7 Little Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference With Your React Js Project
The React Js landscape is always changing, and every little change matters. The whole idea behind React Js is to be able to create rich, engaging, and fast web apps with minimal efforts.
As a React JS developer, you have the mandate of setting up achievable goals. More importantly, helping businesses leverage technology in accelerating growth, cutting costs, and raising conversion rates.
While you’ve been able to achieve these goals with results, you can even scale higher. That’s if you can make these seven little changes to your React Js projects;
1. Treat React Js Like a View Library
It’s a view library and needs to be treated as such. Don’t approach React Js as if it’s an MVC Framework. It’s not, and you’ll have to look elsewhere for your M and C, as React Js is just a V in the tripartite.
The thing is, you’ll have a mess of code if you treat it as an MVC.
2. Focus on Writing Stateless Components
You’ll be causing yourself quite much pain if you write components with much state. Let’s break this further; components that are difficult to test, difficulty in sharing information to other parts of the app, and exerting too much mental energy into the process are few of the problems with states.
When dealing with states, things are pretty easy to get out of control in your effort to add just another item.
3. Never Forget to Use PropTypes
Your components deserve safety, and it’s only PropTypes that can guarantee this safety.
With PropTypes, you can catch bugs early, and it will even serve as documentation. One that prevents your users from having to search through the entire components for props needed. In the same vein, adopt dynamic typing rather than static typing in your components. Finally, allow your tests to fail on any proptype errors.
4. Employ Shallow Rendering
Right from the onset, testing React rendering has always being a grey area. Not because of how difficult it is, but due to its evolving nature.
While there are numerous approaches to rendering, there’s no one that can be regarded as the best. Nonetheless, you can always think of shallow rendering and prop assertion. This is because of how it allows you to render each component as a standalone. There’s no other method that provides for such isolation.
5. Make Good Use of The React and Redux Dev Tools
If you’ll make good of React Js, you’ll need all the help you can get. One of such help is making use of the React and Redux dev tools.
With the tools, you can easily render the tree of React elements. This will give you a clear view of how things will eventually look like in the browser. What you’ll find most useful is the ability to travel back in time. Choose to add it as a browser extension or as a dependency. What matters is the result you get out of it.
6. You Can’t Do Without Redux.Js
Remember, in point 1; we stated that React Js should be treated just as a view library. The question that should be on your mind should be, where do you now put all of your states and logic?
What we’ll recommend is Redux Js. Of course, we are well aware of Flux. We’ll still prefer to go with Redux Js for a number of reasons. First is the pure functions of the reducers; the small, simple, and better-documented API is another.
7. Keep Your Components Small
Ass obvious as this is, it’s worth mentioning. Let’s reiterate the fact that small components are understandable, test, and maintain.
These three characteristics will make your life easier as a React Js developer.
Final Thought
With the way Facebook and Instagram have made use of React Js, the possibilities are not limited. By making use of these tips, you can get more out of your React Js works.
Reach out if you have questions. Our in house experts are always ready to help.