Decoding React's Building Blocks: A Comprehensive Dive into Understanding Components
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How Do React Components Work?
A component in React is a reusable, self-contained building block that contains a portion of the user interface along with its functionality. Parts might be as basic as a button or as intricate as a whole page. By dividing the user interface into small, manageable chunks, components aim to improve the modularity and maintainability of the development process.
Functional Components
React components come in the most basic form as functional components. These are JavaScript functions that return React elements after accepting props, which is short for properties, as arguments. React 16.8 brought React Hooks, which gave functional components the ability to handle state and side effects, increasing their strength and adaptability.
jsx
import React from 'react';
const MyComponent = (props) => {
return <div>{props.message}</div>;
};
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Class Components
The more traditional method of defining components in React is using class components, which are still in use today. They have access to lifecycle methods—functions that are called at various stages of a component's life—and can manage local state. But in contemporary React development, functional components have mainly taken the role of class components since the release of Hooks.
Jsx
import React, { Component } from 'react';
class MyComponent extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = { message: 'Hello, React!' };
}
render() {
return <div>{this.state.message}</div>;
}
}
Props and State
Props and state are two essential concepts in React components.
Props
Props are React components' inputs. They enable data to be passed from the parent component to its offspring. Because props are immutable, a child component cannot change the props it inherits.
jsx
// Parent Component
import React from 'react';
import ChildComponent from './ChildComponent';
const ParentComponent = () => {
return <ChildComponent message="Hello from parent!" />;
};
// Child Component
const ChildComponent = (props) => {
return <div>{props.message}</div>;
};
State
State, which can vary over time as a result of user interactions or other causes, denotes the internal state of a component. Because state is modifiable, modifications to it cause the component to be rendered again.
?jsx
import React, { useState } from 'react';
const Counter = () => {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
const increment = () => {
setCount(count + 1);
};
return (
<div>
<p>Count: {count}</p>
<button onClick={increment}>Increment</button>
</div>
);
};
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Styling React Components
A key component of web development is styling, and React components provide a variety of methods for handling it. Inline styles, external stylesheet imports, and CSS-in-JS libraries like styled-components are the three ways you can apply styles directly. Every strategy has benefits, and the decision is frequently based on the demands of the project as well as individual preferences.
Inline Styles
React's inline styles let you use JavaScript objects to apply styles directly within the component. With this method, styling at the component level is possible and styles can be dynamically altered based on props or state.
jsx
const StyledComponent = () => {
const styles = {
color: 'blue',
fontSize: '16px',
};
return <div style={styles}>I'm styled with inline styles</div>;
};
External stylesheets
Additionally, you can apply styles to your React components by using external stylesheets. Apply class names in your component file after importing the stylesheet.
jsx
// styles.css
.myComponent {
color: green;
font-size: 18px; }
// Component file
import React from 'react';
import './styles.css';
const StyledComponent = () => {
return <div className="myComponent">I'm styled with an external stylesheet</div>;
};
Lifecycle of a Component
Class components have a lifespan that includes mounting, updating, and unmounting, among other stages. Developers can hook into these stages and run code at designated intervals by using lifecycle methods. Nevertheless, functional components can now employ useEffect to have lifecycle-like behavior thanks to the advent of Hooks.
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In summary
The foundation of contemporary web development is made up of React components, which provide an effective and modular method of creating user interfaces. Components, whether functional or class-based, offer an organized method for handling and arranging user interface elements. Learning about props, state, and lifecycle as you go with React development will enable you to build dynamic, interactive online applications.
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Credit – Vidyadhar Chavan
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