Interview Questions in ReactJS

1. What is React?
Answer: React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It allows developers to
create reusable UI components and manage the state of their applications e?iciently.

2. Why is React popular among developers?

Answer: React is popular because of its e?icient rendering capabilities, the composition
model of reusable components, and its strong supporting ecosystem, including tools and
libraries.

3. How does React differ from frameworks like Angular or Vue?

Answer: React focuses solely on building UI components and leaves many aspects like
routing and global state management to other libraries. Angular provides a more opinionated
full framework approach, while Vue o?ers a middle ground with optional libraries for scaling.

4. What are Node.js and npm, and why are they important for React
development?
Answer: Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that lets you run JavaScript on the server-side. npm
is a package manager for JavaScript that allows you to install and manage libraries, such as
React. They are essential for setting up a React development environment and managing its
dependencies.

5. What is 'Create React App' and how does it help in React development?
Answer: Create React App is a toolchain built by Facebook that sets up a new React project
with sensible defaults. It abstracts webpack and Babel configurations, making it easier to
start building React applications without initial setup complexity.
6. Describe a simple React component structure.
Answer: A simple React component typically includes a class or function that extends
React.Component or uses React Hooks. It returns a JSX template representing the UI, which
can include other components and HTML elements.

7. What are functional components in React?

Answer: Functional components are simple JavaScript functions that return JSX. They are
used to create components that can accept properties and manage a local state using
Hooks.

8. How do lifecycle methods differ in class components versus using Hooks

in functional components?
Answer: In class components, lifecycle methods such as componentDidMount,
componentDidUpdate, and componentWillUnmount are explicitly defined. In functional
components, similar behaviors are handled by the useE?ect Hook, providing more flexibility
and reuse.

9. How do you pass data to components using props?

Answer: Data can be passed to components via props by including them as attributes when
the component is used, like <MyComponent someData={data} />.

10. What is the difference between state and props in React?

Answer: Props are read-only and passed from parent to child components, meant for
configuration and are immutable from the child's perspective. State is managed within the
component and can be changed, usually to keep track of user inputs and other dynamic
data.
11. How do you handle events in React?
Answer: Events in React are handled by passing a function as an event handler to the
component's event props like onClick, onChange, etc. For example, <button
onClick={handleClick}>Click me</button>.

12. What is the typical pattern for updating the state in response to user
inputs or actions?
Answer: The typical pattern involves setting up an event handler that calls setState or the
state update function from Hooks, using the current value of an input element or the
previous state to calculate the new state.

13. What is JSX and how is it used in React?

Answer: JSX is a syntax extension for JavaScript, resembling HTML, used in React to describe
the UI structure. It gets compiled into standard JavaScript calls, enabling developers to write
HTML-like code directly in their JavaScript files.

14. How can you perform conditional rendering in React?

Answer: Conditional rendering in React can be achieved using JavaScript expressions such
as ternary operators or logical operators. For example, {isLoggedIn ? <LogoutButton /> :
<LoginButton />}.

15. What are keys in React lists, and why are they important?
Answer: Keys help React identify which items in a list have changed, are added, or are
removed, and are necessary for e?icient updates. Each element in an array should have a
unique key (like an ID).
16. How do you render a list of items in React?
Answer: Lists can be rendered using the map() function in JavaScript. For example,
<ul>{items.map(item => <li key={item.id}>{item.text}</li>)}</ul> where each item needs a
unique key prop.

17. Explain the difference between controlled and uncontrolled components

in React forms.
Answer: Controlled components have their state controlled by React, typically storing input
values in the component's state and updating them via setState. Uncontrolled components
maintain their own state in the DOM, using refs to interact with the elements directly.

18. How do you handle form submissions in React?

Answer: Form submissions are handled by attaching an onSubmit event to the form, which
calls a function that prevents the default form submission behavior and instead handles the
data programmatically.

19. What are some best practices for form validation in React?
Answer: Best practices include using controlled components for easy validation on change,
displaying error messages next to the relevant inputs, and preventing form submission until
all fields are validated.

20. Why might you use a form library like Formik in React?
Answer: Formik simplifies form handling in React by managing form state, handling
submissions, and providing validation functionality, reducing the boilerplate code required
to build complex forms.
21. How do you set up React Router in a new project?
Answer: React Router can be set up by installing the react-router-dom package and wrapping
the application in a <BrowserRouter> component, defining routes with <Route>
components.

22. What is the purpose of the Link component in React Router?

Answer: The Link component is used to create navigable links in the application that change
the URL without refreshing the page, preserving the SPA (Single Page Application) nature of
the application.

23. How can you create nested routes in React Router?

Answer: Nested routes are created by placing <Route> components inside another <Route>
component, reflecting a nested URL structure in the application's UI.

24. What are route parameters and how are they accessed in React?
Answer: Route parameters are dynamic parts of the URL that are captured and can be
accessed within component via hooks like useParams, allowing the component to render
based on parameter values.

25. What are some commonly used React Hooks and their purposes?
Answer: useState for managing state, useE?ect for side e?ects, useRef for referencing DOM
elements, and useParams and useNavigate for routing purposes.

