React Class Components
Before React 16.8, Class components were the only way to track state and lifecycle on a React component. Function components were considered "state-less".
With the addition of Hooks, Function components are now almost equivalent to Class components. The differences are so minor that you will probably never need to use a Class component in React.
Even though Function components are preferred, there are no current plans on removing Class components from React.
This section will give you an overview of how to use Class components in React.
Feel free to skip this section, and use Function Components instead.
React Components
Components are independent and reusable bits of code. They serve the same purpose as JavaScript functions, but work in isolation and return HTML via a render() function.
Components come in two types, Class components and Function components, in this chapter you will learn about Class components.
Create a Class Component
When creating a React component, the component's name must start with an upper case letter.
The component has to include the extends React.Component statement, this statement creates an inheritance to
React.Component, and gives your component access to React.Component's functions.
The component also requires a render() method,
this method returns HTML.
Example
Create a Class component called Car
class Car extends React.Component {
render() {
return <h2>Hi, I am a Car!</h2>;
}
}
Now your React application has a component called Car, which returns a
<h2> element.
To use this component in your application, use similar syntax as normal HTML:
<Car />
Example
Display the Car component in the "root" element:
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Car />);Component Constructor
If there is a constructor()
The constructor function is where you initiate the component's properties.
In React, component properties should be kept in an object called
state.
You will learn more about state later in
this tutorial.
The constructor function is also where you honor the inheritance of the
parent component by including the super()
statement, which executes the parent component's constructor function, and your component has access to all the functions of
the parent component (React.Component).
Example
Create a constructor function in the Car component, and add a color property:
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor() {
super();
this.state = {color: "red"};
}
render() {
return <h2>I am a Car!</h2>;
}
}
Use the color property in the render() function:
Example
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor() {
super();
this.state = {color: "red"};
}
render() {
return <h2>I am a {this.state.color} Car!</h2>;
}
}
Props
Another way of handling component properties is by using props.
Props are like function arguments, and you send them into the component as attributes.
You will learn more about props in the next chapter.
Example
Use an attribute to pass a color to the Car component, and use it in the render() function:
class Car extends React.Component {
render() {
return <h2>I am a {this.props.color} Car!</h2>;
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Car color="red"/>);
Props in the Constructor
If your component has a constructor function,
the props should always be passed to the constructor and also to the React.Component via the super() method.
Example
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
}
render() {
return <h2>I am a {this.props.model}!</h2>;
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Car model="Mustang"/>);
Components in Components
We can refer to components inside other components:
Example
Use the Car component inside the Garage component:
class Car extends React.Component {
render() {
return <h2>I am a Car!</h2>;
}
}
class Garage extends React.Component {
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>Who lives in my Garage?</h1>
<Car />
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Garage />);
Components in Files
React is all about re-using code, and it can be smart to insert some of your components in separate files.
To do that, create a new file with a .js
file extension and put the code inside it:
Note that the file must start by importing React (as before), and it has to
end with the statement export default Car;.
Example
This is the new file, we named it Car.js:
import React from 'react';
class Car extends React.Component {
render() {
return <h2>Hi, I am a Car!</h2>;
}
}
export default Car;
To be able to use the Car component, you have to import the file in your
application.
Example
Now we import the Car.js file in the application, and we can use the
Car
component as if it was created here.
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client';
import Car from './Car.js';
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Car />);
React Class Component State
React Class components have a built-in state object.
You might have noticed that we used state earlier in the component constructor section.
The state object is where you store property values that belongs to the component.
When the state object changes, the component re-renders.
Creating the state Object
The state object is initialized in the constructor:
Example
Specify the state object in the constructor method:
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {brand: "Ford"};
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Car</h1>
</div>
);
}
}
The state object can contain as many properties as you like:
Example
Specify all the properties your component need:
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
brand: "Ford",
model: "Mustang",
color: "red",
year: 1964
};
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Car</h1>
</div>
);
}
}
Using the state Object
Refer to the state object anywhere in the component by using the
this.state.propertyname syntax:
Example:
Refer to the state object in the
render() method:
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
brand: "Ford",
model: "Mustang",
color: "red",
year: 1964
};
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My {this.state.brand}</h1>
<p>
It is a {this.state.color}
{this.state.model}
from {this.state.year}.
