React Context API vs Redux: When to Use in Your Next Project?

Introduction

In a React application, giving data to a child’s props is the easiest way to transfer it from a parent to a kid. However, a problem occurs when a component further up the tree needs data from a child component that is deeply buried.

Prop drilling, a poor React practise, would result if we passed the data on through the props since every child would have to take it and pass it on to its child.

Building strong web apps requires effective state management. Context API and Redux are the two most often used methods in React for handling state at the global level. Choosing the right state management React Context API vs Redux. In this blog we will study about redux vs context.

How Data Flows Through React Nested Components

In React, data typically flows through nested components using two main mechanisms: props (properties) and state. Here’s how data flows through React nested components:

Props

• Data is passed from parent components to child components through props.

• The parent component supplies data as props when rendering the child component..

• Child components receive and use these props for rendering or other purposes.

• Props are read-only, meaning child components cannot directly modify the data passed as props.

// ParentComponent.js

import React from 'react';

import ChildComponent from './ChildComponent';

function ParentComponent() {

  const data = 'Some data';

  return <ChildComponent data={data} />;

}

// ChildComponent.js

import React from 'react';

function ChildComponent(props) {

  return <div>{props.data}</div>;

}

State

• State is used to manage data within a component.

• A component can have its own internal state, which is separate from props.

• State can be initialized in a constructor or using the useState hook in functional components.

• When state data changes, the component re-renders, reflecting the updated data.

// Using Class Component with State

import React, { Component } from 'react';

class ParentComponent extends Component {

  constructor(props) {

    super(props);

    this.state = { data: 'Some data' };

  }

  render() {

    return <ChildComponent data={this.state.data} />;

  }

}

// Using Functional Component with useState Hook

import React, { useState } from 'react';

import ChildComponent from './ChildComponent';

function ParentComponent() {

  const [data, setData] = useState('Some data');

  return <ChildComponent data={data} />;

}

Passing Data Through Multiple Levels

• For deeply nested components, data can be passed through intermediate components.

• Each intermediate component acts as a bridge, receiving data as props from its parent and passing it down to its child components.

State Management Libraries

• In larger applications, you might consider using state management libraries like Redux or React Context API.

• Redux centralizes the application state and allows components to connect to the store to access and modify data.

• React Context API provides a way to create a context that can be accessed by components at different levels of the component tree.

Choose the appropriate data flow method based on the complexity of your application and the need for shared or local state management.

Props are suitable for simple parent-child relationships, while state management libraries provide more advanced options for larger and more complex applications.

Also Read : Which Backend is Best For React Native?

What is the Context API?

A React app may create global variables that can be passed around by using the React Context API.

The alternative to “prop drilling” or passing along props from grandma to child to parent and so on is to do this. Context is also promoted as a simpler, lighter method of Redux state management.

Context API is a (kind of) new feature that React 16.3 implemented that makes it simple and easy to exchange state throughout the entire project (or a portion of it).

What is Redux?

Popular open-source package Redux makes it easier for applications to maintain their state. It is an open-source, cross-platform library that was influenced by Facebook’s Flux architecture.

It has done away with the extraneous complexity that the Flux architecture included.

Redux may be used with different UI frameworks, including AngularJS, Vue.js, and plain old Javascript. Redux is most frequently used with React using React Redux.

React and Redux are employed together, however it is important to note that they are independent of one another.

Comparing Redux & Context API

Here is a table for comparing redux vs context: 

Redux	React Context API
Centralized global state management.	Local and global state management options.
Suitable for complex apps with many interconnected components.	Ideal for smaller to medium-sized apps.
Global state is easily accessible by any component.	Provides global and local state options.
Actions dispatched to reducers handle state changes.	State changes through useState or useContext hooks.
Middleware (e.g., Redux Thunk) for async actions and side effects.	Custom middleware or side effect libraries like Redux Saga can be used.
More setup and actions boilerplate.	Less setup and simpler API.
Steeper learning curve due to actions, reducers, and store setup.	Easier to learn, especially for beginners.
Robust Redux DevTools extension for debugging and time-traveling.	Limited dev tools integration.
Large community with extensive third-party middleware and packages.	Smaller community with fewer third-party packages.

Context API vs Redux :  When to Use one Over the Other

The three major objectives are as follows for context vs redux, utilised to create web applications:  

Let’s examine how these technologies fare in relation to each of these objectives.