26. Explain how useState and useEffect are used in functional components.
Answer: useState allows you to add state to functional components. useE?ect is used to
perform side e?ects, such as data fetching, subscriptions, or manually changing the DOM
from React components.
27. How do you fetch data from an API in a React component?
Answer: Data can be fetched using the fetch API or libraries like Axios within the useE?ect
hook to ensure it's done when the component is rendered and ready.

28. Discuss how to handle asynchronous operations when fetching data in

React.
Answer: Asynchronous operations can be handled using async-await syntax within
useE?ect, ensuring that state updates happen only after data is fetched, or using promise
chains to handle asynchronous data flow

29. How do you implement error handling when making API calls in React?
Answer: Error handling in React API calls can be implemented using try-catch blocks in
asynchronous functions. When using the fetch API or Axios, errors should be caught and
handled appropriately, often updating the component's state to display error messages or
fallback UI components.

Example:
useE?ect(() => {

async function fetchData() {

try {

const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');

if (!response.ok) {

throw new Error('Network response was not ok');

const data = await response.json();

 setState(data);

} catch (error) {

setError(error.message);

fetchData();

}, []);

30. What is the best way to manage API keys securely in a React application?
Answer: The best practice for managing API keys in React is to keep them out of the frontend
codebase to prevent exposure. Instead, API requests should be routed through a secure
backend server that appends the API key to requests. If direct use in the frontend is
necessary, keys should be stored in environment variables and accessed via process.env in
the build process, never hardcoded in the source.

31. Can you explain the use of Axios for data fetching and why it might be
preferred over fetch?
Answer: Axios is a popular library for making HTTP requests in JavaScript applications,
including React. It provides several advantages over the fetch API:

Automatic JSON data transformation: Axios automatically converts request and response
data into JSON, unlike fetch which requires explicit parsing.

Request and response interceptors: These allow you to globally alter requests and
responses before they are handled by then or catch.
Better error handling: Axios distinguishes between server errors and network errors, making
it easier to handle di?erent error conditions.

Timeouts, cancellation, and global configuration: These features are more accessible and
straightforward to set up with Axios.

32. Discuss how to use the useEffect hook for data fetching in React. What
are the common pitfalls?
Answer: The useE?ect hook is used to perform side e?ects in function components, such as
API calls:

useE?ect(() => {

const fetchData = async () => {

const result = await axios('https://api.example.com/data');

setData(result.data);

};

fetchData();

}, []); // Empty dependency array ensures this runs once after the initial render

Common pitfalls include:

Not including a dependency array or specifying incorrect dependencies which might lead to
unnecessary API calls on every render.

Memory leaks when the component unmounts before an asynchronous operation is

completed. This can be mitigated by canceling the request on component unmount, or by
using cleanup functions in useE?ect.
33. How do you handle loading and error states when fetching data from an
API in React?
Answer: Managing loading and error states typically involves setting state variables such as
isLoading and error at the beginning and throughout the API call process:

useE?ect(() => {

const fetchData = async () => {

try {

setLoading(true);

const result = await axios('https://api.example.com/data');

setData(result.data);

setLoading(false);

} catch (error) {

setError(error);

setLoading(false);

};

fetchData();

}, []);

In the component, you can then conditionally render di?erent UI elements based on whether
isLoading is true, error is non-null, or data has been successfully fetched.
34. Scenario: You are tasked with creating a dashboard where components
fetch data independently and update their state. How would you structure
your components and manage state?
Answer: For a dashboard with multiple components fetching data independently, I would
use the React Context API or Redux for state management to maintain a centralized state.
Each component can use the useContext hook or connect to Redux to dispatch actions
independently. I would structure the components to be self-contained, each managing its
own data fetching logic using useE?ect and updating the global state accordingly.

35. Scenario: You notice that a React application you are working on is
rendering slowly. What steps would you take to diagnose and fix the
performance issues?

Answer: To diagnose performance issues in a React application, I would:

Use the React DevTools Profiler to identify components that are re-rendering unnecessarily.

Check for common performance pitfalls, such as large lists without keys, deep object
comparisons, or heavy computations in the render method.

Optimize by memoizing components with React.memo, using useMemo for expensive

calculations, and useCallback to prevent functions from being recreated on every render.

Implement lazy loading for components and splitting code to reduce the initial load time.
36. Scenario: A form in your React application needs to dynamically add and
remove inputs, and you also need to validate the input data before
submission. Describe how you would implement this.

Answer: I would manage the form's state using the useState hook, where each input's state
is an item in an array. For dynamic addition or removal of inputs, I'd manipulate this array
state directly. For validation, I would use a combination of React's controlled component
pattern and manual validation functions or integrate a library like Formik or React Hook Form
which supports dynamic form fields and validation. On submission, I'd ensure that the
validate function is triggered, checking for any errors before proceeding with the data
submission.

37. Scenario: You need to integrate a third-party JavaScript library that

manipulates the DOM directly into your React application. What
considerations should you keep in mind?
Answer: When integrating a third-party JavaScript library that manipulates the DOM:

Ensure compatibility with React's virtual DOM, as direct DOM manipulations can lead to
inconsistencies.

