Build Your Own Hooks
19 January, 2023
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What are custom hooks in React?
Custom hooks in React are functions that allow developers to share common logic between components. They are similar to React components in that they can accept arguments, and they can also return values. However, unlike React components, custom hooks are not tied to the lifecycle of a component and can be used in any component. Custom hooks allow developers to abstract common logic into a single function that can be used in multiple components, making the code more maintainable and reusable. By using custom hooks, developers can ensure their React components are as efficient and modular as possible.
A custom hook is a function that starts with the word "use" and that can call other hooks. Custom hooks allow you to extract component logic into reusable functions, making your code more organized and easier to understand.
Example of custom hook in React
Here's an example of a simple custom hook that manages the state of a form input:
import { useState } from 'react';
function useFormInput(initialValue) {
const [value, setValue] = useState(initialValue);
function handleChange(e) {
setValue(e.target.value);
}
return {
value,
onChange: handleChange
};
}
function Form() {
const properties = useFormInput('');
return (
<>
<input {...properties} />
</>
);
}In this example, the useFormInput hook manages the state of the form input and the onChange handler. It receives an initial value as a parameter, and it returns an object with the current value and the onChange handler.
The hook is then used in the Form component, and the input component is passed the properties object as props by using the spread operator over its keys. This will render an input element and it will get the value and onChange from the hook.
Why custom hooks
By using custom hooks, you can encapsulate component logic into reusable functions and share that logic across multiple components. This allows you to write cleaner and more readable code, and also to easily reuse that logic in multiple places.
Custom hooks can also share state and behavior with other custom hooks, making it a great way to extract and share logic across your application.
It's important to note that custom hooks should not contain any side-effects like accessing the DOM, network requests or timers. They should only include React Hooks, and the logic required to make it work as expected.