react-component-patterns.md

React Component Patterns

Related topics:

• Thinking in React: Articles discussing ways to think about React applications and component structure
• React Implementation and Concepts: Includes articles that explain the differences between "components", "elements", and "instances"

Component Terms, Concepts, and Types

• React Patterns
  http://reactpatterns.com/
  An excellent list of common patterns for structuring React components, with examples

• React Component Jargon as of August 2016
  https://medium.com/@arcomito/react-component-jargon-as-of-august-2016-28451d8ceb1d
  A very useful glossary of widely-used terms describing React components

• React in Patterns
  https://github.com/krasimir/react-in-patterns
  http://krasimirtsonev.com/blog/article/react-js-presentational-container-components
  List of design patterns/techniques used while developing with React

• Functional Components vs. Stateless Functional Components vs. Stateless Components
  https://tylermcginnis.com/functional-components-vs-stateless-functional-components-vs-stateless-components-630fdfd90c9c
  Clarifies the meaning of the terms, which are often used in overlapping ways.

• How to use Classes and Sleep at Night
  https://medium.com/@dan_abramov/how-to-use-classes-and-sleep-at-night-9af8de78ccb4
  Some pragmatic opinions on when and how to use the ES6 "class" keyword, particularly in relation to React components.

• Embracing Functions in React
  https://medium.com/javascript-inside/embracing-functions-in-react-d7d558d8bd30
  A look at stateless functional components in React, and why they might be useful or should be considered in the first place.

• React Stateless Functional Components: Nine Wins You Might Have Overlooked
  https://medium.com/@housecor/react-stateless-functional-components-nine-wins-you-might-have-overlooked-997b0d933dbc
  Thoughts on reasons why you might want to write more components using the functional syntax.

• How to declare React Components in 2017
  https://medium.com/@npverni/how-to-declare-react-components-in-2017-2a90d9f7984c
  A quick overview of the three ways to declare React components, and which ones should be preferred.

• Building User Interfaces with Pure Functions and Function Composition in React
  https://tylermcginnis.com/building-user-interfaces-with-pure-functions-and-function-composition-in-react-js/
  A look at the idea of composing together UIs with simple components, with comparisons to the idea of combining functions together.

• React Bits: React patterns, techniques, tips, and tricks
  https://github.com/vasanthk/react-bits
  An extensive list of terms, concepts, patterns, and techniques for writing React components, with explanations and examples. A few of the descriptions are overly opinionated and some items are not things the React team would recommend, but overall an excellent resource.

Component Rendering Logic

• Dynamically Rendering React Components
  https://wail.es/dynamically-rendering-react-components/
  Examples of how to dynamically determine which React component to render

• Loading State Trick for Stateless Functional Components in React
  http://kyleshevlin.com/loading-state-trick-for-stateless-functional-components-in-react/
  An example of conditionally rendering a spinner component if a list of items is empty

• How to Dynamically Render React Components
  http://kyleshevlin.com/how-to-dynamically-render-react-components/
  A quick example of how to dynamically decide which component type to render

• All the Conditional Renderings in React
  https://www.robinwieruch.de/conditional-rendering-react/
  Examples of all the possible ways to conditionally render components

• "React render function organization"
  https://gist.github.com/markerikson/47fff93c92286db72b22bab5b02e2da3
  My suggested approach for organizing render function logic for clarity and readability

• Simplify complex React components with generators
  https://nvbn.github.io/2017/03/14/react-generators/
  An interesting alternative to the usual if/else-type logic for conditionally rendering components, by using ES6 generators to yield the right pieces to render.

React Component Children

• Ownership and Children in React
  http://ctheu.com/2015/02/10/ownership-and-children-in-reactjs/
  Discusses the difference between "parent" and "owner" relationships, and what the children prop can look like.

