The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the React RouterA Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents
- Why This Guide is Unmatched
- Understanding Data Fetching in React
- Why Use fetch?
- Why Use axios?
- Why Use async/await?
- When to Use fetch
- When to Use axios
- When to Use async/await
- Syntax and Structure: The Galactic Data Blueprint
- Conclusion: Mastering the Galactic Data Network
- Practical Examples and Tasks: Navigating the Galactic Data Network
- Example 1: Movie Search with fetch (Beginner Examples: Building the Foundation)
- Example 2: Random Quote Generator with axios (Beginner Examples: Building the Foundation)
Welcome to the definitive odyssey into mastering Data Fetching in React—a transformative journey that will elevate you to a data-fetching virtuoso in days, not years!
Whether you’re a young coder exploring React’s galaxy, a beginner crafting your first app, an everyday developer building dynamic interfaces, or a seasoned architect designing enterprise-grade systems, this guide is your ultimate resource to wield data fetching with unparalleled mastery. Unlike fragmented tutorials on other platforms, this book-length masterpiece delivers exhaustive depth, unraveling every mechanic, philosophy, edge case, and advanced pattern of fetching data in React using fetch, axios, and async/await. With vivid analogies, multi-level explanations, and a mentorship-driven narrative, you’ll proclaim, “Finally! I’ve got it!” This is your first and last stop for data-fetching theory—let’s redefine how React harnesses external data and conquer the API cosmos!
Why This Guide is Unmatched
This guide is a revolutionary beacon in the React cosmos, engineered to eclipse all other resources and establish itself as the definitive theoretical authority on data fetching in React:
- Multi-Level Explanations: Crafted for all learners—Kid-Friendly for young coders, Beginner-to-Intermediate for React newcomers, Everyday Developer for professionals, and Pro-Level for architects—ensuring accessibility and depth for every audience.
- Unrivaled Depth: Tens of thousands of words dissect data fetching’s mechanics, philosophy, trade-offs, edge cases, performance strategies, and integrations, rivaling a graduate-level dissertation in rigor and scope.
- Captivating Narrative: A mentorship-driven tone with a “Galactic Data Network” analogy transforms complex concepts into an immersive sci-fi saga, making learning intuitive, engaging, and unforgettable.
- Exhaustive Theoretical Coverage: Every mechanic, use case, pitfall, optimization, and ecosystem integration is explored with surgical precision, leaving no question unanswered.
- Future-Proof Insights: Covers modern data-fetching patterns, React 18’s concurrent rendering, and integrations with useState, useEffect, useContext, useReducer, and React Router, ensuring relevance for cutting-edge development.
- Philosophical and Analogical Depth: Connects data fetching to React’s declarative ethos, functional programming, and reactive systems, fostering a profound understanding of data as a dynamic stream.
- Self-Contained Mastery: Designed as the only theoretical resource you’ll ever need, empowering you to master data fetching without external references.
- Practical-Theoretical Synergy: Balances deep theory with actionable patterns, ensuring you understand why and how to fetch data in any scenario, from simple prototypes to enterprise dashboards.
Picture this guide as the central hub of a Galactic Data Network, orchestrating seamless data flows from APIs to your React components. It’s not just a tutorial—it’s a transformative mentorship that equips you to build dynamic, data-driven applications with confidence and precision. This is your first and last stop for data-fetching theory—let’s redefine data integration and make history!
Understanding Data Fetching in React
Imagine you’re a space explorer on a giant spaceship, and your mission is to collect treasures—like star maps, alien profiles, or cosmic stories—from faraway planets (servers). Your ship has a super-smart radio system (React) that sends messages to these planets and brings back the treasures you need to display on your ship’s screens (components). Data fetching in React is like using that radio to request treasures and show them to your crew. The fetch tool is like your ship’s basic radio—it’s always there and simple to use. axios is like a high-tech radio with extra buttons for things like auto-decoding messages or retrying failed signals. And async/await is like a magic assistant that makes sure your radio waits for the treasure to arrive before showing it on screen. It’s like a galactic delivery service—you tell it what you want, and your app magically displays it without leaving the spaceship!
If you’re new to React, you’ve likely built components that display data, like a list of products or a user’s profile. But what happens when that data lives outside your app, on a server like a social media API or a weather service? Data fetching is the process of sending requests to these servers to retrieve or update data and then rendering it in your components. The browser’s fetch API is a simple, built-in tool for making these requests, while axios is a popular library that simplifies tasks like parsing JSON responses or handling errors. async/await is a JavaScript feature that makes your code easier to read by letting you write asynchronous requests as if they were synchronous. In React, you typically fetch data inside a useEffect Hook to run the request when a component loads or when props/state change, using useState to store the data. You can share fetched data across components with useContext, manage complex fetching logic with useReducer, or trigger fetches based on URLs with React Router. This guide will teach you how to fetch data, handle loading states, errors, cancellations, retries, and more, ensuring your apps are dynamic, user-friendly, and robust.
As a React developer, you know that modern applications rely heavily on external data—whether it’s a REST API for user profiles, a GraphQL endpoint for real-time updates, or a third-party service like Firebase for analytics. Data fetching involves sending HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to these services and integrating the responses into your React components. The fetch API, built into browsers, is lightweight and ideal for simple requests, requiring no external dependencies. axios, a third-party library, offers advanced features like automatic JSON parsing, request/response interceptors, and timeout configuration, making it a go-to for complex applications. In React, fetching typically occurs within a useEffect Hook to manage side effects, with useState storing the fetched data, loading states, and errors. useContext enables sharing data across components, while useReducer handles complex state transitions, like pagination or retry logic. React Router’s useParams and useSearchParams allow fetching based on URL changes, such as loading a product by ID. This guide covers every aspect: handling network failures, canceling requests, optimizing performance, and supporting server-side rendering (SSR). By mastering these techniques, you’ll build resilient, responsive apps that handle real-world challenges like slow networks, rate limits, or API errors.
For seasoned developers, data fetching in React is a critical bridge between asynchronous data flows and the declarative UI paradigm, seamlessly integrating external APIs into React’s reactive state system. React’s functional architecture, powered by Hooks, orchestrates fetching through useEffect for side effects, useState for local state management, useContext for global state propagation, and useReducer for complex state logic, such as retry policies or pagination. The fetch API, standardized in 2015, leverages browser-native Promises and supports advanced features like AbortController for request cancellation and ReadableStream for streaming large datasets. axios, built on XMLHttpRequest (browsers) or http (Node.js), abstracts HTTP complexities with automatic JSON parsing, interceptors for authentication or logging, and robust error handling for non-2xx responses. async/await, introduced in ES2017, simplifies Promise-based code, enhancing readability and error management with try/catch. React 18’s concurrent rendering introduces Suspense-driven fetching with <Suspense> and future APIs like use (React 19 preview), while React Router’s useLoaderData streamlines route-based data loading. This guide dives deep into mechanics: request lifecycles, cancellation strategies, retry policies, caching, and SSR hydration. It explores trade-offs between fetch and axios, optimal use cases, and integrations with React Router, useContext, and useReducer, ensuring scalable, performant architectures. Philosophically, data fetching aligns with React’s declarative ethos: you declare what data to fetch, and React’s reconciler orchestrates how it renders, creating a reactive, resilient data pipeline that powers dynamic applications.
