Zahab Kakar

Posted on Sep 12, 2021 • Updated on Sep 15, 2021 • Originally published at zahab.tech

Top 5 Useful Packages That Every React Developer Should Know

#react #javascript #programming #productivity

React JS is a popular JavaScript framework for building front-end applications, such as user interfaces that let people interact with software. When it comes to developing modern React apps, choosing the right library might be difficult. Therefore in this article, I have compiled the best and useful packages that you need as a React developer.

Axios

Axios makes it simple for us to communicate with APIs in our React projects. Though alternative techniques like Fetch or AJAX may do this, Axios can give extra functionality that goes a long way with React-based apps.

Installation

Using NPM

npm install axios

Using Yarn

yarn add axios

Usage

import axios from 'axios'

// Make a request for a user with a given ID
axios.get('/user?ID=12345')
  .then(function (response) {
    // handle success
    console.log(response);
  })
  .catch(function (error) {
    // handle error
    console.log(error);
  })
  .then(function () {
    // always executed
  });

Redux

Redux is a JavaScript library that allows you to manage and centralize your application's state. For creating user interfaces, it is most often used alongside frameworks like React or Angular.

Installation

Using NPM

npm install redux

Using Yarn

yarn add redux

Usage

import { createStore } from 'redux'


function counterReducer(state = { value: 0 }, action) {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'counter/incremented':
      return { value: state.value + 1 }
    case 'counter/decremented':
      return { value: state.value - 1 }
    default:
      return state
  }
}

// Create a Redux store holding the state of your app.
// Its API is { subscribe, dispatch, getState }.
let store = createStore(counterReducer)

// You can use subscribe() to update the UI in response to state changes.

store.subscribe(() => console.log(store.getState()))

// The only way to mutate the internal state is to dispatch an action.
// The actions can be serialized, logged or stored and later replayed.
store.dispatch({ type: 'counter/incremented' })
// {value: 1}
store.dispatch({ type: 'counter/incremented' })
// {value: 2}
store.dispatch({ type: 'counter/decremented' })
// {value: 1}

Formik

Formik is a small group of React components and hooks for building forms. It helps with the three most annoying parts: Getting values in and out of form state. Validation and error messages.

Installation

Using NPM

 npm install formik --save

Using Yarn

yarn add formik

Usage

 import React from 'react';
 import { useFormik } from 'formik';

 const SignupForm = () => {
   // Pass the useFormik() hook initial form values and a submit function that will
   // be called when the form is submitted
   const formik = useFormik({
     initialValues: {
       email: '',
     },
     onSubmit: values => {
       alert(JSON.stringify(values, null, 2));
     },
   });
   return (
     <form onSubmit={formik.handleSubmit}>
       <label htmlFor="email">Email Address</label>
       <input
         id="email"
         name="email"
         type="email"
         onChange={formik.handleChange}
         value={formik.values.email}
       />

       <button type="submit">Submit</button>
     </form>
   );
 };

Styled Components

Styled Components is a CSS tool that makes your React project run more smoothly. This package enables you to construct reusable, tiny components that are crucial to your application's design.

Installation

Using NPM

npm install --save styled-components

Using Yarn

yarn add styled-components

Usage

import styled from "styled-components";

// Styled component named Button
const Button = styled.button`
  background-color: black;
  font-size: 18px;
  color: white;
`;

function MyComponent() {
  return <Button> Sign up </Button>;
}

Chakra UI

Chakra UI is a React component toolkit that seeks to help developers spend less time writing code and more time focusing on providing a great user experience. It provides you with the flexible, accessible, and easy user interface components you'll need to create apps.

Installation

-Using NPM

npm i @chakra-ui/react @emotion/react@^11 @emotion/styled@^11 framer-motion@^4

-Using Yarn

yarn add @chakra-ui/react @emotion/react@^11 @emotion/styled@^11 framer-motion@^4

Usage

import React from "react";
import { Button, ButtonGroup } from "@chakra-ui/react";
// Button: The button component with support for custom icons, spinners, etc.
// ButtonGroup: Used to group buttons whose actions are related, with an option to flush them together.

export default function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Button colorScheme="blue">Button</Button>
    </div>
  );
}