10 React API Calls Best Practices
If you're making API calls in React, there are certain best practices you should follow to ensure things run smoothly. Here are 10 of them.
React is a popular JavaScript library used for building user interfaces. It is often used in combination with other libraries and frameworks, such as Redux, to create powerful web applications. One of the most important aspects of React is making API calls.
Making API calls in React can be tricky, and there are a few best practices that should be followed to ensure that your API calls are successful. In this article, we will discuss 10 React API calls best practices that you should follow when making API calls in React. We will also discuss how to handle errors and how to optimize your API calls for better performance.
1. Use the componentDidMount lifecycle method to make API calls
The componentDidMount lifecycle method is called after the component has been mounted and rendered. This means that all of the necessary data for the component to render correctly has already been loaded, so making an API call at this point won’t interfere with the rendering process. Additionally, since the componentDidMount method only runs once, you can be sure that your API calls are not being made multiple times unnecessarily.
2. Make sure you cancel your API call when unmounting a component
When a component is unmounted, any API calls that were made in the component will still be running. This can cause memory leaks and other performance issues if not handled properly. To prevent this from happening, you should always make sure to cancel your API call when unmounting a component. You can do this by using the useEffect hook with an empty array as its second argument. This will ensure that the effect only runs once (when the component mounts) and then gets cancelled when the component unmounts.
3. Handle errors in your API calls
When making API calls, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. This could be due to an incorrect URL, a server error, or even a network issue. If you don’t handle errors in your API calls, then the user will not know what went wrong and may become frustrated with your application.
To ensure that users are aware of any issues that arise when making React API calls, it’s important to include error handling logic in your code. This can be done by using try/catch blocks, checking for HTTP status codes, and displaying appropriate messages to the user. By doing this, you’ll make sure that users are informed if something goes wrong and can take the necessary steps to fix the issue.
4. Don’t forget to set loading state back to false after receiving data from an API
When making an API call, the loading state is set to true while the data is being fetched. This allows us to show a loading indicator or message on the page so that users know something is happening in the background. However, if we forget to set the loading state back to false after receiving the data from the API, then the loading indicator will remain visible even though the data has been received. This can lead to confusion for the user and could potentially cause them to think that the application isn’t working properly.
Therefore, it’s important to remember to always set the loading state back to false after receiving data from an API call in React.
5. Avoid calling an API multiple times unnecessarily
When you call an API multiple times, it can cause performance issues. This is because each time the API is called, a request is sent to the server and the response must be processed before any further action can take place. If this process is repeated too often, it can slow down your application’s performance.
To avoid unnecessary API calls, use caching techniques such as local storage or session storage. These allow you to store data locally so that when the same API call is made again, the data can be retrieved from the cache instead of making another request to the server. This will help improve the performance of your React application.
6. Keep your API calls organized and easy to find
When you have a large application with many API calls, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. If your API calls are organized and easy to find, then it will be much easier for developers to debug any issues that arise.
Organizing your API calls also makes it easier to maintain the codebase over time. When new features or bug fixes need to be implemented, it’s important to know where each API call is located so that changes can be made quickly and efficiently.
Finally, organizing your API calls helps ensure that they are secure. By keeping track of which API calls are being used in your application, you can make sure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data.
7. Cache API responses for better performance
When you make an API call, the response is stored in memory. This means that if you make the same request again, it will be much faster because the data is already available in memory.
Caching also helps reduce server load and bandwidth usage. If multiple users are making the same request, they can all get the same cached response instead of each user having to make a separate request.
Finally, caching can help improve the overall user experience by reducing loading times. When a user makes a request, they don’t have to wait for the entire response to come back from the server before they see something on their screen. Instead, they can see the cached version right away.
8. Use axios or other libraries instead of fetch()
Fetch() is a native JavaScript API that allows you to make HTTP requests, but it doesn’t provide any built-in error handling. This means that if an error occurs during the request, you won’t be able to catch and handle it properly. Axios, on the other hand, provides built-in error handling capabilities, making it easier to debug your code and ensure that errors are handled correctly.
Axios also offers more features than fetch(), such as automatic transformation of JSON data, support for canceling requests, and built-in client side protection against cross site request forgery (CSRF). All of these features make axios a better choice when making React API calls.
9. Use async/await syntax with try/catch blocks to handle errors
Using async/await syntax allows you to write code that looks synchronous, but is actually asynchronous. This makes it easier to read and understand your code, as well as making it more efficient. Additionally, using try/catch blocks with async/await will help you handle errors gracefully, so that if something goes wrong, you can catch the error and take appropriate action.
Overall, using async/await syntax with try/catch blocks is a great way to make sure your React API calls are handled properly and efficiently.
10. Consider using Redux for global state management
Redux is a library that helps you manage the state of your application in an organized and predictable way. It allows you to store all of your data in one place, which makes it easier to access and update when needed.
Redux also provides tools for debugging and testing, so you can ensure that your API calls are working correctly. Additionally, Redux’s architecture encourages code reuse, making it easier to maintain and scale your application as it grows. Finally, using Redux with React will help keep your components decoupled from each other, allowing them to be more easily reused and tested.