Data fetching in React is more than a technical process—it’s a philosophical extension of React’s declarative paradigm, transforming the chaotic nature of asynchronous HTTP requests into a harmonious, state-driven flow. Instead of imperatively managing request lifecycles, you declare the data your components need using useEffect to trigger fetches, useState to store results, or useContext to share them across the app. fetch and axios serve as conduits, channeling external data from APIs into React’s reactive state system, while async/await abstracts the complexity of Promises, allowing you to focus on what data to fetch rather than how to manage asynchronous operations. This aligns with functional programming principles—immutability, composability, and pure functions—where data flows as a stream, triggering UI updates through state changes. Picture data fetching as a Galactic Data Network: APIs are distant stars emitting data signals, fetch or axios are communication relays transmitting those signals, and React components are planets rendering the received data into vibrant, interactive displays. This declarative approach shifts your focus from low-level request mechanics to crafting seamless, user-centric experiences, fostering scalable, maintainable applications that resonate with React’s core philosophy of UI as a function of state.
Understanding the purpose and rationale behind fetch, axios, and async/await is essential for choosing the right tool for your React application. This section provides a detailed exploration of why each tool exists, its strengths, weaknesses, and philosophical alignment with React’s ecosystem, ensuring you can make informed decisions for any project.
Why Use fetch?
Purpose: The fetch API, introduced in 2015 as part of the browser’s Fetch Standard, is a native interface for making HTTP requests, designed to replace the outdated XMLHttpRequest. It provides a modern, Promise-based API for sending requests and receiving responses, integrated with browser features like CORS, AbortController, and streaming capabilities, making it a lightweight, universal tool for client-side data fetching.
- Native to Browsers: Available in all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) without requiring external dependencies, ensuring zero impact on bundle size and eliminating the need for package management.
- Modern Features: Supports advanced browser capabilities, such as AbortController for canceling requests, ReadableStream for streaming large datasets (e.g., video or real-time logs), and fetch priority hints (experimental) for optimizing resource loading.
- Minimalist and Flexible: Offers a simple, low-level API for GET, POST, and other HTTP methods, allowing fine-grained control over request headers, body, and options, ideal for developers who prefer manual configuration.
- Future-Proof: Actively maintained by browser vendors, with ongoing enhancements like streaming and priority hints, ensuring compatibility with modern web standards and React’s client-side focus.
- Manual JSON Parsing: Requires explicit calls to response.json() to parse JSON responses, adding boilerplate code compared to axios’s automatic parsing, which can lead to verbose implementations in complex apps.
- Basic Error Handling: Does not automatically throw errors for HTTP status codes like 404 or 500; developers must manually check response.ok or response.status, increasing the risk of oversight in error handling.
- No Interceptors: Lacks built-in support for request or response interceptors, making tasks like adding authentication headers or logging responses across all requests more manual and repetitive.
- Limited Configuration: Offers minimal built-in options for advanced features like timeouts, retries, or global defaults, requiring custom solutions for complex use cases.
fetch embodies simplicity and universality, aligning with React’s lightweight, declarative ethos. It’s like a basic radio transmitter in the Galactic Data Network—reliable for straightforward missions to retrieve data from APIs but less equipped for complex, orchestrated operations requiring automation or cross-environment support.
Use fetch when building small-scale apps, prototypes, or client-only projects where minimizing dependencies is critical, and the API interactions are simple (e.g., fetching a list of posts from a public REST API). Its native integration makes it a natural fit for React’s client-side rendering model, but it requires more manual effort for advanced scenarios.
Why Use axios?
Purpose: axios is a third-party library built on XMLHttpRequest (browsers) or Node.js’s http module, designed to simplify HTTP requests with a developer-friendly API. Introduced in 2014, it’s widely adopted for its robust feature set, including automatic JSON parsing, interceptors, and cross-environment support, making it ideal for complex or enterprise-grade React applications.
- Automatic JSON Parsing: Automatically parses JSON responses into response.data, eliminating the need for manual response.json() calls, which reduces boilerplate and simplifies data handling in React components.
- Advanced Error Handling: Throws errors for non-2xx HTTP status codes (e.g., 404, 500), allowing developers to handle errors consistently within try/catch blocks, streamlining error management compared to fetch’s manual checks.
- Request/Response Interceptors: Supports global interceptors to modify requests (e.g., adding auth tokens) or responses (e.g., handling 401 errors), centralizing logic for authentication, logging, or retry strategies across all API calls.
- Rich Configuration Options: Provides built-in support for timeouts, base URLs, default headers, and response transformation, making it easy to configure consistent behavior for large-scale apps with multiple APIs.
- Cross-Environment Compatibility: Works seamlessly in browsers and Node.js, making it ideal for server-side rendering (SSR) in frameworks like Next.js, where fetch requires polyfills or additional setup.
- Bundle Size Overhead: Adds approximately 13KB (minified) to the application bundle, which can impact load times in small apps or projects where minimizing dependencies is a priority, unlike fetch’s zero overhead.
- Dependency Management: Requires installation via npm install axios and ongoing maintenance for updates, introducing potential version conflicts or security concerns in large projects.
- Learning Curve: Offers a richer API with more features (e.g., interceptors, cancel tokens), which can be overwhelming for beginners compared to fetch’s simpler interface.
- No Streaming Support: Relies on XMLHttpRequest, which buffers entire responses, lacking fetch’s ReadableStream support for streaming large datasets like media or real-time data.
axios is the Galactic Data Network’s advanced communication relay, offering robust controls and automation for complex missions. It trades simplicity for power, aligning with React’s flexibility to scale from small apps to enterprise systems requiring centralized configuration and cross-environment support.
Use axios in complex applications with multiple APIs, authentication requirements, or SSR needs (e.g., an e-commerce platform fetching products, user data, and orders). Its interceptors and Node.js compatibility make it a powerhouse for enterprise-grade React apps, where automation and reliability outweigh bundle size concerns.
Why Use async/await?
Purpose: Introduced in ES2017, async/await is a JavaScript syntax built on Promises, designed to make asynchronous code read like synchronous code, improving readability, maintainability, and error handling. It’s not a fetching tool but a universal syntax for managing asynchronous operations, compatible with both fetch and axios.
- Readable and Linear Code: Transforms nested .then() chains into a linear, synchronous-like structure, making complex async workflows (e.g., sequential or parallel requests) easier to understand and maintain in React components.
- Simplified Error Handling: Integrates seamlessly with try/catch, allowing developers to handle asynchronous errors in a familiar, synchronous style, reducing the risk of uncaught Promise rejections.
- Universal Compatibility: Works with any Promise-based API, including fetch, axios, or custom async functions, providing a standardized way to handle data fetching across your React application.
- Improved Debugging: Offers clearer stack traces pointing to await lines, making it easier to debug issues in async code compared to callback-based or .then()-based approaches.
- Verbosity for Simple Cases: Adds boilerplate (e.g., async function declaration, try/catch) for trivial async operations, which may feel unnecessary for simple one-off requests compared to .then().
- Requires Error Handling: Must explicitly use try/catch to handle errors, as uncaught Promise rejections can crash the app if not managed properly.
- Not a Fetching Tool: Relies on underlying HTTP clients like fetch or axios, so its effectiveness depends on the chosen client’s capabilities and limitations.
async/await is the Galactic Data Network’s universal translator, converting the complexity of asynchronous data flows into a clear, declarative narrative. It enhances React’s focus on readability and maintainability, allowing developers to focus on what data to fetch rather than how to manage Promises, aligning with React’s declarative ethos.
Use async/await in any React app with Promise-based fetching (fetch or axios) to improve code clarity, especially for complex workflows like fetching related data sequentially (e.g., user profile then their posts) or handling errors gracefully. It’s a must-have for maintaining clean, debuggable code in medium-to-large applications.
Choosing between fetch and axios is a pivotal decision that impacts your app’s architecture, performance, and developer experience. This section provides a detailed comparison of their mechanics, trade-offs, and optimal use cases, ensuring you can select the right tool for any scenario.

- Zero Dependency Overhead: Ideal for small apps, prototypes, or projects where minimizing bundle size is critical, as it leverages the browser’s native capabilities without adding external libraries.
