How to Use the useEffect Hook in React: A Beginner’s Guide

Understanding the useEffect Hook in React

The useEffect hook is one of the most powerful and commonly used hooks in React. It allows you to perform side effects in functional components, which makes it essential for tasks like fetching data, updating the DOM, or managing timers. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into how useEffect works and provide examples of common use cases.

What is useEffect?

The useEffect hook serves a similar purpose to lifecycle methods in class components like componentDidMount, componentDidUpdate, and componentWillUnmount. It’s called after every render and can be used to perform side effects such as:

  • Fetching data from an API
  • Subscribing to events
  • Setting up a timer
  • Updating the document title
  • Cleaning up resources

Basic Syntax of useEffect

import React, { useEffect } from 'react';

function ExampleComponent() {
  useEffect(() => {
    // Code to run after the component renders

    return () => {
      // Cleanup code, if necessary
    };
  }, [dependencies]);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>useEffect Example</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Components of useEffect

  • Callback Function: This is the first argument to useEffect, where you put your side effect logic. It runs after each render of the component.
  • Cleanup Function: The return value of the useEffect callback is an optional cleanup function. It runs before the component unmounts or before the next effect is executed. It’s useful for clearing subscriptions or timers.
  • Dependency Array: The second argument to useEffect is an array of dependencies. This array tells React when to re-run the effect. If you pass an empty array ([]), the effect will only run once after the initial render.

Example: Fetching Data with useEffect

One of the most common uses for useEffect is fetching data from an API when the component mounts.

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function DataFetchingComponent() {
  const [data, setData] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Fetch data from an API
    fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
      .then((response) => response.json())
      .then((data) => setData(data));

    // Cleanup function (optional in this case)
    return () => {
      console.log('Cleanup after component unmount');
    };
  }, []); // Empty array ensures this effect runs only once

  return (
    <div>
      {data ? <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre> : 'Loading...'}
    </div>
  );
}

In this example, the data fetch happens only once, as the dependency array is empty ([]). If we included any variables in the dependency array, useEffect would rerun whenever those variables change.

When Does useEffect Run?

  • Without Dependencies: If you omit the dependency array, the effect runs after every render (initial and updates).
  • With Dependencies: If you include specific values in the dependency array, the effect runs when one of those values changes.
  • Empty Array: When you provide an empty array, the effect only runs once after the component’s first render.

Example: Updating the Document Title

You can use useEffect to update the document title dynamically based on the state of your component.

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function TitleUpdater() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  useEffect(() => {
    document.title = `You clicked ${count} times`;

    // Cleanup not needed for this example
  }, [count]); // Effect runs only when 'count' changes

  return (
    <div>
      <p>You clicked {count} times</p>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Click me</button>
    </div>
  );
}

In this example, the document title changes every time the count value is updated. The effect depends on count, so it runs every time the count state changes.

Cleanup Function Example

If you’re working with subscriptions or timers, you’ll want to ensure proper cleanup. Here’s an example with a timer:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function TimerComponent() {
  const [seconds, setSeconds] = useState(0);

  useEffect(() => {
    const interval = setInterval(() => {
      setSeconds((prev) => prev + 1);
    }, 1000);

    // Cleanup the interval when the component unmounts
    return () => clearInterval(interval);
  }, []); // Runs only once after the initial render

  return <div>Timer: {seconds} seconds</div>;
}

Here, the useEffect hook sets up an interval timer when the component mounts, and the cleanup function clears the interval when the component unmounts.

Conclusion

The useEffect hook is incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide range of tasks in your React components. Whether you’re fetching data, subscribing to events, or setting up timers, useEffect helps you manage these side effects effectively. The key is understanding when and how the effect runs based on the dependency array, and remembering to clean up resources when needed.

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