React

CheatSheet
In this Cheatsheet, we will cover the basics of React. We will
provide examples to help you understand how React works and
how to use them in your own web development projects. Whether
you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this PDF can
serve as a useful reference guide.

REACT
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It was
developed and is maintained by Facebook and a community of
individual developers and companies. React allows developers to
build reusable UI components, manage the state of their
applications, and render dynamic updates efficiently.

React uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) to update

the view without having to reload the entire page. This results in
fast and smooth updates to the user interface. React also uses a
component-based architecture, which allows developers to easily
reuse and compose their components to build complex UIs.

React is used for both web and mobile development, and is

popular for its simplicity, versatility, and performance. Many
companies and organizations use React for their websites and
applications, including Facebook, Airbnb, Netflix, and Dropbox.

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 MANAGE STATE
useState

const [count, setCount] = useState(initialCount);

• Class way

const initialCount = 0;
class Counter extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = { count : initialCount };
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<p>You clicked {this.state.count} times</p>
<button
onClick = {() => this.setState(({count}) => ({ count: count + 1 }))}
>
Click me
</button>
</div>
);
}
}

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 • Hook Way

import { useState } from "react";

const initialCount = 0;
function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(initialCount);
return (
<div>
<p>You clicked {count} times</p>
<button
onClick = {() => setCount((c) => c + 1)}
>
Click me
</button>
</div>
);
}

useReducer

const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(

reducer,
initialState,
initialDispatch
);

An alternative to useState. Use it in the components that need

complex state management, such as multiple state values being
updated by multiple methods.

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 const initialState = {count: 0};
function reducer(state, action) {
switch (action.type) {
case 'increment':
return {count: state.count + 1};
case 'decrement':
return {count: state.count - 1};
default:
throw new Error();
}
}
function Counter({initialState}) {
const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, initialState);
return (
<>
Count: {state.count}
<button onClick = {() => dispatch({type: 'increment'})}>+</button>
<button onClick = {() => dispatch({type: 'decrement'})}>+</button>
</>
);
}

HANDLE SIDE EFFECTS

useEffect

useEffect(() => {
applyEffect(dependencies);
return () => cleanupEffect();
}, [dependencies]);

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• Class way

class FriendStatus extends React.Component {

state = { isOnline : null };
componentDidMount() {
ChatAPI.subscribeToFriendStatus(
this.props.friend.id,
this.handleStatusChange
);
}
componentWillUnmount() {
ChatAPI.unsubscribeFromFriendStatus(
this.props.friend.id,
this.handleStatusChange
);
}
componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
if(this.props.friend.id !== prevProps.id) {
ChatAPI.unsubscribeFromFriendStatus(
prevProps.friend.id,
this.handleStatusChange
);
ChatAPI.subscribeToFriendStatus(
this.props.friend.id,
this.handleStatusChange
);
}
}
handleStatusChange = status => {
this.setState({
isOnline: status.isOnline
});
}
render() {
if (this.state.isOnline === null) {
return 'Loading...';
}
return this.state.isOnline ? 'Online' : 'Offline';
}
}

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 • Hook Way

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function FriendStatus(props) {
const [isOnline, setIsOnline] = useState(null);
status
const handleStatusChange = (status) => setIsOnline(status.isOnline);
useEffect(
() => {
// Update status when the listener triggers
ChatAPI.subscribeToFriendStatus(
props.friend.id,
handleStatusChange
);
// Stop listening to status changes every time we cleanup
return function cleanup() {
ChatAPI.unsubscribeFromFriendStatus(
props.friend.id,
handleStatusChange
);
};
},
[props.friend.id] // Cleanup when friend id changes or when we "unmount"
);
if (isOnline === null) {
return 'Loading...';
}
return isOnline ? 'Online' : 'Offline';
}

useLayoutEffect

useLayoutEffect(() => {
applyBlockingEffect(dependencies);
return cleanupEffect();
}, [dependencies]);

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useLayoutEffect is almost same as useEffect, but fires
synchronously after the render phase. Use this to safely read from
or write to the DOM

import { useRef, useLayoutEffect } from "react";

function ColoredComponent({color}) {
const ref = useRef();
useLayoutEffect(() => {
const refColor = ref.current.style.color;
console.log(`${refColor} will always be the same as ${color}`);
ref.current.style.color = "rgba(255,0,0)";
}, [color]);
useEffect(() => {
const refColor = ref.current.style.color;
console.log(
`but ${refColor} can be different from ${color} if you play with the
DOM`
);
}, [color]);
return (
<div ref={ref} style={{ color: color }}>
Hello React hooks !
</div>
);
}

<ColoredComponent color = {"rgb(42, 13, 37)"}/>

// rgb(42, 13, 37) will always be the same as rgb(42, 13, 37)
// but rgb(255, 0, 0) can be different from rgb(42, 13, 37) if you play with the DOM