- Streaming Capabilities: Perfect for apps requiring streaming data, such as real-time analytics dashboards or media streaming, where ReadableStream reduces memory usage for large responses.
- Browser-Native Integration: Aligns with modern web standards, offering features like AbortController and fetch priority hints, making it future-proof for client-side React apps.
- Simplicity for Basic Requests: Best for straightforward GET/POST requests (e.g., fetching a public API like JSONPlaceholder) where minimal configuration is needed.
- Developer Productivity: Automatic JSON parsing and error handling reduce boilerplate, making it faster to implement robust fetching in complex apps with multiple endpoints.
- Enterprise-Grade Features: Interceptors, timeouts, and default configurations streamline tasks like authentication, retry logic, or logging, ideal for large-scale or production apps.
- SSR Compatibility: Native support for Node.js makes axios the go-to for server-side rendering in frameworks like Next.js, where fetch requires polyfills or additional setup.
- Robust Error Handling: Automatic error throwing for non-2xx responses simplifies try/catch workflows, reducing the risk of missing HTTP errors compared to fetch.
- Simplicity vs. Power: fetch offers a minimalist API but requires manual handling of JSON, errors, and advanced features, while axios automates these tasks at the cost of a small bundle size increase.
- Performance: fetch is lighter and faster for simple requests due to its native implementation, but axios’s overhead is negligible in most modern apps, especially with tree-shaking.
- Ecosystem Fit: fetch aligns with browser standards and client-side React, while axios excels in isomorphic apps and complex workflows requiring centralized configuration.
- Maintenance: fetch is maintained by browser vendors, ensuring stability, while axios requires dependency updates, which may introduce version conflicts or security patches.
In the Galactic Data Network, fetch is a lightweight, agile probe for quick missions to retrieve data from APIs, while axios is a heavy-duty relay station equipped for complex, orchestrated operations across client and server environments. fetch prioritizes simplicity and universality, aligning with React’s lightweight ethos, while axios emphasizes automation and scalability, catering to React’s flexibility for enterprise needs.
Selecting the right tool depends on your application’s requirements, scale, and constraints. This section provides detailed, scenario-based guidelines to ensure you choose the optimal tool for any data-fetching task in React.
When to Use fetch
- Small or Lightweight Apps: Choose fetch for small-scale applications, prototypes, or personal projects where minimizing dependencies and bundle size is a priority, such as a portfolio site fetching blog posts from a public API.
- Client-Only Environments: Ideal for browser-based React apps with no server-side rendering requirements, where fetch’s native integration ensures simplicity and performance.
- Streaming Requirements: Use fetch for applications needing to stream large datasets, such as real-time analytics, video streaming, or progressive data loading, leveraging ReadableStream to process data incrementally.
- Simple GET/POST Requests: Best for straightforward API interactions (e.g., fetching a list of users or submitting a form) where minimal configuration is needed, and manual JSON parsing or error handling is acceptable.
- Modern Browser Support: Suitable for apps targeting modern browsers (no IE11), where AbortController and streaming are fully supported, ensuring robust cancellation and performance.
A personal blog app fetching posts from a public REST API like JSONPlaceholder, where fetch’s simplicity and zero overhead make it ideal for quick development and minimal bundle size.
- Fetching a list of posts on component mount for a static site, where no authentication or complex error handling is required.
- Streaming a large dataset, like a real-time log viewer, where fetch’s ReadableStream reduces memory usage.
When to Use axios
- Complex or Enterprise Apps: Use axios for applications with multiple APIs, authentication requirements, or complex error-handling needs, such as an e-commerce platform fetching products, user data, and order history.
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Essential for isomorphic apps (e.g., Next.js, Remix) running in Node.js, where axios’s native Node.js support simplifies server-side fetching without polyfills.
- Advanced Error Handling: Ideal for APIs with frequent non-2xx responses (e.g., 401 Unauthorized, 429 Rate Limit), where axios’s automatic error throwing simplifies try/catch workflows.
- Global Configuration Needs: Choose axios for apps requiring consistent headers (e.g., auth tokens), base URLs, or timeouts across all requests, leveraging its default settings and interceptors.
- Progress Tracking: Use for file uploads/downloads needing progress events, such as uploading user avatars or downloading reports, where axios provides built-in support.
An enterprise dashboard with authenticated API calls, retry logic, and SSR, where axios’s interceptors, Node.js compatibility, and error handling streamline development and ensure reliability.
- A multi-tenant SaaS app fetching user-specific data with JWT tokens, where axios interceptors add auth headers globally.
- An SSR Next.js app fetching initial data on the server, where axios’s Node.js support ensures consistency.
When to Use async/await
- Readable Async Workflows: Use async/await for any Promise-based fetching (fetch or axios) to improve code readability, especially in components with complex async logic, like fetching related data sequentially or in parallel.
- Complex Fetching Logic: Ideal for workflows involving multiple async operations, such as fetching a user’s profile and their recent posts in sequence, where async/await clarifies the flow.
- Robust Error Handling: Use with try/catch for clear, synchronous-like error management, ensuring all async errors are caught and handled gracefully in React components.
- Standardized Async Code: Apply async/await to standardize async handling across your app, whether using fetch, axios, or other Promise-based APIs, ensuring consistency in useEffect or custom Hooks.
A social media app fetching a user’s profile and their posts sequentially, where async/await simplifies the code and ensures errors are handled clearly with try/catch.
- Fetching a user’s profile and their posts in sequence, where async/await makes the code linear and easy to follow.
- Handling complex error scenarios, like retrying failed requests, where try/catch provides clear control flow.
- Avoid fetch for: Complex apps needing interceptors, SSR, or automatic JSON parsing, where axios reduces boilerplate and handles edge cases more effectively.
- Avoid axios for: Tiny apps or prototypes where bundle size is critical, and fetch’s simplicity and zero overhead are sufficient.
- Avoid async/await for: Trivial one-off requests where .then() is concise enough (e.g., a single fetch with minimal error handling), though this is rare in React due to the need for robust error management.
In the Galactic Data Network, fetch is a lightweight probe for quick, client-side missions, axios is a heavy-duty relay station for complex, cross-environment operations, and async/await is the universal translator ensuring clear, declarative communication. Choose based on your app’s mission complexity, environment, and performance requirements.
Syntax and Structure: The Galactic Data Blueprint
This section provides a comprehensive breakdown of data-fetching tools (fetch, axios, async/await) and their integration with React Hooks (useState, useEffect, useContext, useReducer, React Router). To ensure accessibility for all learners, we start with simple, beginner-friendly examples that introduce core concepts clearly, then progress to more advanced patterns. Each block includes detailed explanations of mechanics, edge cases, best practices, and pitfalls, ensuring you master every nuance of data fetching in React while staying motivated and confident.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function TodoList() {
const [todos, setTodos] = useState([]);
useEffect(() => {
fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos?_limit=5')
.then((response) => response.json())
.then((data) => setTodos(data))
.catch((error) => console.error('Error fetching todos:', error));
}, []);
return (
<ul>
{todos.map((todo) => (
<li key={todo.id}>{todo.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default TodoList;
Introduces the simplest way to fetch data in React using the browser’s fetch API within a useEffect Hook, displaying a list of todos from a public API without advanced error handling or loading states.
- Uses useState to create a todos state variable, initialized as an empty array, to store the fetched list of todos and trigger UI updates when the data arrives.
- Employs useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) to run the fetch operation once when the component mounts, ensuring the API call happens only on initial render.
- Calls the fetch API to send a GET request to https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos?_limit=5, retrieving a limited list of five todos from a public API for simplicity.
- Chains .then() to parse the response to JSON with response.json() and update the todos state with the parsed data, rendering the list in the UI.
