How to Build SPAs With React Hooks and Context API

Single Page Applications (SPAs) have gained immense popularity due to their seamless user experience and fast performance. React, a widely-used JavaScript library, provides developers with powerful tools like Hooks and the Context API to build robust SPAs. In this article, we will explore how to effectively use React Hooks and the Context API to create your own SPA.

Understanding React Hooks

React Hooks are functions that let you use state and other React features without writing a class. The most commonly used hooks include:

useState: This hook lets you add state to your functional components.
useEffect: This hook allows you to perform side effects in your components, such as fetching data.
useContext: This hook enables you to subscribe to React context without introducing nesting.

Implementing the Context API

The React Context API allows you to share state throughout your app without passing props down manually at every level. This is particularly useful in SPAs where managing global state can be complex.

Creating a Context

To set up a context, you need to create a Context object using React.createContext. Here’s how you do it:


import React, { createContext, useState } from 'react';
const MyContext = createContext();
export const MyProvider = ({ children }) => {
    const [state, setState] = useState(initialState);
    
    return (
        
            {children}
        
    );
};

Using the Context Provider

Wrap your application with the context provider so that any component can access the global state:


import React from 'react';
import { MyProvider } from './MyContext';
import App from './App';
const Root = () => (
    
        
    
);
export default Root;

Building Your SPA Components

With the Context API set up, you can now build your components. Here’s a simple example of a component that consumes the context:


import React, { useContext } from 'react';
import { MyContext } from './MyContext';
const MyComponent = () => {
    const { state, setState } = useContext(MyContext);
    
    const handleChange = (event) => {
        setState({ ...state, value: event.target.value });
    };
return (
        
            
            The current value is: {state.value}
        
    );
};

Integrating useEffect for Data Fetching

When building SPAs, you often need to fetch data from an API. This is where the useEffect hook comes in handy. Below is an example of how to fetch data and update state:


import React, { useEffect, useContext } from 'react';
import { MyContext } from './MyContext';
const DataFetchingComponent = () => {
    const { state, setState } = useContext(MyContext);
    
    useEffect(() => {
        const fetchData = async () => {
            const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
            const data = await response.json();
            setState({ ...state, data });
        };
        
        fetchData();
    }, []);
return (
        
            Data from API
            {JSON.stringify(state.data, null, 2)}
        
    );
};

Final Thoughts

Creating an SPA with React Hooks and the Context API simplifies state management and improves your application's performance. By leveraging these powerful features, you can create a smooth user experience that is easy to maintain and scale. Whether you are building a simple app or a complex system, React's Hooks and Context API provide the tools needed to manage your application state effectively.

How to Build SPAs With React Hooks and Context API