<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nReactJS (also known as React.js or just React) is an open-source JavaScript library Meta created for user interface (UI) development. It\u2019s a declarative and component-based library that plays well with any other codes you may be using. Overall, ReactJS is simple and easy to use. Additionally, it is a very versatile library that you can use for making mobile, single-page, or server-rendered apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Challenges of developing with ReactJS<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nWhile it\u2019s far from the most complicated library, there are still some weaknesses you’ll need to work around when making applications with ReactJS.<\/span><\/p>\nSimple applications run well; however, you may face performance issues when working on more complex or feature-heavy applications. For example, ReactJS can suffer from slow rendering times or memory leaks. This is especially noticeable with long lists, especially those with images.<\/span><\/p>\nAnother issue is you can end up with overly verbose code if you aren’t careful. Since it’s a relatively new library, there are a lot of approaches to coding that can end up in a messy product. This can make it challenging to scale, get new developers up to speed, and maintain the application.<\/span><\/p>\nFortunately, these seven best practices should help combat issues with performance and verbosity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>7 Best Practices<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nWith these seven best practices, you can make lean and mean applications that take advantage of everything ReactJS offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>1. Organize your folders!<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nYes, we know the organization isn\u2019t fun. But you\u2019ll save yourself a world of pain if you organize your files in a way that makes sense. It\u2019s a must for making your code scalable and maintainable.<\/span><\/p>\nThere are a few ways to organize your files and folders. None of them are intrinsically better than another\u2014you can really make or follow any logical order\u2014but the important thing is that you\u2019re consistent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFor example, you can organize by components or file type. It\u2019s also helpful to have reusable components or utility functions grouped in a separate folder.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2. DRY your code<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nDRY (or Don’t Repeat Yourself) is a good mantra in general, but it’s especially helpful with ReactJS. This is because ReactJS makes heavy use of the reusability principle. Using common elements instead of writing a bunch of individual ones will save you time and energy, reduce the size of your code, and make your application faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAlso, review your code for overlap and repetitive code, in general, to see what you can consolidate.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>3. Put your CSS in JavaScript<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s common for developers to put all of their CSS into one file, but that will seriously hurt your scalability later as your style sheet grows out of proportion. That\u2019s where it\u2019s helpful to integrate CSS into your JavaScript. That keeps it accessible and immediate when coding and can be especially helpful when returning to specific components.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>4. Implement Lazy Loading<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nAlso known as code splitting and data fetching, lazy loading can really help with large applications made in ReactJS. React can struggle with rendering everything up front, which results in a poor user experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIf you’re unfamiliar with lazy loading, it’s a technique to speed up rendering by prioritizing different elements and deferring rendering some parts of a page until they’re needed. This is especially helpful for larger websites with a lot of components since you can create a hierarchy, and it offsets the problems with ReactJS.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>5. Make everything testable (and keep up with it)<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nRunning tests on every bit of your code during development is a chore; there’s no way around it. But keeping up with it and squashing bugs early on in development will save you the headache of dealing with those same bugs later down the line. So make sure you write tests for each component as you go along.<\/span><\/p>\nReact Testing Library and Jest are great tools for debugging and provide environments for testing your code.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>6. Follow naming conventions<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span><\/p>\nTo ensure your code is readable and maintainable, always follow the established naming conventions. This will ensure that anyone after you will be able to read and interact with the application and make it easier to debug in general.<\/span><\/p>\nThis means using camelCase for variables and properties, PascalCase for components and class names, and kebab-case for file names.<\/span><\/p>\n