Introduction to React Hooks

by SanjewaReact JS
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HOOKS
Sanjeewa%20RupasingheWhat, Why, and How They Revolutionize React Development

Introduction to React Hooks

React Hooks have transformed the way developers build user interfaces, making React apps easier to develop, read, and maintain—whether you’re a student, software professional, CEO, or entrepreneur. This blog, written with over a decade of hands-on React experience, dives into the essentials every IT-aware business leader or developer should know, while staying friendly, search-optimized, and highly shareable.
WHAT

What Are React Hooks?

React Hooks are special functions introduced in React 16.8 that allow you to use React state and lifecycle features inside functional components instead of being limited to class components. Key built-in hooks include `useState`, `useEffect`, `useContext`, `useReducer`, `useMemo`, `useCallback`, and `useRef`. 1
WHY

Why React Introduced Hooks

Hooks solve longstanding issues that developers faced:
Improved Readability and Maintainability
The code is cleaner, more intuitive, and easier to maintain or refactor as teams and projects grow. 2
Reusable and Composable
Custom hooks allow you to extract and share logic between components, making codebases more DRY and flexible. 3
Encourages Modern Development Practices
Supported by React’s ongoing commitment to future-proofing the API and staying up to date with web standards. 4
RULES

Rules of Hooks

There are three essential rules to use hooks safely and effectively. These rules ensure that React tracks state and effects properly—a must for robust, predictable apps.
  • Only call Hooks at the top level of your React function components
    This ensures React can track state and effects consistently every time your component renders.​
  • Never call Hooks inside loops, conditions, or nested functions
    This prevents unpredictable behaviors or missed updates, making sure Hooks always execute in the same order.​
  • Do not call Hooks from regular JavaScript functions or class components
    Hooks are designed only for React function components, so using them elsewhere won’t work and can break your app.
BENIFITS

Benefits Over Class Components

  • Cleaner Syntax
    Less boilerplate means your code is easier to learn and quicker to onboard new team members.
  • No this Keyword
    Functional approach avoids confusing behavior around JavaScript’s `this`, leading to fewer bugs and clearer logic.
  • Easier Testing & Debugging
    Functional components isolate logic better; custom hooks encourage a modular, testable architecture.
  • Scalable & Maintenance-Friendly
    Simplifies large codebases, supporting business agility and tech scalability.
USES

Top React Hooks and Their Uses

A clean, categorized overview of the most important React Hooks every developer and tech leader should know:
State Management
useState | Local State
Lets you declare state variables in functional components for easy, reactive UI management.
useReducer | Complex State Logic
Ideal for managing complex state transitions and logic, often for advanced or enterprise UI needs.
Side Effects
useEffect | Side Effects & Data Fetching
Handles asynchronous operations—like API calls, subscriptions, or directly interacting with the DOM—in function components.
useLayoutEffect | Layout Side Effects
Used for synchronously running effects that must complete before the browser repaints, useful in advanced UI scenarios.
Performance Optimization
useMemo | Memoized Values
Memoizes expensive calculations to prevent unnecessary recomputation on every render.
useCallback | Memoized Functions
Memoizes callback functions, essential for optimizing child component renders or custom hooks.
Context & Sharing
useContext | Shared State
Accesses and consumes global state (via React Context) directly in any functional component, removing prop drilling.
useRef | DOM/Mutable References
Provides a persistent reference to DOM elements or mutable values across renders—great for focusing inputs or storing interval handles.

Explore project snapshots or discuss custom web solutions.

More About Me

How Hooks Revolutionize Teams & Business

React Hooks are the future of scalable, maintainable, and readable React apps—chosen by top teams and trusted companies worldwide. Start integrating them today and set your business and career up for limitless innovation. Hooks result in:
  • Reduced time-to-market by streamlining onboarding, code sharing, and logic reuse.
  • Cleaner and more maintainable code that empowers fast, stable product iterations.
  • A competitive and modern tech stack that is future-safe and attractive to top engineering talent.

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.

Edsger W. Dijkstra

Thank You for Spending Your Valuable Time

I truly appreciate you taking the time to read blog. Your valuable time means a lot to me, and I hope you found the content insightful and engaging!
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FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

No, they’re strictly for functional components.

Usually, yes—especially for complex UIs and large-codebases, thanks to more granular optimization tools.

Custom hooks and context cover many local/shared state needs, but global app state (especially in very large apps) may still benefit from Redux or other libraries.

Breaking the rules can cause unpredictable state and bugs difficult to trace.

Build custom hooks to reuse logic across many components, keeping your code DRY and robust.

Blogs

Related Blogs

  1. Available at: https://react.dev/reference/react/hooks
  2. Available at: https://vivasoftltd.com/why-react-hooks-are-better-than-classes/
  3. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-using-react-hooks-2024-efaida-rjtif
  4. Available at: https://www.w3schools.com/react/react_hooks.asp

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