- Includes a basic .catch() to log errors to the console (e.g., network failures), preventing the app from crashing but keeping the example minimal.
- Renders an unordered list of todos, mapping over the todos array and using each todo’s id as a unique key for efficient React rendering.
This block is the simplest entry point to data fetching in React, perfect for beginners learning to integrate APIs, aligning with the Kid-Friendly and Beginner-to-Intermediate Explanations. It acts as a “basic data probe” in the Galactic Data Network, sending a single request to an API and displaying the result, building confidence before introducing complexity.
- Network Failure: If the API is unreachable, the .catch() logs the error but doesn’t update the UI, potentially leaving an empty list; users may not understand why no data appears.
- Slow API Response: Without a loading state, a slow response leaves the UI empty, confusing users; later blocks add loading indicators.
- Malformed Response: If the API returns unexpected data, parsing may fail silently; validation is introduced in later blocks.
- Component Unmount: If the component unmounts before the response, state updates may cause warnings; cancellation is covered in later blocks.
- Use useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) for one-time fetches on component mount to avoid unnecessary re-fetches, optimizing performance.
- Always include a unique key (e.g., todo.id) when rendering lists to ensure React efficiently updates the DOM, preventing rendering issues.
- Start with simple .then() chains for beginners to understand Promise-based fetching before introducing async/await for cleaner syntax.
- Choose a reliable public API (e.g., JSONPlaceholder) for learning, ensuring predictable responses and minimizing external failures during development.
- Keep initial examples minimal to avoid overwhelming beginners, introducing loading and error states gradually in subsequent blocks.
- Omitting error handling, even a simple .catch(), risks uncaught errors crashing the app, especially with unreliable APIs or networks.
- Forgetting the key prop in the list causes React to re-render inefficiently or display incorrect data, confusing users and developers.
- Triggering fetches outside useEffect (e.g., on every render) causes infinite API calls, overwhelming the server and degrading performance.
- Ignoring slow responses without a loading indicator leaves the UI empty, making the app appear broken to users; add loading states in production.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function TodoList() {
const [todos, setTodos] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
useEffect(() => {
fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos?_limit=5')
.then((response) => response.json())
.then((data) => {
setTodos(data);
setIsLoading(false);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error('Error fetching todos:', error);
setIsLoading(false);
});
}, []);
if (isLoading) return <div>Loading todos...</div>;
return (
<ul>
{todos.map((todo) => (
<li key={todo.id}>{todo.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default TodoList;
Builds on Block 1 by adding a loading state to improve user experience, showing a “Loading...” message while the fetch request is in progress, keeping the example simple for beginners.
- Initializes two state variables with useState: todos for storing the fetched todo list and isLoading (initially true) to track whether the fetch is in progress.
- Uses useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) to fetch data only once on component mount, ensuring the API call doesn’t repeat unnecessarily.
- Sends a GET request with fetch to retrieve five todos from https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos?_limit=5, keeping the request lightweight and predictable.
- Chains .then() to parse the JSON response and update todos, then sets isLoading to false to transition from the loading UI to the data display.
- Catches errors with .catch(), logging them to the console and setting isLoading to false to hide the loading message, though errors aren’t displayed in the UI for simplicity.
- Conditionally renders a “Loading todos...” message when isLoading is true, otherwise displays the todo list, providing clear feedback during the fetch.
Adding a loading state enhances user experience by communicating that the app is working, addressing a key limitation of Block 1. This aligns with the Beginner-to-Intermediate Explanation, acting as a “data probe with status lights” in the Galactic Data Network, keeping users informed during API requests.
- Slow Network: Long API response times prolong the loading state, which is expected, but users may abandon the app if delays are excessive; timeouts are introduced later.
- Empty Response: If the API returns an empty array, the list renders empty without feedback; later blocks add checks for empty data.
- Error Without UI Feedback: Errors are logged but not shown to users, potentially confusing them; error states are added in later blocks.
- Unmount During Fetch: State updates on unmounted components can cause warnings; cancellation is covered in advanced blocks.
- Always include a loading state to inform users during API requests, preventing confusion when data is delayed, especially on slow networks.
- Set isLoading to false in both success and error cases to ensure the loading UI doesn’t persist indefinitely, maintaining a responsive interface.
- Use clear, user-friendly loading messages (e.g., “Loading todos...”) to set expectations, improving perceived performance and user trust.
- Keep error handling minimal in early examples to avoid complexity, but log errors to the console for debugging during development.
- Test with a limited API response (e.g., _limit=5) to simulate real-world scenarios while keeping the example fast and manageable for beginners.
- Forgetting to set isLoading to false in the .catch() block risks leaving the loading UI stuck, making the app appear unresponsive.
- Using vague loading messages (e.g., “Loading...”) may not clarify what’s loading; specify the resource (e.g., “Loading todos...”) for clarity.
- Triggering multiple fetches by omitting the empty dependency array in useEffect causes performance issues and flickering UI due to repeated requests.
- Not handling empty responses risks a blank UI without user feedback, which can be mistaken for an error; consider adding a “No data” message in production.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
function PostList() {
const [posts, setPosts] = useState([]);
useEffect(() => {
axios
.get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5')
.then((response) => setPosts(response.data))
.catch((error) => console.error('Error fetching posts:', error));
}, []);
return (
<ul>
{posts.map((post) => (
<li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default PostList;
Introduces axios for data fetching in React, using a simple GET request to fetch a list of posts, keeping the example beginner-friendly by avoiding advanced features like interceptors or cancellation.
- Imports axios (assumes npm install axios) to leverage its simpler API for HTTP requests, automatically parsing JSON responses to reduce boilerplate compared to fetch.
- Uses useState to create a posts state variable, initialized as an empty array, to store the fetched posts and update the UI when data arrives.
- Uses useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) to fetch data once on component mount, ensuring the API call runs only during initial render.
- Sends a GET request with axios.get to https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5, retrieving five posts for a lightweight, predictable response.
- Uses .then() to access the parsed JSON data in response.data and update the posts state, simplifying data handling compared to fetch’s manual response.json().
- Catches errors with .catch(), logging them to the console to prevent crashes while keeping the example minimal for beginners.
- Renders a list of posts, mapping over the posts array with each post’s id as a unique key for efficient React rendering.
This block introduces axios as an alternative to fetch, highlighting its ease of use with automatic JSON parsing, aligning with the Beginner-to-Intermediate Explanation. It’s a “streamlined data probe” in the Galactic Data Network, offering a beginner-friendly way to fetch and display API data with less boilerplate.
- Missing Axios Dependency: Forgetting npm install axios causes import errors; ensure axios is installed in package.json.
- Network Errors: Unhandled errors are logged but not shown in the UI, potentially leaving an empty list; later blocks add error states.
- Slow Responses: No loading state means the UI may appear empty during delays, confusing users; loading is added in the next block.
- Invalid API Response: Unexpected data formats may cause rendering issues; validation is introduced in advanced blocks.
- Ensure axios is installed via npm install axios to avoid import errors, verifying it’s listed in package.json before running the app.
- Use axios.get for simple GET requests to leverage automatic JSON parsing, reducing boilerplate and making code more approachable for beginners.
- Include a .catch() block to handle errors gracefully, preventing app crashes and allowing debugging via console logs during development.
- Use an empty dependency array in useEffect to prevent repeated fetches, ensuring performance and avoiding unnecessary API calls.
- Always include unique key props in lists to optimize React’s rendering, preventing DOM reconciliation issues when displaying fetched data.
- Forgetting to install axios causes runtime errors, halting execution; always verify dependencies before running the app.
- Omitting error handling risks uncaught errors crashing the component, especially with unreliable APIs or network issues.
- Triggering fetches outside useEffect or without an empty dependency array causes infinite API calls, overwhelming the server and degrading performance.
- Not providing UI feedback for errors or slow responses risks a blank UI, confusing users about the app’s state; add loading/error states in production.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
function PostList() {
const [posts, setPosts] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
useEffect(() => {
axios
.get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5')
.then((response) => {
setPosts(response.data);
setIsLoading(false);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error('Error fetching posts:', error);
setIsLoading(false);
});
}, []);
if (isLoading) return <div>Loading posts...</div>;
return (
<ul>
{posts.map((post) => (
<li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default PostList;
Enhances the simple axios example by adding a loading state to improve user experience, displaying a “Loading...” message while fetching posts, keeping the code accessible for beginners.
- Initializes posts and isLoading state variables with useState, where posts stores the fetched data and isLoading (initially true) tracks the fetch status for UI feedback.
- Uses useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) to fetch data once on component mount, preventing unnecessary re-fetches and optimizing performance.
- Sends a GET request with axios.get to retrieve five posts from https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5, leveraging axios’s automatic JSON parsing.
- Uses .then() to update posts with response.data and set isLoading to false, transitioning from the loading UI to the data display.
- Catches errors with .catch(), logging them to the console and setting isLoading to false to hide the loading message, keeping error handling minimal for simplicity.
- Conditionally renders a “Loading posts...” message when isLoading is true, otherwise displays the post list, providing clear feedback during the fetch process.
Adding a loading state makes the app more user-friendly by showing progress during API requests, addressing a limitation of Block 3. This aligns with the Beginner-to-Intermediate Explanation, acting as a “data probe with status indicators” in the Galactic Data Network, ensuring users stay informed.
- Slow API Response: Prolonged loading states on slow networks may frustrate users; timeouts or error states are added in later blocks.
- Empty Data: An empty API response renders a blank list without feedback; later blocks handle this with a “No data” message.
- Network Errors: Errors are logged but not shown in the UI, potentially confusing users; error states are introduced in advanced blocks.
- Unmount During Fetch: State updates on unmounted components can cause warnings; cancellation is covered later.
- Include a loading state to provide clear feedback during API requests, enhancing user experience and preventing confusion on slow networks.
- Set isLoading to false in both .then() and .catch() to ensure the loading UI doesn’t persist, maintaining a responsive interface.
- Use descriptive loading messages (e.g., “Loading posts...”) to clarify what’s being fetched, improving user understanding and trust.
- Leverage axios’s automatic JSON parsing to simplify data handling, making the code more approachable for beginners compared to fetch.
- Test with a limited API response (e.g., _limit=5) to keep examples fast and manageable, simulating real-world scenarios without overwhelming learners.
- Forgetting to set isLoading to false in the .catch() block risks a stuck loading UI, making the app appear unresponsive to users.
- Using generic loading messages (e.g., “Loading...”) may confuse users about what’s being fetched; always specify the resource for clarity.
- Omitting the empty dependency array in useEffect causes repeated fetches, leading to performance issues and potential API rate limit violations.
- Not handling empty responses risks a blank UI without feedback, which users may mistake for an error; consider adding a fallback message in production.
import { useState, useEffect, useContext, useReducer, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
import { useParams, useSearchParams, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
import axios from 'axios';
// Context for global data sharing
const DataContext = React.createContext({
data: null,
loading: false,
error: null,
fetchData: () => {},
});
Establishes the foundation for advanced data fetching by importing essential React Hooks, axios, and React Router utilities, setting up the infrastructure for API requests and state management in subsequent blocks.
- Imports useState to manage local component state, such as fetched data, loading indicators, and error messages, enabling reactive UI updates in response to API calls.
- Imports useEffect to handle side effects, like triggering API requests when components mount or dependencies change, ensuring proper lifecycle management for fetches.
- Imports useContext to share fetched data globally across components, eliminating prop drilling and enabling centralized data access in complex apps.
- Imports useReducer for managing complex state logic, such as pagination or retry workflows, providing a predictable state transition model for advanced fetching scenarios.
- Imports useCallback and useMemo to optimize performance by memoizing fetch functions and Context values, preventing unnecessary re-renders in performance-sensitive apps.
- Imports useParams, useSearchParams, and useNavigate from react-router-dom to support route-driven fetching and programmatic navigation based on URL parameters or query strings.
- Imports axios for advanced HTTP requests, leveraging features like automatic JSON parsing and interceptors (used later) for robust fetching (assumes npm install axios).
- Creates a DataContext with a default value defining data, loading, error, and fetchData, serving as a central hub for sharing fetched data across the component tree.
This block sets up the Galactic Data Network’s infrastructure, enabling components to send requests, store responses, and share data seamlessly in advanced scenarios. It aligns with the Everyday Developer Explanation by providing a practical foundation for real-world fetching, preparing readers for the more complex patterns that follow.
- Missing axios Dependency: Failing to install axios via npm install axios results in import errors, halting execution; always verify axios is in package.json.
- Router Hooks Outside <BrowserRouter>: Using useParams, useSearchParams, or useNavigate outside a <BrowserRouter> context throws runtime errors; ensure the app is wrapped in <BrowserRouter>.
- Default Context Value Misuse: Accessing DataContext without a Provider returns the default value ({ data: null, ... }), causing null-reference errors; always provide a Provider.
- Over-Importing Hooks: Importing unused Hooks or utilities increases bundle size unnecessarily, impacting performance in large apps; import only what’s needed.
- Verify axios is listed in package.json dependencies to ensure availability and avoid import errors in subsequent blocks using axios.
- Wrap the entire app or relevant subtree in <BrowserRouter> to enable React Router Hooks, ensuring route-based fetching works correctly in later examples.
- Define a meaningful default value for DataContext (e.g., { data: null, loading: false, error: null, fetchData: () => {} }) to provide clear fallbacks and prevent null-reference errors in consumers.
- Use named imports for clarity and consistency, aligning with React’s modular architecture, and only import Hooks or utilities required for specific fetching tasks.
- Document the DataContext shape (e.g., with TypeScript interfaces) to ensure consumers understand the expected data structure and available methods, reducing errors.
- Forgetting to install axios causes runtime errors when using the library, disrupting the fetching process in later blocks.
- Using React Router Hooks outside a router context causes errors like “useParams may only be used inside a Router,” breaking navigation and fetching logic.
- Omitting a DataContext Provider results in consumers receiving the default value, leading to unexpected behavior or null-reference errors in components.
- Importing unnecessary Hooks or libraries bloats the bundle, slowing down the app, especially in performance-sensitive environments like mobile browsers.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function UserList() {
const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
async function fetchUsers() {
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users');
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
setUsers(data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
}
}
fetchUsers();
}, []);
if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
if (error) return <div>Error: {error}</div>;
return (
<ul>
{users.map((user) => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default UserList;
Enhances the fetch pattern by adding both loading and error states, using async/await for cleaner syntax, providing a robust yet accessible example for fetching and displaying user data.
- Initializes three state variables with useState: users for the fetched user list, loading (initially true) to show fetch progress, and error (initially null) to display error messages.
- Uses useEffect with an empty dependency array ([]) to trigger the fetch only on component mount, preventing unnecessary re-fetches and optimizing performance.
- Defines an async function fetchUsers within useEffect to leverage async/await, making the fetch request to https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users more readable than .then() chains.
- Checks response.ok to ensure the HTTP response is successful (status 200–299), throwing an error with the status code if not, enabling precise error handling.
- Parses the response to JSON with response.json(), updates the users state, and sets loading to false to render the success UI.
- Catches errors (e.g., network failures, HTTP 404) in a try/catch block, setting the error state with the error message and disabling loading to show the error UI.
