Building Hierarchical UIs: Understanding Recursion in React

Ever encountered a concept like this? Let's explore how it's used and how you can implement it, demonstrated through example.

How Does Recursion Work in React?

Recursion works in React by having a component call itself, usually through child components, until a certain condition or base case is met. The base case is essential to prevent infinite loops, ensuring that the recursion eventually stops.

Assume that there are two Components <Table/> & <Row/> and both have attributes data

Structure of Recursion
Table
 ├─ Row
 │   ├─ Table
 │   │   ├─ Row
 │   │   │   ├─ Table        

Characteristics of Your Code

• Base Case: The recursion stops when a row does not contain another table
• Recursive Call: The Table component is called again within the Row.

// Dummy Example data
[{
      name: 'John', age: '25', city: 'New York',
      children: [ {
          name: 'John1', age: '5', city: 'New York',
          children: [],
        },
        {
          name: 'John2', age: '3', city: 'New York',
          children: [],
        },
      ],
    },{
      name: 'Jane', age: '30', city: 'London',
      children: [
        {
          name: 'Sub-Peter', age: '8', city: 'London',
          children: [
            {
              name: 'Sub-Sub-Mary','2','London',
              children: [],
            },
          ],
        },
      ],
}];        

• We pass this table data to the table component.

// Table component
const Table = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <>
      {data.map((rowData, index) => (
        <Row key={index} data={rowData} />
      ))}
    </>
  );
};        

// Row component
const Row = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <>
      <div>
        <p>Name: {data.name}</p>
        <p>Age: {data.age}</p>
        <p>City: {data.city}</p>
      </div>
      {data.children && 
       data.children.length > 0 && 
       <Table data={data.children} />}
    </>
  );
};        

Here, you can see that we call the Table component inside the Row component again to avoid code repetition. As a base case, if the data has no further children, it serves as our base case.

const App = () => {
  return <Table data={tableData} />;
};
export default App;        

And here, we can call the component in React. There are many ways to implement it, so feel free to share your approaches in the comments. Let's collaborate and learn together!

By exploring different methods, we not only enhance our understanding but also open the door to innovative solutions. Keep coding, keep learning, and let's continue building amazing applications together. Happy coding!

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