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Elham Najeebullah
Elham Najeebullah

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React & TypeScript: JSX.Element Vs ReactElement and Which one to use it with functional component.

In ReactJS with TypeScript, the return type of a functional component can be specified as either JSX.Element or ReactElement.

JSX.Element is a type alias for a JSX element. JSX is a syntax extension for JavaScript that allows you to write HTML-like code in your JavaScript files. It is a way of representing the structure of a user interface in the form of a tree of nested elements, with each element representing a component.

Here is an example of a functional component with a return type of JSX.Element:

import React from 'react';

function MyComponent(): JSX.Element {
  return <div>Hello, world!</div>;
}
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ReactElement is a type defined in the react module. It represents a virtual DOM element, which is an object that represents a DOM element and can be passed to the ReactDOM.render function to be rendered to the actual DOM.

And here is an example of a functional component with a return type of ReactElement:

import React from 'react';

function MyComponent(): React.ReactElement {
  return <div>Hello, world!</div>;
}
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In practice, there is not much difference between the two types, as a JSX element will be compiled to a ReactElement when the code is transpiled. However, using JSX.Element as the return type of a functional component specifies that the component should return a JSX element, while using ReactElement specifies that the component should return a virtual DOM element.

In general, it is recommended to use JSX.Element as the return type for functional components, as it is more semantically meaningful and easier to understand. However, either type is acceptable, and the choice will depend on the context and the specific requirements of your code.

Have any question, please leave a comment.

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