Responsive Time

The time spent on initial load is a crucial component of reaction time. The quantity of data delivered from the server and the network’s speed both directly affect how long it takes.

If two applications with comparable code, one using Context API and the other Redux, were running on the same server and network, the app using Redux would take longer since it needs external libraries to work. Actually, there is just a 2 kilobyte difference. 

The time required to react to user activities is another factor in reaction time. The two most crucial factors in this situation are the quantity of operations and network speed.

Redux has to conduct additional computing processes in order to process a user request. This change, though, is insignificant. 

Ease of Development

The amount of lines of code required to perform an action is the most crucial factor when it comes to development ease. To estimate this statistic, let’s examine a few particular cases.

Scenario 1 : Sharing State with Component on React

Imagine a situation where we don’t want to prop drill but yet want to make some value available to each component in a certain React tree.

We must build a context with a default value, wrap a high-level component in a provider for that context, then utilise it in one of its children in order to leverage the Context API to address this problem.

In order to compare Redux, we must construct a store by creating an object with a starting state, a reducer where we handle each action, return the new state, manage the subscription to the state change, and dispatch the action.

In comparison to Context API, Redux would need to write a lot more lines of code to accomplish the same task.

Scenario 2 : Building and App with State Management

Another situation is when a certain area of our application requires relatively sophisticated state management. In this situation, we could combine the useReducer and getContext hooks with the context API.

The reducers’ implementation would then determine the number of lines of code. In order to re-render the components that have been updated, Redux and Context API both need to subscribe to the state, and they both need a location to maintain the state.

Both situations call for a comparable number of lines of code.

Scenario 3 : Building an App with Undo and Redo Functionality

Think about developing an app with the ability to undo and redo actions. Implementing undo functionality is simple with Redux.

This is due to the immutability of the state and the fact that mutations are already characterised as distinct operations, which is conceptually similar to the undo stack.

Ease of Maintenance

It is crucial to comprehend programmes for simpler upkeep. Developer tools like Redux make it easier to analyse states and actions, identify errors, and troubleshoot time travel.

Debugging and understanding time are therefore reduced. Context API, however, falls short in contrast. The scope and complexity of the application are key factors.

Simple programmes may efficiently manage state by passing it across components using the Context API. Context API, getContext, and useReducer hooks must be combined for larger, more complicated projects.

In conclusion, Context API works well for basic apps but may need extra hooks for bigger ones, whereas Redux shines at assisting maintenance, especially for sophisticated systems.

Use Cases of Context API

1. Theming: Context API is useful for managing themes in an application. You can create a theme context to provide the current theme and allow components to access and update it.

2. User Authentication: Storing and managing user authentication state across components can be done effectively with Context API. You can provide authentication information to components that need it.

3. Localization: Context API can be employed for handling internationalization and localization in an app. You can provide language settings and translated content through a context.

4. App Settings: For managing user preferences and application settings, Context API can store and share configuration data among different parts of the application.

Use Cases of Redux

1. State Management: Redux is primarily designed for centralized state management in complex applications. It’s ideal when you have a large amount of application state that needs to be shared across components.

2. Predictable State Changes: Redux enforces a strict unidirectional data flow, making it easier to predict how the state changes in response to actions. This predictability is valuable for debugging and maintaining the application.

3. Time-Travel Debugging: Redux allows you to record and replay actions, facilitating time-travel debugging. This feature is crucial for pinpointing and fixing bugs in your application.

4. Middleware Integration: Redux provides a middleware system that allows you to add custom logic, such as logging, caching, or asynchronous actions, to your application’s state management process.

5. Large-Scale Applications: Redux shines in large and complex applications where data flows through many components, and you need a structured approach to manage state changes and side effects.

Conclusion

In the domain of Respond state the board, the decision for context vs redux isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on the undertaking’s particular prerequisites. Connect with a Reactjs development company now to get interactive user interfaces and Make the right choice between React Context API vs Redux for state management in your React applications

React Context API suits more modest to medium-sized applications with direct state the board needs, while Redux sparkles in complicated, huge scope projects where concentrated state control, consistency, and progressed troubleshooting devices are vital.

Understanding the subtleties of these choices enables you to pursue the ideal choice for your next React project.

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