In this new beginner-friendly series "Unlocking the Power of React Hooks" we will learn about React Hooks, including what they are and how to use them effectively.

This article is an introduction to this series, in which we'll delve into the world of Hooks and discover both effective and ineffective practices associated with them.

🪝What do we mean by Hooks?

React hooks are a feature introduced in React version 16.8.

They allow us to use state and other React features, such as lifecycle methods, in functional components.

This means that we can write components as functions rather than classes, which makes them more concise and easier to read. It also makes it easier to reuse code and separate concerns between components.

React hooks follow a specific naming convention to ensure that they work properly and that our code is easy to read and understand.

The convention is to start the name of a custom hook with the word "use", followed by a descriptive name beginning with a capital letter (like useState) that describes the behavior or functionality of the hook.

Types of React Hooks

• useState

• useEffect

• useContext

• useRef

• useCallback

• useMemo

• useReducer

• Custom hooks

We'll be learning about each of them in the future articles of this series.

📜Rules of Hooks

2 key rules to follow while using React Hooks are :

1. Only Call Hooks at the Top Level

   Use Hooks at the top level of your React function, before any early returns.

   Don't call them inside loops, conditions, or nested functions.

   But Why?

   Because by following this rule, we ensure that Hooks are called in the same order each time a component renders.

2. Only call Hooks from React Functions

   React hooks can't be used inside class components. They can only be called inside:

   • Functional components

   • Custom Hooks

And they can't be used inside:

• functions of other hooks like useEffect, useState and useReducer

• class components

• event handlers

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you understand React hooks and the rules of using them. If it has, please give a like and share this article. Thanks a lot for reading. Have a great day!