• ReactCasts #3: React's Children API
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ53-G8EbxE
  A screencast demonstrating how the children prop to compose components together

• React.Children and the React Top-Level API
  http://callahan.io/blog/2016/09/16/react-dot-children-and-the-react-top-level-api/
  Overviews and examples of the React.Children APIs, and how they can be used to manipulate component children

• Send Props to Children in React
  http://jaketrent.com/post/send-props-to-children-react/
  Examples of how to pass new props to child components using React.Children

• A deep dive into children in React
  http://mxstbr.blog/2017/02/react-children-deepdive/
  An in-depth look at the power and capabilities of React's children prop, and how children can be reused and modified. Includes several examples and demos.

• The "Forwarded Refs" pattern
  reduxjs/react-redux#270 (comment)
  An example of the "forwarded refs" pattern, where a parent component passes a callback through one or more layers of children, it's used as a ref callback, and the parent receives the nested DOM element reference directly.

• React component composition cheatsheet
  https://github.com/xat/react-component-composition-cheatsheet
  A useful list of ways to combine components together

React Component Lifecycle

• React Docs: Component Specs and Lifecycle
  https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/component-specs.html
  The official React docs page on component lifecycle

• Understanding the React Component Lifecycle
  http://busypeoples.github.io/post/react-component-lifecycle/
  A good look at which lifecycle methods run in which situations, as well as the signatures of each method.

• Dissecting React Lifecycle Methods
  https://medium.com/@fay_jai/dissecting-reactjs-lifecycle-methods-be4fdea11c6d
  Breaks the lifecycle methods down into "mount/unmount" and "update" categories, and describes the purpose and use of each.

• The React Component Lifecycle
  https://www.kirupa.com/react/component_lifecycle.htm
  Another useful description of the order and purpose of the lifecycle methods.

• React In-Depth: The React Life Cycle
  https://developmentarc.gitbooks.io/react-indepth/content/
  A deep dive into the lifecycle methods, and various techniques for using them.

• React Lifecycle Cheatsheet
  https://gist.github.com/bvaughn/923dffb2cd9504ee440791fade8db5f9
  A table listing the lifecycle methods, when they're called, whether each method allows side effects or state updates, and examples uses for each method

• React Lifecycle Methods - how and when to use them
  https://engineering.musefind.com/react-lifecycle-methods-how-and-when-to-use-them-2111a1b692b1
  A helpful description of the major component lifecycle methods, including descriptions of common use cases for each one, and whether you can call setState inside.

Component Communication

• 8 no-Flux strategies for React component communication
  http://andrewhfarmer.com/component-communication/
  Very helpful list of ways to have React components communicate back and forth

• How to communicate between React components
  http://ctheu.com/2015/02/12/how-to-communicate-between-react-components/
  Another good list of component communication strategies

• How React Components Communicate
  http://react.tips/how-reactjs-components-communicate/
  A careful tutorial-based explanation of how to communicate between parent and child components.

• How to handle React context in a reliable way
  https://medium.com/react-ecosystem/how-to-handle-react-context-a7592dfdcbc
  Covers what the context feature is, how to use it, and some concerns to be aware of.

• How to safely use React context
  https://medium.com/@mweststrate/how-to-safely-use-react-context-b7e343eff076
  Guidelines for when and how to actually use React's context feature

• Context All the Things with React
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9AhBMwj1w4
  A talk on what context is, and how to use it safely

• ReactCasts #4-5: Context (Parts 1 and 2)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxq938kqIss
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwYHDXS6uSc A two-part series explaining what React's context feature can be used for, and some potential concerns to be aware of when using it.

• React Context and Component Coupling
  https://medium.com/differential/react-context-and-component-coupling-86e535e2d599
  Discussion on the pros and cons of using context to pass data between components, and some examples of how to do so

• Higher Order With Context
  https://dev.to/kayis/higher-order-with-context
  https://dev.to/kayis/higher-order-components-and-context-example Examples of using Higher Order Components to pass data to nested components using context

• Context in React Applications
  http://javascriptplayground.com/blog/2017/02/context-in-reactjs-applications/
  An overview of what context is, how it works, and when you should use it for passing data

• Callback functions in React
  https://medium.com/@thejasonfile/callback-functions-in-react-e822ebede766
  Some basic explanations of how a React app uses callback functions to communicate from children to parents

Component Categories

• Presentational and Container Components
  https://medium.com/@dan_abramov/smart-and-dumb-components-7ca2f9a7c7d0
  Dan Abramov's foundational article on classifying components based on intent and behavior. A must-read for anyone using React.