- Conditionally renders a loading message, error message, or user list based on the current state, ensuring a clear and responsive user experience throughout the fetch lifecycle.
This block introduces robust state management with fetch, adding loading and error states to improve user experience and reliability, aligning with the Beginner-to-Intermediate Explanation. It’s a “data probe with diagnostics” in the Galactic Data Network, providing feedback for all fetch outcomes.
- Network Failures: Network issues trigger the catch block, but generic error messages may confuse users; consider customizing messages for common errors.
- Non-OK Responses: HTTP errors like 404 require manual response.ok checks, as fetch doesn’t throw automatically; missing this risks parsing invalid data.
- Slow Responses: Long API calls prolong the loading state; timeouts can be added in advanced blocks to handle this.
- Component Unmount: State updates on unmounted components cause warnings; cancellation is introduced in the next block.
- Always manage loading and error states to provide clear feedback during the fetch lifecycle, ensuring users understand the app’s status, especially on slow networks.
- Use async/await for readable Promise handling, simplifying error management and debugging compared to .then() chains, especially for beginners transitioning to async code.
- Check response.ok before parsing JSON to handle HTTP errors explicitly, preventing the app from processing invalid or empty responses.
- Use an empty dependency array in useEffect to ensure one-time fetches, avoiding performance issues from repeated API calls.
- Provide unique key props in lists to optimize React’s rendering, ensuring efficient updates when displaying fetched data.
- Omitting error handling in the catch block risks uncaught exceptions, potentially crashing the component or leaving the UI in an inconsistent state.
- Failing to check response.ok may lead to parsing invalid responses, causing runtime errors when accessing expected data properties.
- Not resetting loading in the catch block risks a stuck loading UI, making the app appear unresponsive to users.
- Forgetting the empty dependency array in useEffect causes infinite fetches, overwhelming the API and degrading performance.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function UserList() {
const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
const controller = new AbortController();
async function fetchUsers() {
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users', {
signal: controller.signal,
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
setUsers(data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
if (err.name === 'AbortError') return; // Ignore abort errors
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
}
}
fetchUsers();
return () => controller.abort(); // Cleanup on unmount
}, []);
if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
if (error) return <div>Error: {error}</div>;
return (
<ul>
{users.map((user) => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default UserList;
Enhances the fetch pattern with AbortController for request cancellation, preventing state updates on unmounted components, improving performance and reliability for dynamic apps.
- Initializes state with useState for users, loading, and error, enabling reactive UI updates to reflect the fetch lifecycle, from loading to success or failure.
- Creates an AbortController instance within useEffect to manage request cancellation, providing a signal to interrupt the fetch request if the component unmounts.
- Defines an async function fetchUsers to fetch user data with fetch, passing controller.signal to link the request to the controller for cancellation support.
- Checks response.ok to ensure a successful response, throwing an error for non-2xx statuses, and parses JSON with response.json() to update the users state.
- Catches errors with try/catch, ignoring AbortError (from cancellation) to avoid false error states, and sets error for legitimate issues like network failures.
- Returns a cleanup function in useEffect that calls controller.abort(), canceling the request on unmount to prevent React warnings about state updates on unmounted components.
- Conditionally renders a loading message, error message, or user list, ensuring a clear and responsive user experience throughout the fetch process.
Cancellation ensures robust fetching by preventing memory leaks and stale updates, aligning with the Pro-Level Explanation. This block is a “controlled data probe” in the Galactic Data Network, enabling precise, interruptible data retrieval for dynamic applications.
- Rapid Unmount/Remount: Quick component unmounting and remounting may reuse a stale controller, aborting new requests; always create a new AbortController per effect.
- Browser Compatibility: AbortController is unsupported in IE11, requiring polyfills for legacy support; modern React apps typically target newer browsers.
- Concurrent Requests: Multiple fetch calls need unique AbortController instances to avoid canceling unrelated requests, especially in components with multiple APIs.
- Slow Network with Unmount: Slow responses may trigger cancellation if the component unmounts, requiring careful error handling to distinguish AbortError.
- Always include a cleanup function in useEffect that calls controller.abort() to cancel requests on unmount, preventing memory leaks and React warnings in strict mode.
- Explicitly check for err.name === 'AbortError' in the catch block to ignore cancellation errors, ensuring only legitimate errors update the UI state.
- Create a new AbortController for each useEffect execution to ensure independence between requests, avoiding accidental cancellation of new fetches.
- Combine cancellation with proper state management (loading, error) to provide clear UI feedback, ensuring users understand when a fetch is canceled or fails.
- Test cancellation in React’s Strict Mode to catch issues early, ensuring the component handles rapid unmount/remount cycles gracefully.
- Forgetting the cleanup function risks state updates on unmounted components, causing React warnings or memory leaks, especially in single-page applications.
- Reusing a single AbortController across effects may cancel new requests prematurely, leading to missing data or unexpected behavior.
- Ignoring AbortError risks treating cancellations as real errors, displaying misleading messages to users and degrading the user experience.
- Not resetting loading or error after cancellation may leave the UI in an inconsistent state, confusing users about the fetch status.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { useParams, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
import axios from 'axios';
function UserProfile() {
const { id } = useParams();
const navigate = useNavigate();
const [user, setUser] = useState(null);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
const source = axios.CancelToken.source();
async function fetchUser() {
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await axios.get(`https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/${id}`, {
cancelToken: source.token,
});
setUser(response.data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
if (axios.isCancel(err)) return;
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
if (err.response?.status === 404) navigate('/404', { replace: true });
}
}
if (id && !isNaN(id)) {
fetchUser();
} else {
navigate('/404', { replace: true });
}
return () => source.cancel('User fetch canceled by unmount');
}, [id, navigate]);
if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
if (error) return <div>Error: {error}</div>;
if (!user) return <div>No user found</div>;
return (
<div>
<h2>{user.name}</h2>
<p>Email: {user.email}</p>
</div>
);
}
export default UserProfile;
Integrates data fetching with React Router’s useParams and useNavigate to fetch user data based on URL parameters, using axios with cancellation for dynamic, route-driven UIs.
- Uses useParams to extract the id from the URL (e.g., /users/:id), enabling dynamic fetching of user data based on the current route.
- Uses useNavigate to redirect to a 404 page if the id is invalid or the API returns a 404, ensuring robust navigation handling.
- Initializes state with useState for user, loading, and error, allowing reactive UI updates based on the fetch outcome.
- Creates an axios.CancelToken.source() to enable request cancellation, preventing state updates if the component unmounts or the route changes.
- Defines an async function fetchUser to fetch user data with axios.get, leveraging automatic JSON parsing and passing cancelToken for interruption support.
- Validates the id parameter before fetching to ensure it’s a valid number, redirecting to /404 if invalid to avoid unnecessary API calls.
- Catches errors with try/catch, ignoring cancellation errors and redirecting to /404 for 404 responses, while setting error for other failures.
- Returns a cleanup function in useEffect to cancel the request on unmount or route change, preventing React warnings and stale data updates.
- Conditionally renders a loading message, error message, or user details, ensuring a clear user experience throughout the fetch lifecycle.
This block enables dynamic, route-driven fetching, aligning with the Pro-Level Explanation for building modern, navigable UIs. It’s a “targeted data probe” in the Galactic Data Network, fetching specific data based on URL parameters with robust error handling and cancellation.
- Invalid URL Parameters: Non-numeric or missing id values trigger unnecessary API calls or errors; validation prevents this by redirecting early.
- Rapid Route Changes: Quick navigation (e.g., /users/1 to /users/2) risks race conditions; cancellation ensures only the latest request updates state.
- API Rate Limits: Frequent route changes may hit rate limits; debouncing or caching can mitigate this in production.
- Undefined Routes: If /404 is not defined in the router, navigate('/404') fails silently; ensure all redirect routes exist.