Use React refs to get direct DOM access, which is safer and more in line with React's
architecture.

Initialize the library in the componentDidMount lifecycle method or useE?ect hook after the
component has mounted to ensure the DOM node is available.

Clean up in componentWillUnmount or the cleanup function of useE?ect to prevent

memory leaks or errors if the component unmounts.
38. Scenario: Your project requires implementing a feature that allows users
to switch between multiple themes (like light mode and dark mode) across
the entire application. How would you implement this in React?
Answer: To implement a theme switcher:

Use the Context API to create a Theme Context that holds the current theme state and
provides a function to toggle the theme.

Create a higher-order component or a custom hook that subscribes to the Theme Context
and applies the theme to components.

Use CSS variables or a CSS-in-JS solution like styled-components to define styles for each
theme and update them dynamically based on the current theme context.

39. Scenario: You are developing a React application with multiple nested
components, and you need to pass data from the top-level component to
some deeply nested child components. What methods can you use to
achieve this without prop drilling?
Answer: To avoid prop drilling in a deeply nested component structure:

Use the Context API to provide data at the top level and consume it in the nested
components without having to pass it through every layer.

Consider using a state management library like Redux if the application is complex and
requires global state management across many components.
40. What is a pure component in React? Provide an example.
Answer: A pure component in React automatically handles shouldComponentUpdate with
a shallow prop and state comparison. This optimizes performance by reducing unnecessary
renders. In class components, React.PureComponent is used. Here's an example:

class MyComponent extends React.PureComponent {

render() {

return <div>{this.props.name}</div>;

For functional components, similar behavior can be achieved using React.memo:

const MyComponent = React.memo(function MyComponent(props) {

return <div>{props.name}</div>;
});

41. Explain how to use context in React with a code example.

Answer: Context provides a way to pass data through the component tree without having to
pass props down manually at every level. Here's an example of using Context:

import React, { useContext } from 'react';

// Create a Context
const ThemeContext = React.createContext('light');

// A component that consumes the Context

 function ThemedButton() {
const theme = useContext(ThemeContext);
return <button className={theme}>I am styled by theme context!</button>;
}

// App component that provides initial context value

function App() {
return (
<ThemeContext.Provider value="dark">
<ThemedButton />
</ThemeContext.Provider>
);
}

export default App;

42. How do you implement higher-order components (HOCs) in React? Give

an example.
Answer: A higher-order component (HOC) is a function that takes a component and returns
a new component, typically adding additional functionalities or data. Here's an example:

function withSubscription(WrappedComponent, selectData) {

return class extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
this.state = {
data: selectData(DataSource, props)
 };
}

componentDidMount() {
// Handle change...
}

componentWillUnmount() {
// Clean up...
}

render() {
return <WrappedComponent data={this.state.data} {...this.props} />;
}
};
}

43. What is the use of useReducer hook in React? Provide a code example.
Answer: useReducer is often preferable to useState when you have complex state logic that
involves multiple sub-values or when the next state depends on the previous one. Here’s an
example:

function reducer(state, action) {

switch (action.type) {
case 'increment':
return {count: state.count + 1};
case 'decrement':
return {count: state.count - 1};
 default:
throw new Error();
}
}

function Counter() {
const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, {count: 0});

return (
<>
Count: {state.count}
<button onClick={() => dispatch({type: 'decrement'})}>-</button>
<button onClick={() => dispatch({type: 'increment'})}>+</button>
</>
);
}

45. What is JSX and why do we use it in React?

• Answer: JSX stands for JavaScript XML. It allows us to write HTML in React. JSX makes
it easier to write and add HTML in React.

46. Can you explain the difference between a class component and a
functional component?
Answer: Class components are ES6 classes that extend from React.Component and must
include the render() method, which returns JSX. They are more suitable for complex
components that require state management and lifecycle methods. Functional components
are simpler, defined as JavaScript functions that return JSX. They can use state and other
React features through hooks.
47. What is the purpose of useState in React? Provide a simple example.

import React, { useState } from 'react';

function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

return (
<div>
<p>You clicked {count} times</p>
<button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
Click me
</button>
</div>
);
}

useState is a hook that lets you add React state to functional components. In the example
above, useState initializes count with 0 and provides setCount to update it.

48. What are props in React?

Answer: Props (short for properties) are a way of passing data from parent to child
components in React. They are read-only and help make components reusable by giving
them the ability to interact with dynamic information.

49. Explain the concept of "lifting state up" in React.

Answer: Lifting state up involves moving shared state from child components to their closest
common ancestor. This technique makes it possible to share state across multiple
components that need access to it.
50. How do components communicate in React?
Answer: Components in React communicate primarily through props for parent to child
communication, and callbacks for child to parent communication. Siblings can
communicate via lifting state up to their common parent and then passing it down via props.

51. What is a key in React lists and why is it important?

Answer: Keys are unique identifiers assigned to the elements in a list to help React identify
which items have changed, are added, or are removed, thus optimizing re-rendering
performance.

All the very best…!