⚛️ React 101: Build Smarter Components, Not Bigger Ones

Hey community! 👋 If you’ve ever ended up with a massive React component that does everything — API calls, state management, rendering UI, handling forms. In React, smarter components make your app easier to maintain, scale, and debug.

Let’s explore how to build smarter components step by step. 🚀

✅ 1. Break It Down Into Smaller Components

If your component is over 200 lines and does multiple things, that’s a red flag.

Instead:

Split by responsibility (UI, logic, layout).
Create reusable components for repeated UI patterns.

Example:
❌ Bad: One component handling everything
✅ Good:

// Button.jsx
export default function Button({ label, onClick }) {
  return <button onClick={onClick}>{label}</button>;
}

✅ 2. Lift State Up — Only When Needed

Don’t keep state in every component. Ask:
➡️ Who needs this state?
➡️ Can it be passed down as props?
➡️ Is it global (use Context or a store)?

// Parent manages state
function App() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  return <Counter count={count} increment={() => setCount(count + 1)} />;
}

✅ 3. Avoid Prop Drilling with Context

If you pass props three levels deep, consider Context API or state libraries like Redux or Zustand.

const ThemeContext = createContext();

function App() {
  return (
    <ThemeContext.Provider value="dark">
      <Navbar />
    </ThemeContext.Provider>
  );
}

✅ 4. Memoization for Performance

Too many re-renders? Use:

React.memo for components
useCallback & useMemo for expensive functions

const ExpensiveComponent = React.memo(({ data }) => {
  return <div>{data}</div>;
});

✅ 5. Keep Components Pure

A pure component renders the same output for the same props — no hidden side effects.
✔ No API calls inside render()
✔ No direct DOM manipulation (use useEffect)

🧠 Wrap-Up: Smarter = Maintainable

Small, focused, reusable, and optimized components make your React app easier to scale and debug.

💬 What’s your rule for splitting components? Drop your tips below! 👇