Why You Should Use React-Query in 2023

Introduction:

Managing data and state in a React application can be a complex task. However, in the State of JavaScript 2022 survey, React-Query has shown a high retention rate among JavaScript developers. This trend reflects the developer's positive experience with this relatively new technology. Based on this trend, it would be helpful to create an article showing how easy it is to adopt React-Query in your application and why it is better than traditional methods. This article will explore how to handle data fetching and caching in React using React-Query. We will also see real-world examples and comparisons with conventional methods to help you understand the benefits of these libraries.

Handling Data Fetching with React-Query

One of the main advantages of React-Query is its ability to handle data fetching more efficiently. The useQuery hook allows you to fetch data and cache it in a way that makes it easy to handle complex data structures.

For example, consider the following code that fetches data using the traditional useEffect hook:

const [users, setUsers] = useState([])

useEffect(() => {
    const fetchUsers = async () => {
        const response = await axios.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users");
        setUsers(response.data);
    }
    fetchUsers();
}, []);;        

On the other hand, with React-Query, the same data can be fetched using the useQuery hook:

const { data: users } = useQuery("users", async () => 
    const response = await axios.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users");
    return response.data;
});{        

As you can see, the useQuery hook makes it easy to fetch and manage data by handling the complexities of caching and re-fetching the data.

Managing Caching with React-Query

Another advantage of React-Query is its ability to manage cache more efficiently. The useQuery hook automatically caches the data and updates it when the data changes. This eliminates the need to manage the cache using `useState` hooks manually. This can significantly simplify the management of data in your application and improve performance by reducing unnecessary data fetches.

For example, if you have a component that displays a list of users and a separate component that displays details of a selected user, you can use the useQuery hook in both components and pass the same key to the hook. This way, React-Query will automatically cache the data and share it between the two components, eliminating the need to fetch the data separately in each component.

const UsersList = () => 
  const { data: users } = useQuery("users", async () => {
    const response = await axios.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users");
    return response.data;
  });

  return (
    <div>
      {users.map((user) => (
        <div key={user.id}>
          <Link to={`/users/${user.id}`}>{user.name}</Link>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
};

const UserDetails = () => {
  const { id } = useParams();
  const { data: user } = useQuery(["users", id], async () => {
    const response = await axios.get(`https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/${id}`);
    return response.data;
  });

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{user.name}</h1>
      <p>{user.email}</p>
    </div>
  );
};{        

Handling Loading and Error States with React-Query

Another advantage of React-Query is its ability to handle loading and error states seamlessly. The useQuery hook returns a status object that contains information about the loading state, error state, and the data returned from the query. This easily handles loading and error states in your application and provides a better user experience.

For example, you can use the status object to show a loading spinner while the data is being fetched and display an error message if there is an error:

const UsersList = () => 
  const { data: users, status } = useQuery("users", async () => {
    const response = await axios.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users");
    return response.data;
  });

  if (status === "loading") {
    return <div>Loading...</div>;
  }

  if (status === "error") {
    return <div>Error: {status.error.message}</div>;
  }

  return (
    <div>
      {users.map((user) => (
        <div key={user.id}>{user.name}</div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
};{        

React-Query is a powerful library that can help you manage your React applications' data fetching, caching and state management complexities. By adopting React-Query, you can improve the performance of your application and make it easier to manage the server state of your application.

If you're interested in learning more about implementing React-Query in your application, feel free to contact me for a consultation or further support. You can contact me at [email protected] or message me on LinkedIn. In addition, you can learn more about React-Query on TanStack's website: