reactions. MobX also provides tools for performance optimization, computed values, and integration with other libraries. 

•  Zustand: Zustand is a library that uses hooks to create and access the state in your app. You can define and update the state by using functions and setters. Zustand also provides tools for middleware, persistence, and dev tools. It is a minimal and easy-to-use state management tool for React.

These are some of the best practices for using state management tools in React:

•  Choose the perfect tool for your project based on your needs and preferences. Consider factors such as the size, complexity, performance, and maintainability of your app.

•  Follow the conventions and patterns of the tool you choose. Learn how to use the tool’s features and APIs correctly and consistently.

•  Organize your code in a clear and modular way. Separate your logic and presentation layers, group your related files and folders, name your variables and functions meaningfully, etc.

•  Test your code thoroughly and regularly. Use testing tools and techniques to ensure that your code works as expected and meets the requirements.

•  Use dev tools and extensions to debug and optimize your code. Use tools such as Redux DevTools, MobX DevTools, Zustand DevTools, etc., to inspect and modify your state, track your actions, measure your performance, etc.

5. Deploy Functional Components in Code

Functional components are a way to write React components using simple functions instead of classes. They have many benefits, such as:

•  They are shorter and simpler to write and read. You can also use arrow functions and implicit returns to make your code more concise.

•  They are easier to manage state and side effects with Hooks. Hooks are a feature of React that lets you use state and other React features without writing a class component. You can use built-in hooks such as useState, useEffect, useRef, etc., or create your custom hooks to handle your logic and functionality.

•  They are more compatible with the latest React trends and resources. The official React documentation is being rewritten using functional components and hooks, so you can learn from the best practices and examples. You can also find more updated and helpful guides and tutorials from the React community that use functional components and hooks.

By using functional components, you will be able to write more modern and efficient React code. You will also be able to keep up with the latest developments and technologies in the React ecosystem. Consequently, you will be able to up your game as a React developer in 2024.

6. Make use of ES6, ES7 syntax for coding.

Using ES6 and ES7 syntax for coding is a best practice for React JS because:

•  It makes your code more concise and readable. You can use features such as arrow functions, template literals, destructuring, spread operator, etc., to write less and clearer code.

•  It makes your code more modern and compatible. You can use features such as classes, modules, promises, async/await, etc., to write more structured and asynchronous code. You can also use tools such as Babel to transpile your code to older versions of JavaScript for browser compatibility.

•  It makes your code more consistent and standardized. You can follow the official recommendations and conventions from the React team and the JavaScript community. You can also use tools such as ESLint and Prettier to enforce code style and quality rules.

Summary

As we take your leave, we hope that you make the best of the React JS practices shared above. Team @Mavlers offers a repertoire of premia UI//UX design and web development services at minimum TAT. Get in touch with us to book yourself an experience now!