Posted on Jul 12

8 React Tips That Made Me Look Like a Senior Developer

From junior struggles to senior-level code - these tricks will level up your game instantly

Bhai, let me be honest - when I started with React, I was writing components like I was copying code from Stack Overflow. But these 8 tips literally transformed my coding style.

No more prop drilling nightmares, no more "why is this re-rendering 100 times" moments.

1. Custom Hooks for Everything

// Instead of this mess const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false); const [error, setError] = useState(null); const [data, setData] = useState(null); // Create a custom hook const useApi = (url) => { // Your logic here return { data, loading, error }; };

Custom hooks are like having a personal assistant for your components.

2. React.memo is Your Performance Savior

const ExpensiveComponent = React.memo(({ data }) => { console.log('Only renders when data changes'); return <div>{data}</div>; });

Stop unnecessary re-renders. But don't overuse it!

3. useCallback for Function Props

const ParentComponent = () => { const [count, setCount] = useState(0); // This only creates new function when dependencies change const handleClick = useCallback(() => { console.log('clicked'); }, []); return <ChildComponent onClick={handleClick} />; };

Essential when passing functions as props.

4. Compound Components Pattern

const Card = ({ children }) => <div className="card">{children}</div>; Card.Header = ({ children }) => <div className="card-header">{children}</div>; Card.Body = ({ children }) => <div className="card-body">{children}</div>;  // Usage <Card> <Card.Header>Title</Card.Header>  <Card.Body>Content</Card.Body> </Card>

Flexible components that work in any situation.

5. Error Boundaries Save Your App

class ErrorBoundary extends React.Component { constructor(props) { super(props); this.state = { hasError: false }; } static getDerivedStateFromError(error) { return { hasError: true }; } render() { if (this.state.hasError) { return <h1>Something went wrong.</h1>;  } return this.props.children; } }

Don't let one broken component crash everything.

6. Clean Conditional Rendering

// Bad {condition && <div><ExpensiveComponent /></div>}  // Good {condition ? <ExpensiveComponent /> : null} // Even better const renderContent = () => { if (loading) return <Spinner />; if (error) return <Error message={error} />;  if (data) return <DataDisplay data={data} />;  return null; };

Stop writing ternary operators that look like math equations.

7. Context + useReducer > Redux (Sometimes)

const AppContext = createContext(); const appReducer = (state, action) => { switch (action.type) { case 'SET_USER': return { ...state, user: action.payload }; default: return state; } }; const AppProvider = ({ children }) => { const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(appReducer, initialState); return ( <AppContext.Provider value={{ state, dispatch }}> {children} </AppContext.Provider>  ); };

For most apps, this is enough state management.

8. Lazy Loading for Performance

const LazyComponent = React.lazy(() => import('./LazyComponent')); const App = () => { return ( <Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>  <LazyComponent /> </Suspense>  ); };