</p>
</div>
);
}
}
Changing the state Object
To change a value in the state object, use the this.setState() method.
When a value in the state object changes,
the component will re-render, meaning that the output will change according to
the new value(s).
Example:
Add a button with an onClick event that
will change the color property:
class Car extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
brand: "Ford",
model: "Mustang",
color: "red",
year: 1964
};
}
changeColor = () => {
this.setState({color: "blue"});
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My {this.state.brand}</h1>
<p>
It is a {this.state.color}
{this.state.model}
from {this.state.year}.
</p>
<button
type="button"
onClick={this.changeColor}
>Change color</button>
</div>
);
}
}
Always use the setState() method to change the state object,
it will ensure that the component knows its been updated and calls the render() method
(and all the other lifecycle methods).
Lifecycle of Components
Each component in React has a lifecycle which you can monitor and manipulate during its three main phases.
The three phases are: Mounting, Updating, and Unmounting.
Mounting
Mounting means putting elements into the DOM.
React has four built-in methods that gets called, in this order, when mounting a component:
constructor()getDerivedStateFromProps()render()componentDidMount()
The render() method is required and will
always be called, the others are optional and will be called if you define them.
constructor
The constructor() method is called before anything else,
when the component is initiated, and it is the natural
place to set up the initial state and other
initial values.
The constructor() method is called with the
props, as arguments, and you should always
start by calling the super(props) before
anything else, this will initiate the parent's constructor method and allows the
component to inherit methods from its parent (React.Component).
Example:
The constructor method is called, by
React, every time you make a component:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
render() {
return (
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
getDerivedStateFromProps
The getDerivedStateFromProps() method is
called right before rendering the element(s) in the DOM.
This is the natural place to set the state object based on the initial
props.
It takes
state as an argument, and returns an object with changes to the
state.
The example below starts with the favorite color being
"red", but the
getDerivedStateFromProps() method updates the favorite color based on the
favcol attribute:
Example:
The getDerivedStateFromProps method is called
right before the render method:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
static getDerivedStateFromProps(props, state) {
return {favoritecolor: props.favcol };
}
render() {
return (
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header favcol="yellow"/>);render
The render() method is required, and is the
method that actually outputs the HTML to the DOM.
Example:
A simple component with a simple render()
method:
class Header extends React.Component {
render() {
return (
<h1>This is the content of the Header component</h1>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
componentDidMount
The componentDidMount() method is called after the
component is rendered.
This is where you run statements that requires that the component is already placed in the DOM.
Example:
At first my favorite color is red, but give me a second, and it is yellow instead:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
componentDidMount() {
setTimeout(() => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "yellow"})
}, 1000)
}
render() {
return (
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
Updating
The next phase in the lifecycle is when a component is updated.
A component is updated whenever there is a change in the component's
state or props.
React has five built-in methods that gets called, in this order, when a component is updated:
getDerivedStateFromProps()shouldComponentUpdate()render()getSnapshotBeforeUpdate()componentDidUpdate()
The render() method is required and will
always be called, the others are optional and will be called if you define them.
getDerivedStateFromProps
Also at updates the getDerivedStateFromProps method is
called. This is the first method that is called when a component gets updated.
This is still the natural place to set the state object based on the initial props.
The example below has a button that changes the favorite color to blue, but
since the getDerivedStateFromProps() method is called,
which updates the state with the color from the favcol attribute, the favorite color is
still
rendered as yellow:
Example:
If the component gets updated, the getDerivedStateFromProps() method is called:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
static getDerivedStateFromProps(props, state) {
return {favoritecolor: props.favcol };
}
changeColor = () => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "blue"});
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<button type="button" onClick={this.changeColor}>Change color</button>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header favcol="yellow" />);
shouldComponentUpdate
In the shouldComponentUpdate() method
you can return a Boolean value that specifies whether React should continue with the rendering or not.