• "People are reading way too much into 'presentational' vs 'container'"
  https://twitter.com/dan_abramov/status/802569801906475008
  Dan Abramov follows up his article by emphasizing that "presentational" and "container" was just a pattern he had noticed, rather than an approach that must be followed

• Leveling Up with React: Container Components
  https://css-tricks.com/learning-react-container-components/
  Describes the container component pattern and how to use it to split up responsibilities between fetching and displaying data.

• Smart and Dumb Components in React
  http://jaketrent.com/post/smart-dumb-components-react/
  Another look at ways to conceptually categorize components based on responsibilities, and some ways you can organize your code based on those concepts.

• Ramblings About React and Redux Architecture
  https://medium.com/@kurtiskemple/ramblings-about-react-and-redux-architecture-c27dfff79ddf
  Thoughts on structuring components as "Providers", "Behavior", and "Presentational"

• The Anatomy of a React Redux App
  https://medium.com/@rajaraodv/the-anatomy-of-a-react-redux-app-759282368c5a
  Breaks down the component structure of a typical React/Redux app, and classifies the different types of components that usually show up

• React and Flux in Production Best Practices
  https://medium.com/@delveeng/react-and-flux-in-production-best-practices-c87766c57cb6
  Delve's practice of describing components as "containers", "smart", and "dumb"

• Content vs Container
  https://hackernoon.com/content-vs-container-e0a1ada681c1
  General advice for determining component responsibilities in terms of content, layout, and logic

• The React + Redux Container Pattern
  http://www.thegreatcodeadventure.com/the-react-plus-redux-container-pattern/
  Explanation and examples of "container" and "presentational" components and their responsibilities. Uses Redux for the examples, but the principles apply to "just" React as well.

• Refactoring React - Extracting Layout Components
  http://erikaybar.name/refactoring-react-extracting-layout-components/
  Demonstrates creating reusable components that manage some aspects of styling and layout, such as a button with multiple sizes and colors.

• Share Code between React and React Apps
  https://hackernoon.com/code-reuse-using-higher-order-hoc-and-stateless-functional-components-in-react-and-react-native-6eeb503c665
  An exploration of how to refactor code to extract functional components and higher-order components for improved code reuse, including reusing the same components in both React and React Native apps.

Higher-Order Components

• Mixins Are Dead. Long Live Composition
  https://medium.com/@dan_abramov/mixins-are-dead-long-live-higher-order-components-94a0d2f9e750
  A look at some of the issues with using mixins, and reasons why higher-order components are (usually) an improvement.

• Mixins Considered Harmful
  https://facebook.github.io/react/blog/2016/07/13/mixins-considered-harmful.html
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12087796
  Dan Abramov explains why the React team discourages use of mixins, and prefers HoCs

• Higher Order Components: Theory and Practice
  http://engineering.blogfoster.com/higher-order-components-theory-and-practice/
  Gives practical use cases for HOCs, such as authentication, routing, and data management, with samples.

• Sharing and Testing Code in React with Higher Order Components
  http://blog.carbonfive.com/2016/02/02/sharing-and-testing-code-in-react-with-higher-order-components/
  Demonstrates extracting HOCs from existing code, and testing them.

• Higher Order React Components
  http://natpryce.com/articles/000814.html
  A solid explanation of what HoCs are, with examples and use cases

• Higher Order Components: A React Application Design Pattern
  https://www.sitepoint.com/react-higher-order-components/
  A discussion of how to use Higher Order Components to keep your React applications tidy, well structured and easy to maintain. Also, how pure functions keep code clean and how these same principles can be applied to React components.

