React Questions and Answers

  1. What is React?

    React is a declarative, efficient, and flexible JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

  2. What is JSX?

    JSX (JavaScript XML) is a syntax extension for JavaScript, recommended to use with React to describe what the UI should look like.

  3. How does React handle component state?

    React components have a state object, and when the state changes, the component re-renders.

  4. What is the virtual DOM?

    The virtual DOM is a lightweight copy of the real DOM. React uses it to improve performance by minimizing direct manipulation of the actual DOM.

  5. What is a React component?

    A React component is a reusable, self-contained module that renders a portion of the UI.

  6. What is the significance of props in React?

    props (short for properties) are used to pass data from a parent component to a child component.

  7. Explain the concept of lifting state up in React.

    Lifting state up means moving the state to a higher-level component, allowing multiple child components to share the same state.

  8. What are the lifecycle methods in React?

    Lifecycle methods include componentDidMount, componentDidUpdate, and componentWillUnmount, among others.

  9. Explain the purpose of componentDidMount.

    componentDidMount is invoked immediately after a component is mounted. It is suitable for actions that require the DOM to be fully constructed.

  10. How does React handle event handling?

    React uses synthetic events to normalize browser-specific events, making it consistent across different browsers.

  11. What is the significance of shouldComponentUpdate?

    shouldComponentUpdate is used to let React know if a component's output is affected by the current change in state or props, and whether it should re-render.

  12. What is the difference between state and props?

    State is internal and controlled by the component, while props are external and passed to the component.

  13. What is React Context API?

    Context provides a way to pass data through the component tree without having to pass props manually at every level.

  14. Explain the concept of controlled components.

    In a controlled component, the form data is handled by the React component's state.

  15. What is the purpose of Redux in React applications?

    Redux is a state management library for JavaScript applications, especially useful for managing the state of larger applications.

  16. What are React Hooks?

    Hooks are functions that let you use state and other React features in functional components.

  17. Explain the useState hook.

    useState is a hook that adds state to functional components.

  18. How does the useEffect hook work?

    useEffect is used to perform side effects in functional components, such as data fetching, subscriptions, or manually changing the DOM.

  19. What is React Router?

    React Router is a standard library for routing in React applications.

  20. How can you implement client-side routing in React?

    React Router provides components like BrowserRouter and Link to implement client-side routing.

  21. How can you make an API call in React?

    You can use fetch or third-party libraries like Axios to make API calls in React.

  22. Explain the concept of async/await in React.

    Async/await is used for handling asynchronous operations in a more readable and synchronous-like manner.

  23. How do you handle forms in React?

    React uses a controlled component approach to handle forms, where form elements are controlled by state.

  24. What is the purpose of onChange in a form input?

    The onChange event is triggered when the value of an input element changes, allowing you to capture and handle the new value.

  25. What are the different ways to style components in React?

    You can use inline styles, CSS stylesheets, or CSS-in-JS libraries like styled-components.

  26. Explain the concept of CSS-in-JS.

    CSS-in-JS is an approach where styles are defined directly within JavaScript files using a library like styled-components.

  27. What is Jest, and how is it used in React?

    Jest is a JavaScript testing framework commonly used for testing React applications. It is often paired with Enzyme for component testing.

  28. What is snapshot testing in Jest?

    Snapshot testing involves capturing the rendered output of a component and comparing it with a stored "snapshot" to identify any unexpected changes.

  29. How can you optimize the performance of a React application?

    Techniques include using the React.memo higher-order component, implementing shouldComponentUpdate, and code splitting.

  30. What is lazy loading in React?

    Lazy loading is a technique where components or assets are loaded only when they are needed, improving initial page load times.

  31. Explain the use case of the useReducer hook.

    useReducer is used for managing more complex state logic in a more organized way.

  32. What is the useContext hook?

    useContext is used to access the value of a React context directly within a functional component.

  33. What is a Higher-Order Component (HOC) in React?

    A Higher-Order Component is a function that takes a component and returns a new component with additional props or behavior.

  34. Why might you use a HOC?

    HOCs are used for code reuse, abstraction of state or behavior, and adding additional functionality to components.

  35. How can you handle errors in React?

    You can use error boundaries (using componentDidCatch lifecycle method) to catch JavaScript errors.

  36. Explain React Router's withRouter HOC.

    withRouter is a higher-order component provided by React Router that wraps a component and gives it access to the router's props.

  37. How can you use the React Context API for state management?

    You can use createContext, Provider, and Consumer to create a context and share state between components without prop drilling.

  38. What is middleware in Redux?

    Middleware is a way to extend Redux's functionality, often used for handling asynchronous actions.

  39. Explain the purpose of Redux Thunk.

    Redux Thunk is middleware that allows action creators to return functions instead of plain action objects, enabling asynchronous actions.

  40. What are keys in React and why are they important?

    Keys are used to give each element in a list a stable identity, helping React identify which items have changed, been added, or been removed.

  41. Why is it a good practice to avoid using indexes as keys in lists?

    Using indexes as keys can lead to issues when reordering or modifying the list. React may not correctly identify which item has changed.

  42. What are the benefits of using PureComponent?

    PureComponent performs a shallow comparison of state and props, avoiding unnecessary renders when they haven't changed.

  43. How can you optimize performance in React functional components?

    Use React.memo, useCallback, and useMemo to memoize components, functions, and values to avoid unnecessary re-renders.

  44. What is TypeScript, and how can it be integrated with React?

    TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing. It can be integrated into React projects to provide better tooling and type safety.

  45. How do you define propTypes in a TypeScript React component?

    With TypeScript, PropTypes are not needed, as TypeScript provides static type checking.

  46. Besides Redux, what are some other state management libraries for React?

    MobX, Recoil, and Zustand are some alternative state management libraries.

  47. What is server-side rendering in React?

    Server-side rendering involves rendering React components on the server side and sending the fully rendered page to the client.

  48. How can you implement server-side rendering in a React application?

    Libraries like Next.js provide built-in support for server-side rendering in React applications.

  49. What are some best practices for securing a React application?

    Use HTTPS, avoid using dangerous libraries, sanitize user inputs, and follow secure coding practices.

  50. How can you prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks in React?

    Use libraries like DOMPurify to sanitize user inputs and avoid rendering untrusted content as HTML.