The default value is true.
The example below shows what happens when the
shouldComponentUpdate() method returns false:
Example:
Stop the component from rendering at any update:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
shouldComponentUpdate() {
return false;
}
changeColor = () => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "blue"});
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<button type="button" onClick={this.changeColor}>Change color</button>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
Example:
Same example as above, but this time the shouldComponentUpdate() method returns
true instead:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
shouldComponentUpdate() {
return true;
}
changeColor = () => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "blue"});
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<button type="button" onClick={this.changeColor}>Change color</button>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
render
The render() method is of course called when a component gets updated,
it has to re-render the HTML to the DOM, with the new changes.
The example below has a button that changes the favorite color to blue:
Example:
Click the button to make a change in the component's state:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
changeColor = () => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "blue"});
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<button type="button" onClick={this.changeColor}>Change color</button>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
getSnapshotBeforeUpdate
In the getSnapshotBeforeUpdate() method
you have access to the props and
state before the update, meaning that
even after the update, you can check what the values were before the
update.
If the getSnapshotBeforeUpdate() method
is present, you should also include the
componentDidUpdate() method, otherwise you will get an error.
The example below might seem complicated, but all it does is this:
When the component is mounting it is rendered with the favorite color "red".
When the component has been mounted, a timer changes the state, and after one second, the favorite color becomes "yellow".
This action triggers the update phase, and since this component has a
getSnapshotBeforeUpdate() method, this method is executed, and writes a
message to the empty DIV1 element.
Then the componentDidUpdate() method is
executed and writes a message in the empty DIV2 element:
Example:
Use the
getSnapshotBeforeUpdate() method to find out
what the state object looked like before
the update:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
componentDidMount() {
setTimeout(() => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "yellow"})
}, 1000)
}
getSnapshotBeforeUpdate(prevProps, prevState) {
document.getElementById("div1").innerHTML =
"Before the update, the favorite was " + prevState.favoritecolor;
}
componentDidUpdate() {
document.getElementById("div2").innerHTML =
"The updated favorite is " + this.state.favoritecolor;
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<div id="div1"></div>
<div id="div2"></div>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
componentDidUpdate
The componentDidUpdate method
is called after the component is updated in the DOM.
The example below might seem complicated, but all it does is this:
When the component is mounting it is rendered with the favorite color "red".
When the component has been mounted, a timer changes the state, and the color becomes "yellow".
This action triggers the update phase, and since this component has
a componentDidUpdate method, this method is
executed and writes a message in the empty DIV element:
Example:
The componentDidUpdate method is called
after the update has been rendered in the DOM:
class Header extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {favoritecolor: "red"};
}
componentDidMount() {
setTimeout(() => {
this.setState({favoritecolor: "yellow"})
}, 1000)
}
componentDidUpdate() {
document.getElementById("mydiv").innerHTML =
"The updated favorite is " + this.state.favoritecolor;
}
render() {
return (
<div>
<h1>My Favorite Color is {this.state.favoritecolor}</h1>
<div id="mydiv"></div>
</div>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Header />);
Unmounting
The next phase in the lifecycle is when a component is removed from the DOM, or unmounting as React likes to call it.
React has only one built-in method that gets called when a component is unmounted:
componentWillUnmount()
componentWillUnmount
The componentWillUnmount method is
called when the component is about to be removed from the DOM.
Example:
Click the button to delete the header:
class Container extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {show: true};
}
delHeader = () => {
this.setState({show: false});
}
render() {
let myheader;
if (this.state.show) {
myheader = <Child />;
};
return (
<div>
{myheader}
<button type="button" onClick={this.delHeader}>Delete Header</button>
</div>
);
}
}
class Child extends React.Component {
componentWillUnmount() {
alert("The component named Header is about to be unmounted.");
}
render() {
return (
<h1>Hello World!</h1>
);
}
}
const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
root.render(<Container />);