• Connected Higher Order Components with React and Redux
  http://www.avitzurel.com/blog/2016/08/03/connected-higher-order-components-with-react-and-redux/
  Demonstrates creating HoCs that are connected to Redux

• React, Higher Order Components, and Legacy Applications
  http://browniefed.com/blog/react/
  Examples of how to integrate React into an existing application using HoCs

• React Higher Order Components in depth
  https://medium.com/@franleplant/react-higher-order-components-in-depth-cf9032ee6c3e
  A very detailed article looking at some advanced HoC patterns

• Real World Examples of Higher Order Components
  http://rea.tech/reactjs-real-world-examples-of-higher-order-components/
  Explanations and examples of HOCs and their uses

• Function as Child Components
  https://medium.com/merrickchristensen/function-as-child-components-5f3920a9ace9
  Explains the "function as a child" technique as an alternative to Higher Order Components

• Functions as Child Components and Higher Order Components
  http://rea.tech/functions-as-child-components-and-higher-order-components/
  Comparisons and examples for these two component patterns

• ReactCasts: Higher Order Components
  https://youtu.be/6nVxCWUAEPM
  A screencast that walks through the idea and usage of Higher Order Components

• ReactCasts: Function as Child Component
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE3XAt9P8Ek
  A screencast that introduces the idea of Functions as Children and demonstrates usage

• Annotations about React Higher-Order Components
  https://blog.codeminer42.com/annotations-about-react-higher-order-components-e3561bc7c27a
  An explanation of what HOCs are, what they can be used for, and when to use them.

• Single-Prop HOCs - Better Composition in React
  https://www.okgrow.com/posts/compose-react-sphoc
  Thoughts and examples of composing multiple small focused HOCs together into a final combined HOC

• What are Higher Order Components?
  https://benmccormick.org/2016/12/14/what-are-higher-order-components/
  A short, simple explanation of what an HOC is, and how they can be used

• Higher Order What?
  https://dev.to/kayis/higher-order-what
  A quick introduction to the concept of Higher Order Functions and Components

• Reusable State with Higher Order Components
  https://daveceddia.com/extract-state-with-higher-order-components/
  An easy-to-read explanation of how HOCs work, and examples of how to extract common logic into a reusable HOC

• React Patterns - Render Callback
  http://leoasis.github.io/posts/2017/03/27/react-patterns-render-callback
  An explanation of the "render callback" or "function as child" pattern, including concepts and example uses

Wrapping Non-React Code

• React and third-party libraries
  http://krasimirtsonev.com/blog/article/react-third-party-library-integration
  Demonstrates how to build a React component that wraps up non-React code like a jQuery UI plugin

• Declaratively Rendering Earth in 3D, Part 2: Controlling Cesium with React
  http://blog.isquaredsoftware.com/2017/03/declarative-earth-part-2-cesium-react/
  A detailed description of how to create React components that wrap up a 3D globe library, including use of lifecycle methods for controlling imperative non-React APIs.

• When to use Ref on a DOM Node in React
  https://www.robinwieruch.de/react-ref-attribute-dom-node/
  An explanation of the ref property, how to use it to access real DOM nodes, and when you should use it.

• Using React and jQuery Together
  http://tech.oyster.com/using-react-and-jquery-together/
  Examples of how to use jQuery inside a React component, and React inside jQuery-controlled elements

• Using React and PixiJS
  http://www.rinconstrategies.io/using-react-and-pixijs.html
  Demonstrates how to use React's component lifecycle methods to control the imperative PixiJS API

• Mapping declarative React components to imperative external APIs
  http://reactkungfu.com/2016/02/mapping-declarative-react-components-to-imperative-external-api/
  A quick example of using componentWillReceiveProps to pass updates to an imperative API

• How to Write a Google Maps React Component
  https://www.fullstackreact.com/articles/how-to-write-a-google-maps-react-component/
  Demonstrates how to wrap a third-party component that has an imperative API, lazy-loading the dependencies, and more.

• Building SVG Maps with React
  https://blog.komand.com/building-svg-maps-with-react
  Demonstrates building a component that zooms and pans SVG graphics based on user input.

• How to Sprinkle ReactJS into an Existing Web Application
  https://scotch.io/tutorials/how-to-sprinkle-reactjs-into-an-existing-web-application
  Looks at how to incrementally add some React-based functionality into an existing app, including interaction with jQuery.