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 USE THE CONTEXT API
useContext

const ThemeContext = React.createContext();

const contextValue = useContext(ThemeContext);

• Class way

class Header extends React.Component {

public render() {
return (
<AuthContext.Consumer>
{({ handleLogin, isLoggedIn}) => (
<ModalContext.Consumer>
{({ isOpen, showModal, hideModal }) => (
<NotificationContext.Consumer>
{({ notification, notify }) => {
return (
...
)
}}
</NotificationContext.Consumer>
)}
</ModalContext.Consumer>
)}
</AuthContext.Consumer>
);
}
}

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 • Hook Way

import { useContext } from 'react';

function Header() {
const { handleLogin, isLoggedIn} = useContext(AuthContext);
const { isOpen, showModal, hideModal } = useContext(ModalContext);
const { notification, notify } = useContext(NotificationContext);

return ...
}

NOTE: Use the created context, not the consumer.

const Context = React.createContext(defaultValue);

// Wrong
const value = useContext(Context.Consumer);
// Right
const value = useContext(Context);

MEMOIZE EVERYTHING
useMemo

const memoizedValue = useMemo (

() => expensiveFn (dependencies),
[dependencies]
);

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 function RandomColoredLetter(props) {
const [color, setColor] = useState('#fff')
const [letter, setLetter] = useState('a')
const handleColorChange = useMemo(() => () =>
setColor(randomColor()), []);
const handleLetterChange = useMemo(() => () =>
setLetter(randomColor()), []);
return (
<div>
<ColorPicker handleChange={handleColorChange} color={color} />
<LetterPicker handleChange={handleLetterChange} letter={letter} />
<hr/>
<h1 style={{color}}>{letter}</h1>
</div>
)
}

useCallback

const memoizedCallback = useCallback (

expensiveFn (dependencies),
[dependencies]
);

function RandomColoredLetter(props) {
const [color, setColor] = useState('#fff')
const [letter, setLetter] = useState('a')
const handleColorChange = useCallback(() => setColor(randomColor()), []);
const handleLetterChange = useCallback(() => setLetter(randomColor()), []);
return (
<div>
<ColorPicker handleChange={handleColorChange} color={color} />
<LetterPicker handleChange={handleLetterChange} letter={letter} />
<hr/>
<h1 style={{color}}>{letter}</h1>
</div>
)
}

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 USE REFS
useRef

const ref = useRef();

useRef can just be used as a common React ref :

import { useRef } from "react";

function TextInput() {
const inputRef = useRef(null);
const onBtnClick = () => inputRef.current.focus();
return (
<>
<input ref={ inputRef } />
<button onClick={onBtnClick}>Focus the text input</button>
</>
)
}

But it also allows you to just hold a mutable value through any
render. Also, mutating the value of ref.current will not cause any
render.

useImperativeHandle

useImperativeHandle (
ref,
createHandle,
[dependencies]
)

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useImperativeHandle allows you to customize the exposed interface
of a component when using a ref. The following component will
automatically focus the child input when mounted :

function TextInput(props, ref) {

const inputRef = useRef(null);
const onBtnClick = () => inputRef.current.focus();
useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
focusInput: () => inputRef.current.focus();
});
return (
<Fragment>
<input ref={inputRef} />
<button onClick={onBtnClick}>Focus the text input</button>
</Fragment>
)
}
const TextInputWithRef = React.forwardRef(TextInput);
function Parent() {
const ref = useRef(null);
useEffect(() => {
ref.focusInput();
}, []);
return (
<div>
<TextInputWithRef ref={ref} />
</div>
);
}

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 REUSABILITY
Extract reusable behaviour into custom hooks.

import { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect } from "React";

// let's hide the complexity of listening to hover changes
function useHover() {
const [value, setValue] = useState(false); // store the hovered state
const ref = useRef(null); // expose a ref to listen to
// memoize function calls
const handleMouseOver = useCallback(() => setValue(true), []);
const handleMouseOut = useCallback(() => setValue(false), []);
// add listeners inside an effect,
// and listen for ref changes to apply the effect again
useEffect(() => {
const node = ref.current;
if (node) {
node.addEventListener("mouseover", handleMouseOver);
node.addEventListener("mouseout", handleMouseOut);
return () => {
node.removeEventListener("mouseover", handleMouseOver);
node.removeEventListener("mouseout", handleMouseOut);
};
}
}, [ref.current]);
// return the pair of the exposed ref and it's hovered state
return [ref, value];
}

const HoverableComponent = () => {

const [ref, isHovered] = useHover();
return (
<span style={{ color: isHovered ? "blue" : "red" }} ref={ref}>
Hello React hooks !
</span>
);
};

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