Elevate Your React Development: 15 Essential Best Practices 🚀 - Part #1
Tags: react, javascript, frontend, webdev
Published: 2024-03-14 09:49:35

Over the years, React, a JavaScript library designed for constructing user interfaces, has undergone substantial development and growth.

With every subsequent update, React incorporates enhancements and optimal approaches, enhancing its efficiency, maintainability, and overall power.

You've embarked on a React journey, creating several apps along the way. Perhaps you've honed your skills and are becoming proficient. However, the desire to go beyond mere proficiency lingers, doesn't it?

To remain at the forefront and enhance your proficiency in React, we present 15 optimal strategies that will assist you in constructing React applications that are not only superior in performance but also more manageable and maintainable.

Rest assured, we'll simplify the concepts with ample examples. 😎

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## 📌 Functional Components Over Class Components

React has consistently advocated for using functional components and is now the moment to adopt them wholeheartedly.

They are more readable, writable, and testable. Now, let's examine the distinctions:

![Functional Components](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/adbeyj8ezw478rkrewo5.png)

Functional components offer greater conciseness, and when combined with React Hooks, they exhibit adept handling of both state and side effects.

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## 📌 Use React Fragments for Cleaner JSX

At times, you may prefer to avoid introducing unnecessary `<div>` elements in your JSX solely for structural purposes.

React Fragments prove useful in such situations:

![React Fragments](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/salpzymowix61rb8ckcz.png)

React Fragments enable you to group several elements without introducing additional nodes to the DOM.

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## 📌 Key Props for Lists

Ensure that each item in a React list has a distinct key prop assigned when rendering.

This aids React in efficiently refreshing the DOM when modifications occur in the list.

![Key Props](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/hr1nm670ok7jjbsyywty.png)

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## 📌 Avoid Unnecessary Re-renders

Utilize the React.memo higher-order components or employ the useMemo hook to avoid unnecessary re-renders of your components.

![Avoid Unnecessary Re-renders](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bjncqvcisd3gmyr35gsq.png)

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## 📌 Use PropTypes or TypeScript

Embrace type-checking as a valuable ally. It not only detects bugs at an early stage but also enhances the resilience of your code.

You have the option to enhance type safety in your React components by employing PropTypes or TypeScript.

![PropTypes](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/w5s1j3l1t35xf4yb6hlr.png)

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## 📌 Optimize Renders with shouldComponentUpdate

If you find it necessary to utilize class components, contemplate incorporating shouldComponentUpdate for enhancing rendering efficiency when there are modifications in props or state.

![shouldComponentUpdate](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/q28hdtzn1yczdwqivzv8.png)

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## 📌 Code Splitting

Leverage React's built-in capabilities for code splitting to break down your code into smaller segments, thereby diminishing the time it takes for the initial loading process.

Employ React.lazy and Suspense to create a smooth and uninterrupted user experience.

![Code Splitting](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8vn9f4163mv1d7iu06rb.png)

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## 📌 Destructure Props for Readability

Utilizing prop destructuring enhances the cleanliness and readability of your component code:

![Destructure Props](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/be3ihmdavnv12lyxsnbs.png)

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**_Keep an eye out for Part 2, coming soon!_** 👋🏻

**_Happy Coding!_** 🔥

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