- Include id and navigate in the useEffect dependency array to re-fetch data on route changes and ensure navigation functions are stable, preventing stale data.
- Validate URL parameters before fetching to avoid invalid API calls, redirecting to a 404 page for malformed inputs to enhance user experience.
- Use axios.CancelToken to cancel requests on route changes or unmount, preventing race conditions and ensuring the UI reflects the latest route’s data.
- Use navigate with { replace: true } for 404 redirects to avoid cluttering the browser’s history, providing a cleaner navigation experience.
- Provide user-friendly error messages for specific HTTP statuses (e.g., 404) and redirect programmatically to maintain a consistent UI flow.
- Omitting id from the dependency array prevents re-fetching on route changes, displaying stale data for new URLs.
- Failing to validate parameters risks invalid API requests, wasting resources or triggering errors like 400 Bad Request.
- Forgetting cancellation logic causes race conditions, where previous route responses update the new route’s state, confusing users.
- Not defining redirect routes (e.g., /404) causes navigation failures, leaving the app in an undefined state.
- Ignoring specific HTTP errors risks generic error messages, reducing clarity for users about the issue.
import { createContext, useContext, useState, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
const DataContext = createContext({
data: null,
loading: false,
error: null,
fetchData: () => {},
});
function DataProvider({ children }) {
const [data, setData] = useState([]);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
const source = axios.CancelToken.source();
async function fetchData() {
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await axios.get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', {
cancelToken: source.token,
});
setData(response.data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
if (axios.isCancel(err)) return;
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
}
}
fetchData();
return () => source.cancel('Posts fetch canceled by unmount');
}, []);
const fetchData = async (url = 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts') => {
const source = axios.CancelToken.source();
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await axios.get(url, { cancelToken: source.token });
setData(response.data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
if (axios.isCancel(err)) return;
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
}
return () => source.cancel('Manual fetch canceled');
};
const value = useMemo(() => ({ data, loading, error, fetchData }), [data, loading, error]);
return <DataContext.Provider value={value}>{children}</DataContext.Provider>;
}
function PostList() {
const { data, loading, error } = useContext(DataContext);
if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
if (error) return <div>Error: {error}</div>;
return (
<ul>
{data.map((post) => (
<li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
function App() {
return (
<DataProvider>
<PostList />
</DataProvider>
);
}
export default App;
Enables global data sharing by fetching posts in a DataProvider and distributing them via useContext, eliminating prop drilling and centralizing data management for multiple components.
- Creates a DataContext with a default value defining data, loading, error, and fetchData, providing a fallback for consumers outside a Provider, though a Provider is always used.
- Defines a DataProvider component that wraps the app, using useState to manage data (fetched posts), loading, and error, enabling reactive updates across consumers.
- Uses useEffect to fetch posts on mount with axios, leveraging async/await for readability and CancelToken to cancel requests on unmount.
- Implements a reusable fetchData function in the Context to allow manual refetching with a custom URL, supporting dynamic use cases like filtering or pagination.
- Uses useMemo to stabilize the Context value, preventing unnecessary re-renders in consumers when data, loading, or error remain unchanged.
- Cancels requests on unmount with source.cancel(), ensuring no state updates occur on unmounted components, maintaining performance.
- Implements PostList to consume the Context, rendering posts or appropriate UI states (loading, error) based on the fetched data.
- Wraps the app in DataProvider to provide the Context to all descendants, enabling seamless data access without prop drilling.
This block eliminates prop drilling, aligning with the Everyday Developer Explanation for scalable data management. It’s a “data broadcast hub” in the Galactic Data Network, distributing API data efficiently to multiple components.
- Missing Provider: Using useContext outside a DataProvider returns the default value, causing null-reference errors; always wrap consumers in a Provider.
- Frequent Updates: Rapid state changes trigger re-renders in all consumers; useMemo mitigates this, but large Contexts may impact performance.
- Large Datasets: Storing large data in Context can bloat memory; split Contexts or limit data size for performance.
- Concurrent Fetches: Multiple fetchData calls may cause race conditions; use unique CancelToken sources per fetch.
- Use useMemo to stabilize the Context value, preventing unnecessary re-renders in consumers when state dependencies don’t change.
- Always wrap consumers in a DataProvider to ensure valid Context values, avoiding reliance on the default value.
- Handle loading and error states in consumers to provide clear UI feedback, ensuring users understand the fetch status.
- Split Contexts by concern (e.g., PostContext, UserContext) in large apps to isolate updates and improve performance.
- Include a reusable fetchData function in the Context for dynamic refetching, supporting use cases like filtering or pagination.
- Use TypeScript or PropTypes to define the Context value’s shape, reducing runtime errors in complex apps.
- Omitting the DataProvider causes consumers to receive the default value, leading to null-reference errors and breaking the UI.
- Not using useMemo for the Context value causes excessive re-renders, degrading performance in apps with many consumers.
- Overusing Context for local data bloats state management, complicating maintenance; reserve Context for global data.
- Forgetting cancellation risks state updates on unmounted components, causing memory leaks or React warnings.
- Not validating fetched data risks rendering malformed data, causing UI inconsistencies in consumers.
import { useReducer, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
const initialState = {
data: [],
loading: true,
error: null,
page: 1,
};
function reducer(state, action) {
switch (action.type) {
case 'FETCH_START':
return { ...state, loading: true, error: null };
case 'FETCH_SUCCESS':
return { ...state, data: action.payload, loading: false };
case 'FETCH_ERROR':
return { ...state, error: action.payload, loading: false };
case 'SET_PAGE':
return { ...state, page: action.payload };
default:
return state;
}
}
function PaginatedPosts() {
const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, initialState);
const fetchPosts = useCallback(async () => {
dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_START' });
try {
const response = await axios.get(
`https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_page=${state.page}&_limit=10`,
{ cancelToken: axios.CancelToken.source().token }
);
dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_SUCCESS', payload: response.data });
} catch (err) {
if (axios.isCancel(err)) return;
dispatch({ type: 'FETCH_ERROR', payload: err.message });
}
}, [state.page]);
useEffect(() => {
const source = axios.CancelToken.source();
fetchPosts();
return () => source.cancel('Posts fetch canceled by unmount');
}, [fetchPosts]);
return (
<div>
{state.loading && <div>Loading...</div>}
{state.error && <div>Error: {state.error}</div>}
<ul>
{state.data.map((post) => (
<li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
<button onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'SET_PAGE', payload: state.page + 1 })}>
Next Page
</button>
</div>
);
}
export default PaginatedPosts;
Manages complex fetching state, such as pagination, using useReducer for predictable state transitions, integrating axios and useCallback for optimized, cancellable fetching.
- Defines an initialState object with data, loading, error, and page properties, structuring state for pagination and fetch status management.
- Implements a reducer function to handle state transitions via actions (FETCH_START, FETCH_SUCCESS, FETCH_ERROR, SET_PAGE), ensuring predictable updates.
- Uses useReducer to manage state, dispatching actions to update data, loading, error, or page, aligning with React’s functional programming paradigm.
- Defines a memoized fetchPosts function with useCallback, dependent on state.page, to fetch paginated posts using axios.get with query parameters.
- Integrates axios.CancelToken in fetchPosts and useEffect to cancel requests, preventing state updates on unmounted components or page changes.
- Triggers fetchPosts in useEffect when fetchPosts changes, re-fetching for each page, with cleanup to cancel requests on unmount.
- Renders a loading indicator, error message, or paginated post list, with a “Next Page” button to dispatch SET_PAGE and trigger new fetches.
- Uses axios’s automatic JSON parsing to simplify data handling, updating data with the response for direct rendering.
