React Hooks
Deep Knowledge: Use mcp__documentation__fetch_docs with technology: react topic: hooks for comprehensive documentation on all React hooks and custom hook patterns.
Built-in Hooks Reference
State Hooks
| Hook | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|
useState | Local component state | Simple state values |
useReducer | Complex state logic | Multiple sub-values, complex updates |
// useState - simple state
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
// useReducer - complex state
type Action = { type: 'increment' } | { type: 'decrement' } | { type: 'reset'; payload: number };
function reducer(state: number, action: Action): number {
switch (action.type) {
case 'increment': return state + 1;
case 'decrement': return state - 1;
case 'reset': return action.payload;
}
}
const [count, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, 0);
Effect Hooks
| Hook | Purpose | Timing |
|---|
useEffect | Side effects, subscriptions | After paint |
useLayoutEffect | DOM measurements | Before paint |
useInsertionEffect | CSS-in-JS injection | Before DOM mutations |
// useEffect - most common
useEffect(() => {
const subscription = api.subscribe(id);
return () => subscription.unsubscribe(); // Cleanup
}, [id]); // Dependency array
// useLayoutEffect - measure DOM before paint
useLayoutEffect(() => {
const { height } = ref.current.getBoundingClientRect();
setHeight(height);
}, []);
Context Hook
const ThemeContext = createContext<Theme>('light');
function Component() {
const theme = useContext(ThemeContext); // Reads nearest Provider value
return <div className={theme}>...</div>;
}
Ref Hooks
// DOM reference
const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
useEffect(() => {
inputRef.current?.focus();
}, []);
// Mutable value (no re-render on change)
const renderCount = useRef(0);
renderCount.current++; // Doesn't cause re-render
// useImperativeHandle - customize ref exposed to parent
useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
focus: () => inputRef.current?.focus(),
scrollIntoView: () => inputRef.current?.scrollIntoView(),
}), []);
Performance Hooks
// useMemo - cache expensive calculations
const sortedItems = useMemo(() => {
return items.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
}, [items]);
// useCallback - cache function references
const handleClick = useCallback((id: string) => {
setSelected(id);
}, []); // Empty deps = stable reference
// useTransition - non-blocking state updates
const [isPending, startTransition] = useTransition();
startTransition(() => {
setSearchResults(filterLargeList(query)); // Won't block UI
});
// useDeferredValue - defer updating expensive UI
const deferredQuery = useDeferredValue(query);
// UI shows stale value while new value computes
Other Hooks
// useId - unique IDs for accessibility
const id = useId();
<label htmlFor={id}>Email</label>
<input id={id} type="email" />
// useSyncExternalStore - subscribe to external stores
const state = useSyncExternalStore(
store.subscribe,
store.getSnapshot,
store.getServerSnapshot // Optional: for SSR
);
Rules of Hooks
1. Only Call at Top Level
// BAD - conditional hook
if (condition) {
const [value, setValue] = useState(0); // ERROR
}
// BAD - hook in loop
for (const item of items) {
useEffect(() => {}, [item]); // ERROR
}
// GOOD - conditional logic inside hook
const [value, setValue] = useState(0);
useEffect(() => {
if (condition) {
// Do something
}
}, [condition]);
2. Only Call in React Functions
// GOOD - in component
function Component() {
const [state, setState] = useState(0);
}
// GOOD - in custom hook
function useCustomHook() {
const [state, setState] = useState(0);
return state;
}
// BAD - regular function
function helper() {
const [state, setState] = useState(0); // ERROR
}
Custom Hooks Patterns
Basic Pattern
function useLocalStorage<T>(key: string, initialValue: T) {
const [value, setValue] = useState<T>(() => {
const stored = localStorage.getItem(key);
return stored ? JSON.parse(stored) : initialValue;
});
useEffect(() => {
localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(value));
}, [key, value]);
return [value, setValue] as const;
}
// Usage
const [theme, setTheme] = useLocalStorage('theme', 'dark');
Fetch Hook with Loading/Error States
interface UseFetchResult<T> {
data: T | null;
loading: boolean;
error: Error | null;
refetch: () => void;
}
function useFetch<T>(url: string): UseFetchResult<T> {
const [data, setData] = useState<T | null>(null);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null);
const fetchData = useCallback(async () => {
setLoading(true);
setError(null);
try {
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
