What Problems Does Redux solve with React?
With plenty of libraries and tools available for web development, it might not be the wisest decision to choose a new one without understanding its benefits. Or why you should even use it in the first place.
Many people consider Redux a hurdle in writing React apps, which they sometimes do. Although Redux is new, it has attracted developers worldwide and gardened much popularity. Therefore, if you have been struggling to know more about Redux, you are not alone.
This post covers Redux, its problem-solving capabilities, pros and cons, and when to use it in your projects. In addition, there have been talks about overusing Redux as well. So, continue reading the post.
WHAT IS REDUX?
Typically, Redux is a state management library commonly used for JavaScript applications. It is an open-source platform that helps developers manage and update application states using events called actions. Redux is compatible with different front-end frameworks, including Angular, Vue, and React.
It is a unique kind of data-flow architecture. Redux gained much popularity over the past few years. No doubt, Redux is the better or upgraded version of Flux. That’s because it eliminated unnecessary complications that Flux introduced.
Developers can use the library well when they take advantage of the platform. With Redux, developers can write responsive JavaScript apps across server, client, and native environments. Besides, they are easy to test as well. Therefore, getting well-versed with Redux gives you an added benefit if you pursue front-end projects.
Although Redux is a great state management tool that goes well with React, it works wonders for other JavaScript libraries or frameworks. Moreover, it is lightweight and comes at around a 2KB file size, including dependencies.
When you use Redux, the application state is managed inside a store. At the same time, each component can access any state from the store whenever needed. You don’t have to worry about making the application asset size large.
WHAT PROBLEM DOES REDUX SOLVE?
As you know, Redux manages the application state. Most of the UI libraries come with their respective stare management system. Therefore, it is hard to understand the benefits if you don’t have issues. However, if your app becomes too complex for you to know how the state changes or where it is stored, maybe Redux could help resolve the issue.
1. REDUX HELPS YOU PREDICT THE STATE
Redux helps move back and forth among the states while viewing results in real-time. When the same action and state shift to a reducer, the result is the same because reducers are considered pure functions. Similarly, the state never changes and is immutable as well. As such, infinite redo and undo don’t happen.
2. HELPS YOU WITH DEBUGGING
Redux debugs an application with ease. When you log in to state and actions, you can understand network errors, coding errors, and other bugs that erupt during production. Moreover, Redux DevTools helps developers take advantage.
3. RESOLVES SERVER-SIDE RENDERING ISSUE
Redux is best for resolving issues with server-side rendering. When you use it, it can handle the app’s initial render by sending its state to the server and other responses. The components are rendered in HTML and sent to the client.
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF REDUX?
Like two sides of a coin, Redux has pros and cons, which are debatable, and you should know that.
Here are some advantages of using Redux worth knowing.
1. INCREASES PREDICTABILITY
The state becomes predictable in the Redux library. Reducers produce the same results whenever the same state or action passes through them. Besides, every state is immutable in Redux. Therefore, developers can perform tedious tasks through infinite undo and redo.
2. IT OPTIMIZES PERFORMANCE
Another unique benefit of Redux is its ability to optimize the performance of large-scale apps. Also, it is efficient in persisting the state even after unmounting. Apart from that, other kinds of performance optimizations are implemented internally with Redux.
3. PROVIDES EASY TESTING
Because developers can make good use of the functions to alter the state of pure functions, Redux apps are easy to test.
4. IT MAKES DEBUGGING A LOT EASIER
When it comes to debugging an app, the process is straightforward. The DevTools allows developers to perform actions effectively. Besides, you can identify errors in coding or network that might impact the system.
5. IT HELPS PREVENT RE-RENDERS
If you consider becoming a front-end developer, use Redux to prevent re-renders. A new state forms and uses a shallow copy whenever the state changes in Redux. Hence, chances of re-renders are reduced drastically through Redux.
6. REDUX IS MAINTAINABLE
Getting to know about the structure of a Redux app is easy for developers with in-depth knowledge because the code in this library is quite strict. Hence, for larger apps that go through regular updates, Redux might be the right choice.
The disadvantages of Redux that developers identified over the years.
1. RESTRICTED DESIGN
Many developers are unhappy with the harshness that Redux provides. You can use it for a trivial app or anything like that because state management becomes more complex without Redux. In short, it’s restricting with fewer alternatives.
2. INCREASED COMPLEXITY
There is no denying the advantages of using Redux. Yet, it comes with additional complexity in terms of layering. The problem escalates when using manipulation logic reducers or actions.
3. LACK OF ENCAPSULATION
Encapsulating data in Redux is almost impossible. Because there isn’t data encapsulation, the components can easily access it. Therefore, the chances of security issues tend to increase with new features.
4. IT IS TIME-CONSUMING
For medium to small-level local state management, Redux is highly time-consuming. That’s because it needs more boilerplate code to start writing.
5. USES EXCESSIVE MEMORY
Every state in Redux is immutable. When the state is updated, a reducer must return to another state each time. As such, it leads to excessive memory usage.
WHEN TO USE REDUX FOR YOUR PROJECTS?
You should know that not all apps require Redux. You should first understand what you are building, the issues you are likely to encounter and need a solution to, and what tools serve as the best solution for your problems.
However, when you use Redux for state management, it is a kind of trade-off. You get indirection, complexities, and constraints in your code which could be frustrating if you don’t find any good reasons for doing so. In addition, using Redux means that you have to learn how it works.
You don’t need Redux unless you find it hard to deal with a state within React. The same goes for other front-end frameworks.
Despite that, there are certain situations when you have to use Redux because it might be the best solution. For example, you are building a dashboard for data visualization. And it includes certain widgets that allow users to customize them with the help of specific available options.
A user can adjust the widgets according to their requirement. As a result, the app’s state changes depending on the user input. Therefore, sharing and managing the state are distributed among the widgets when you don’t use Redux. When you face such a situation, fixing the inconsistent bugs can irritate you.
But when you add Redux, the widgets start interacting through a single global store. It simplifies the process of keeping the state of every widget in synchronization. Here is another situation where using Redux becomes the only solution.
- WHEN THE APPLICATION STATE GETS UPDATED FREQUENTLY — The situation occurs when the consumer faces application issues. Typically, the scenario occurs when there is a lot of user interaction. Some examples might include adding several items to the cart, removing some of them, and using the payment process.
- WHEN WORKING ON A PROJECT THAT INVOLVES OTHER PEOPLE — If the complexity of the application increases, using the Redux single store becomes beneficial, and it is the only solution. Therefore, when several people are working on a project, and you don’t have an alternative system to access information, Redux can help everyone get on the same page.
- WHEN SEVERAL COMPONENTS NEED ACCESS TO THE SAME APPLICATION STATE — Suppose a user logs in to their account for a specific application. All user information must be shared with the components that might not communicate directly. In this scenario, the single store in Redux help maps a state through optimization across segments.
CONCLUSION
Redux is a fantastic tool for building large-scale applications that require global state management. One of the primary benefits of Redux lies in improving the developer’s experience. The process of handling complex logic becomes easy with Redux. Besides, it keeps them organized throughout the app. Apart from that, it provides debugging tools and convenient testing that can help developers save much time.
