DEV Community

Cover image for Remember with useState: Store Your Variables in React’s Memory!
Sonay Kara
Sonay Kara

Posted on • Edited on

Remember with useState: Store Your Variables in React’s Memory!

With the useState hook in React, you can remind React of the state you want and allow the component to be re-rendered by updating this value when necessary.

How it Works

  1. Initialization: When you call useState, you pass an initial value as an argument. For example:
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

In this line of code:

  • count represents the current state (initially 0 ).

  • setCount is the function used to update this state.

  1. Updating State: You can update the state initialized with useState using the setCount function. When you call setCount with a new value, React updates the state and re-renders the component. For example:
setCount(prevCount => prevCount + 1);
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This increases the current count value by one and reflects the updated value on the screen.

  1. Rendering: Each time the state changes with useState, React tracks this state and automatically re-renders the component.

Example: Simple Counter Component

In the following example, we create a counter component. The count value increases by one with each click:

Image description

Why Use useState?

useState is a fundamental hook used for state management in React components. It allows a component to hold a specific state and provides a way to change that state. With state changes, the UI automatically re-renders, ensuring a seamless user experience.

So, why is useState so important?

  • Reactivity: Changes in the state automatically trigger re-renders, keeping your UI consistent.

  • Memory: React remembers the state between renders, allowing your components to retain their state across re-renders.

Conclusion

useState is a powerful and flexible tool for managing state in React applications. By storing your component’s state, it helps keep your user interface dynamic and up-to-date. If you want to effectively manage state in your React applications, learning and using the useState hook is one of the best ways to start.

Top comments (0)