setData(await response.json());
} catch (e) {
setError(e instanceof Error ? e : new Error(String(e)));
} finally {
setLoading(false);
}
}, [url]);
useEffect(() => {
fetchData();
}, [fetchData]);
return { data, loading, error, refetch: fetchData };
}
Debounce Hook
function useDebounce<T>(value: T, delay: number): T {
const [debouncedValue, setDebouncedValue] = useState(value);
useEffect(() => {
const timer = setTimeout(() => setDebouncedValue(value), delay);
return () => clearTimeout(timer);
}, [value, delay]);
return debouncedValue;
}
// Usage
const [query, setQuery] = useState('');
const debouncedQuery = useDebounce(query, 300);
useEffect(() => {
if (debouncedQuery) {
searchAPI(debouncedQuery);
}
}, [debouncedQuery]);
Toggle Hook
function useToggle(initialValue = false) {
const [value, setValue] = useState(initialValue);
const toggle = useCallback(() => setValue(v => !v), []);
const setTrue = useCallback(() => setValue(true), []);
const setFalse = useCallback(() => setValue(false), []);
return { value, toggle, setTrue, setFalse };
}
// Usage
const { value: isOpen, toggle, setFalse: close } = useToggle();
Previous Value Hook
function usePrevious<T>(value: T): T | undefined {
const ref = useRef<T>();
useEffect(() => {
ref.current = value;
}, [value]);
return ref.current;
}
// Usage - detect changes
const prevCount = usePrevious(count);
useEffect(() => {
if (prevCount !== undefined && prevCount !== count) {
console.log(`Count changed from ${prevCount} to ${count}`);
}
}, [count, prevCount]);
Media Query Hook
function useMediaQuery(query: string): boolean {
const [matches, setMatches] = useState(() =>
window.matchMedia(query).matches
);
useEffect(() => {
const mediaQuery = window.matchMedia(query);
const handler = (e: MediaQueryListEvent) => setMatches(e.matches);
mediaQuery.addEventListener('change', handler);
return () => mediaQuery.removeEventListener('change', handler);
}, [query]);
return matches;
}
// Usage
const isMobile = useMediaQuery('(max-width: 768px)');
const prefersDark = useMediaQuery('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)');
Common Pitfalls
1. Missing Dependencies
// BAD - missing userId dependency
useEffect(() => {
fetchUser(userId);
}, []); // Lint error: userId missing
// GOOD
useEffect(() => {
fetchUser(userId);
}, [userId]);
2. Object/Array Dependencies
// BAD - new object every render
useEffect(() => {
doSomething(options);
}, [{ page: 1, limit: 10 }]); // Always triggers
// GOOD - use useMemo or primitive values
const options = useMemo(() => ({ page, limit }), [page, limit]);
useEffect(() => {
doSomething(options);
}, [options]);
3. Stale Closures
// BAD - stale count value
useEffect(() => {
const interval = setInterval(() => {
setCount(count + 1); // Always uses initial count
}, 1000);
return () => clearInterval(interval);
}, []); // count not in deps but used
// GOOD - functional update
useEffect(() => {
const interval = setInterval(() => {
setCount(c => c + 1); // Uses current value
}, 1000);
return () => clearInterval(interval);
}, []);
When NOT to Use This Skill
- React 19 use() hook - Use
react-19 skill instead - Context API implementation - Use
react-context skill for full Context patterns - Form state management - Use
react-forms or react-hook-form skills instead - Performance optimization - Use
react-performance skill for detailed optimization strategies
Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Problem | Solution |
|---|
| Calling hooks conditionally | Breaks hook order | Always call at component top level |
| Missing dependencies | Stale closures | Include all dependencies in array |
| Empty dependency array with state | Stale state in callback | Use functional update or add dependency |
| Object/array as dependency | Always triggers | Use useMemo or individual primitives |
| useEffect for derived state | Extra render cycles | Calculate during render |
| Not cleaning up effects | Memory leaks | Return cleanup function |
| Custom hook not starting with 'use' | Linter doesn't check | Name all hooks use* |
Quick Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|
| Hook order error | Conditional hook call | Move condition inside hook |
| Infinite loop | Missing/wrong dependencies | Check dependency array |
| Stale closure | Missing dependency | Add to dependency array or use functional update |
| Effect runs on every render | Missing dependency array | Add [] or proper dependencies |
| Cleanup not running | Not returning function | Return cleanup from useEffect |
| useCallback not working | New inline function | Check dependency array |
| useMemo not memoizing | Dependencies changing | Check if dependencies are stable |
Reference