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

Posted on • Updated on

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

How Does It Work?

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

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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.

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