Creating a Reusable Component in React: Handling Unlimited Future Changes
Tags: react, webdev, javascript, beginners
Published: 2024-06-01 18:39:33


Hi Folks,

When working with React, creating reusable components is essential for maintaining clean, manageable, and scalable code. One common component that frequently needs to be adaptable and flexible. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to build a reusable component that can handle various configurations and adapt to future changes without becoming overly complex.

**Variants of Headers**
Let's consider a header component that may need to support different variants. Below is an example of different header styles:

![UI/UX: Different Type of Header with variants](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/whq80q5wkg3ll2vrbu6i.png)

**Basic Header Component**
A typical React header component might look something like this, where props are used to conditionally render elements like the logo, navigation items, search bar, and cart.

![React: Basic Header Component](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/2um3c46mnm2x0jx9d4ro.png)

Using props, a developer might set up the header as follows:

![React Code: Props Component Overloaded](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bdxblne9ugi12kq803e0.png)

**Usage:**

![React Code: Component Usage Which has overloaded props](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/nr2x71gsbt6quklzbycz.png)

**Handling Future Changes**
Now, let's consider a scenario where the requirements change. The header needs to include additional elements like a favorites section, user account details, and a top banner with image and text that can be shown or hidden. If we continue using the prop-based approach, the component might look like this:

![React Code](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zg5s4qi0nbg7j5uiajsi.png)

As you can see, this approach quickly becomes unwieldy with 10-15 props. Managing such a prop-heavy component can lead to cumbersome and error-prone code.

**Using Compound Components**
To address this issue, we can use the **compound component** pattern. This approach allows for more flexible and readable code by enabling the parent component to define the structure and the children to specify the content.

Here's an example of how we can refactor our header component using compound components:

**Header.js**
![React Code: Compound Pattern](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sg2xbj8yjl2v9k89uq03.png)

**Usage**
![React Code: Compound Pattern](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/qhwqml22fq2pvrk1mxcc.png)

**Benefits of Compound Components**

**Flexibility**: Compound components provide greater flexibility as they allow you to nest components and pass props directly to the specific parts of the header.

**Readability**: The structure is more readable and maintains a clear hierarchy.

**Scalability**: Adding new components or modifying existing ones becomes easier without making the parent component too complex.

**Reusability**: Each part of the header can be reused independently in different contexts or layouts.

By using the compound component pattern, we ensure that our header component remains manageable and adaptable to future changes, providing a robust solution for complex UI requirements.