Simplifying State Management and Data Fetching in React with Redux Toolkit Query

Efficient Data Fetching and Cache Management with RTK Query: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing state and data fetching in React can be challenging. Redux Toolkit Query (RTK Query) simplifies this process. In this post, we'll explore the useGetTodosQuery hook and its options, including polling and tagTypes.

Key Points for Using Options

• pollingInterval: Use when you need to keep data updated at regular intervals.
• refetchOnMountOrArgChange: Use when you need to refetch data upon component mount or when query arguments change.
• refetchOnReconnect: Use when you want data to refresh after regaining network connectivity.
• refetchOnFocus: Use when you need data to refresh when the browser window regains focus.
• skip: Use to conditionally skip a query.
• tagTypes: Use for more efficient data fetching and cache management.

What is Redux Toolkit Query?

RTK Query is a data fetching and caching tool built on top of Redux Toolkit. It helps manage API requests, caching, and state synchronization with your Redux store.

Setting Up RTK Query

Step 1: Install Redux Toolkit

npm install @reduxjs/toolkit react-redux

Step 2: Create an API Slice

Create an apiSlice.js file:

import { createApi, fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/query/react';

export const apiSlice = createApi({
  reducerPath: 'api',
  baseQuery: fetchBaseQuery({ baseUrl: '/api' }),
  tagTypes: ['Todo'],
  endpoints: (builder) => ({
    getTodos: builder.query({
      query: () => 'todos',
      providesTags: ['Todo'],
    }),
    updateTodo: builder.mutation({
      query: (todo) => ({
        url: `todos/${todo.id}`,
        method: 'PUT',
        body: todo,
      }),
      invalidatesTags: ['Todo'],
    }),
  }),
});

export const { useGetTodosQuery, useUpdateTodoMutation } = apiSlice;

Step 3: Configure the Store

import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import { apiSlice } from './apiSlice';

const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    [apiSlice.reducerPath]: apiSlice.reducer,
  },
  middleware: (getDefaultMiddleware) =>
    getDefaultMiddleware().concat(apiSlice.middleware),
});

export default store;

Step 4: Provide the Store

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
import store from './store';
import App from './App';

ReactDOM.render(
  <Provider store={store}>
    <App />
  </Provider>,
  document.getElementById('root')
);

Using useGetTodosQuery with Options

Efficient Data Fetching with tagTypes

Using pollingInterval can lead to unnecessary API calls, especially when data doesn't change frequently. A more efficient approach is to use tagTypes and invalidating tags to refetch data only when necessary. This approach ensures the UI stays in sync without constant polling.

Example Usage

Here’s how to use useGetTodosQuery and useUpdateTodoMutation in a React component:

import React from 'react';
import { useGetTodosQuery, useUpdateTodoMutation } from './apiSlice';

const TodoList = () => {
  const { data: todos, isLoading, isError } = useGetTodosQuery();
  const [updateTodo] = useUpdateTodoMutation();

  const handleUpdate = async (todo) => {
    await updateTodo({ ...todo, completed: !todo.completed });
  };

  if (isLoading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (isError) return <div>Error loading todos</div>;

  return (
    <ul>
      {todos.map((todo) => (
        <li key={todo.id}>
          {todo.title}
          <button onClick={() => handleUpdate(todo)}>
            {todo.completed ? 'Mark Incomplete' : 'Mark Complete'}
          </button>
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
};

export default TodoList;

Complete Example with Options

Here’s a complete example using useGetTodosQuery with various options:

import React from 'react';
import { useGetTodosQuery } from './apiSlice';

const TodoList = () => {
  const { data: todos, isLoading, isError } = useGetTodosQuery(undefined, {
    refetchOnMountOrArgChange: true,
    refetchOnReconnect: true,
    refetchOnFocus: true,
    skip: false,
  });

  if (isLoading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (isError) return <div>Error loading todos</div>;

  return (
    <ul>
      {todos.map((todo) => (
        <li key={todo.id}>{todo.title}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
};

export default TodoList;

Polling Intervals vs. Tag Types

When to Use Polling Intervals

Polling intervals are useful when data changes frequently and needs to be updated in real-time. For example:

• Live sports scores
• Stock market data
• Real-time chat messages

When to Use tagTypes

tagTypes are better suited for scenarios where data changes infrequently or when you want to minimize API calls. For example:

• User profile information
• Product details in an e-commerce app
• Todo lists where updates are user-driven

Using tagTypes with invalidation tags ensures data is refetched only when necessary, reducing unnecessary network traffic and improving performance.

Conclusion

RTK Query makes data fetching in React applications simple and efficient. While polling is useful for frequently updated data, using tagTypes and invalidating tags is a better approach for efficient data fetching and cache management. This method ensures your UI stays up-to-date without unnecessary API calls. Happy coding!

Comments

[Shakil-Ahmmed8882]

It's was very informative.
Thanks for sharing your insight. ❤️

[FORHAD]

thank you so much.