• How to Use jQuery Libraries in the React Ecosystem
  https://medium.com/@superKalo/how-to-use-jquery-libraries-in-the-react-ecosystem-7dfeb1aafde0
  Some excellent examples of using React components to wrap up jQuery plugins: creating the plugin instance, updating the plugin from React props, and destroying the plugin on unmount.

• Introducing React into an Existing Application
  https://medium.com/nthrive-analytics/introducing-react-into-an-existing-application-17490841796e
  Some examples of how to progressively add React components into an existing jQuery-based application and keep them in sync with the rest of the app.

• How to use D3.js in React
  http://cmichel.io/how-to-use-d3js-in-react/
  An overview of three ways to integrate D3 into a React app: using React to render, using D3 to render, and a hybrid approach.

• Renderless Components, or How Logic Doesn't Always Need a UI
  http://kyleshevlin.com/renderless-components/
  Shows how you can create components that return null from render, and use React's lifecycle methods to drive imperative logic rather than rendering UI.

• Getting Started with React and Leaflet
  https://www.azavea.com/blog/2016/12/05/getting-started-with-react-and-leaflet/
  Examples of how to create React components that interact with the Leaflet maps library.

Modal Dialogs

• How to Render Components Outside the Main React App
  https://blog.komand.com/how-to-render-components-outside-the-main-react-app
  An example of a technique that's also know as the "portal" approach, commonly used for rendering modals on top of the rest of an application.

• Modals in React
  https://medium.com/@david.gilbertson/modals-in-react-f6c3ff9f4701
  A demonstration of building a reusable modal component using the "portals" technique

• Modal Dialogs in React
  https://daveceddia.com/open-modal-in-react/
  An excellent example of how to approach rendering modals in React, by controlling them with props

• Modal window in React from scratch
  https://peteris.rocks/blog/modal-window-in-react-from-scratch/
  Walks through creating a Modal component with styling and display logic

Other Component Patterns

• The React Controller View Pattern
  http://blog.andrewray.me/the-reactjs-controller-view-pattern/
  Describes using top-level components to hold state and pass it to children as props

• Functional React Series - Part 1: Get your App outta my Component
  https://medium.com/@adamterlson/functional-react-series-part-1-get-your-app-outta-my-component-92656ae13e25
  Part 1 in a series about writing React applications by treating components as functions, not templates.

• Make Your React Components Pretty
  https://medium.com/walmartlabs/make-your-react-components-pretty-a1ae4ec0f56e
  Techniques for making your components easier to read, including using functional components, using JSX spread for props, and use of destructuring.

• Component Factories in React.js
  https://github.com/szabototo89/create-it/blob/master/docs/article-full.md
  A variation on Dependency Injection for React components

• Functional Components with React stateless functions and Ramda
  https://medium.com/@mirkomariani/functional-components-with-react-stateless-functions-and-ramda-e83e54fcd86b
  Examples of using Ramda functions to compose together components

• Composing React Components with Ramda
  https://medium.com/let-s-learn/lets-learn-composing-react-components-with-ramda-5db457997554
  Another set of examples showing how to use composition of small functional components to create a larger set of behaviors.

• "What is the ideal way to pass data to a callback prop?
  https://gist.github.com/jazlalli/fdee443405680f96d19211daa15d1d38
  Discussion and examples of various ways to pass data to callbacks between children and parents

• On Privacy with React Context
  https://medium.com/@amireh/on-privacy-with-react-context-aa77ffd08509
  Thoughts on some potential issues with various component/state patterns (globals, Redux, Flux, Ember), and a sketch of a notional approach that might help solve some of those issues.

• Internationalizing React Apps
  https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2017/01/internationalizing-react-apps/
  An extended investigation of server and client aspects needed for internationalization.

• Creating a cross-domain React component with xcomponent
  https://medium.com/@bluepnume/creating-a-cross-domain-react-component-with-xcomponent-fbcccc4778fd
  A look at how to wrap a React component using the xcomponent library, so that it can be rendered and used across domains.