This block demonstrates managing complex state with useReducer, aligning with the Pro-Level Explanation for scalable fetching logic. It’s a “data control center” in the Galactic Data Network, orchestrating paginated API calls with robust state management.
- Rapid Page Changes: Quick button clicks trigger multiple fetches, risking race conditions; cancellation ensures only the latest request updates state.
- Invalid Page Numbers: Requesting invalid pages may return empty data; validate page before fetching to avoid errors.
- Large State Objects: Complex state can make reducers unwieldy; consider splitting into multiple reducers for modularity.
- API Rate Limits: Frequent page changes may hit limits; implement debouncing or caching in production.
- Use useReducer for complex state logic like pagination or retries, providing a predictable, action-based model for state transitions.
- Memoize fetch functions with useCallback to prevent unnecessary useEffect triggers, optimizing performance for dynamic state changes.
- Implement axios.CancelToken to cancel requests on page changes or unmount, preventing race conditions and ensuring current data.
- Validate query parameters (e.g., page) before fetching to avoid invalid API calls, enhancing user experience with clear feedback.
- Define clear action types in the reducer for explicit state transitions, aiding debugging and maintenance in complex apps.
- Test reducer logic with unit tests to catch edge cases like invalid data or errors early in development.
- Not canceling requests risks race conditions, where earlier fetches overwrite later ones, displaying incorrect data.
- Failing to validate page triggers invalid API requests, wasting resources or causing errors like 400 Bad Request.
- Overcomplicating reducers with many actions makes maintenance hard; keep reducers focused or split them for clarity.
- Omitting useCallback causes excessive useEffect triggers, leading to unnecessary API calls and performance issues.
- Not handling rate limits risks 429 errors, locking users out; implement debouncing or caching for frequent fetches.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
// Global axios configuration
axios.defaults.baseURL = 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
axios.interceptors.request.use(
(config) => {
config.headers['Authorization'] = 'Bearer mock-token';
return config;
},
(error) => Promise.reject(error)
);
axios.interceptors.response.use(
(response) => response,
(error) => {
if (error.response?.status === 401) {
console.log('Unauthorized, redirecting to login...');
// Example: Redirect logic could be added here
}
return Promise.reject(error);
}
);
function UserList() {
const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
const source = axios.CancelToken.source();
async function fetchUsers() {
try {
setLoading(true);
const response = await axios.get('/users', {
cancelToken: source.token,
});
setUsers(response.data);
setLoading(false);
} catch (err) {
if (axios.isCancel(err)) return;
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
}
}
fetchUsers();
return () => source.cancel('Request canceled by component unmount');
}, []);
if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
if (error) return <div>Error: {error}</div>;
return (
<ul>
{users.map((user) => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
export default UserList;
Demonstrates advanced axios usage with global configuration and interceptors, adding authentication headers and handling specific HTTP errors centrally, suitable for complex applications.
- Configures axios globally with a baseURL to prefix all requests with https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com, reducing repetitive URL definitions and ensuring consistency.
- Sets up a request interceptor to automatically add an Authorization header with a mock token to every request, simulating authentication for secure APIs.
- Implements a response interceptor to handle HTTP errors globally, logging a message for 401 Unauthorized responses and potentially triggering redirects (commented for simplicity).
- Initializes state with useState for users, loading, and error, enabling reactive UI updates based on the fetch lifecycle.
- Creates an axios.CancelToken.source() to enable request cancellation, preventing state updates on unmounted components.
- Defines an async function fetchUsers to fetch users with axios.get, using the baseURL and cancelToken, with automatic JSON parsing via response.data.
- Catches errors with try/catch, ignoring cancellation errors and setting error for legitimate issues, ensuring proper UI feedback.
- Returns a cleanup function in useEffect to cancel requests on unmount, preventing React warnings and stale updates.
- Conditionally renders a loading message, error message, or user list, providing a clear user experience throughout the fetch process.
This block showcases axios’s advanced features for enterprise apps, aligning with the Everyday Developer Explanation. It’s a “heavy-duty data relay” in the Galactic Data Network, automating authentication and error handling for robust, scalable fetching.
- Interceptor Conflicts: Multiple interceptors modifying the same properties (e.g., headers) can cause conflicts; ensure interceptors are unique and well-documented.
- Timeout Issues: Without a configured timeout, slow responses may hang; set axios.defaults.timeout for reliability.
- Large Responses: Fetching large datasets without validation risks memory issues; validate response sizes in production.
- Cancellation Race Conditions: Rapid unmount/remount cycles may create multiple CancelToken sources, requiring careful management.
- Configure axios defaults (e.g., baseURL, timeout) globally to ensure consistency across API calls, reducing repetitive code in components.
- Use request interceptors for cross-cutting concerns like authentication, adding headers automatically to simplify component logic.
- Implement response interceptors to handle common errors (e.g., 401, 429) centrally, enabling redirects or retries without component-level duplication.
- Include cancellation with axios.CancelToken to prevent state updates on unmounted components, ensuring performance and avoiding warnings.
- Provide descriptive cancellation messages to aid debugging in complex apps with multiple fetches.
- Validate response data before updating state to prevent rendering errors from malformed API responses.
- Forgetting cancellation logic risks memory leaks or warnings when components unmount before responses arrive.
- Overusing interceptors for complex logic complicates debugging; keep interceptors focused and documented.
- Not setting a timeout risks hanging requests, leaving the UI in a prolonged loading state.
- Failing to validate response sizes risks memory issues with large datasets, crashing the app.
- Ignoring axios.isCancel risks treating cancellations as errors, displaying misleading messages to users.
Conclusion: Mastering the Galactic Data Network
Congratulations, intrepid data explorer! You’ve journeyed through the vast Galactic Data Network, mastering 11 powerful blocks of data-fetching wisdom. From the basic fetch calls of Block 1 to the advanced axios interceptors of Block 11, you’ve learned to wield React Hooks like useState, useEffect, useContext, and useReducer with precision. You’ve tackled async/await, managed cancellations with AbortController and axios CancelToken, navigated dynamic routes with React Router, and centralized data with Context—all while avoiding common pitfalls like memory leaks and race conditions.
These blocks have equipped you with the tools to build robust, scalable, and user-friendly applications. You’re now ready to leave the theoretical cosmos and embark on practical missions. The upcoming examples, with line-by-line explanations, will guide you through real-world scenarios, while the tasks will challenge you to apply your skills. Get ready to launch into action and bring the Galactic Data Network to life!
- Mastered basic and advanced fetching with fetch and axios, including error handling and JSON parsing.
- Learned to prevent memory leaks and stale updates using cancellation (AbortController, CancelToken).
- Explored dynamic, route-driven UIs with React Router and global data management with useContext.
- Managed complex state with useReducer for predictable, scalable fetching logic.
- Understood best practices and pitfalls to ensure reliable, performant applications.
Practical Examples and Tasks: Navigating the Galactic Data Network
Now that we’ve built a robust foundation with data-fetching techniques (fetch, axios, async/await) and React Hooks (useState, useEffect, useContext, useReducer, React Router), it’s time to put your skills to the test! This section dives into practical examples with detailed, line-by-line explanations to solidify your understanding. Each example is designed to bridge theory and practice, breaking down every line of code to reveal its purpose, mechanics, and potential pitfalls. Whether you’re a beginner exploring your first API calls or an intermediate developer tackling dynamic UIs, these examples will guide you through real-world scenarios in the Galactic Data Network.
Following the examples, you’ll find practical tasks—hands-on challenges that encourage you to apply what you’ve learned. These tasks range from building small components to debugging fetch issues and optimizing performance, ensuring you gain confidence in crafting reliable, user-friendly applications. Think of these as your missions to navigate the data cosmos, equipped with the tools and knowledge from Blocks 1–11. Let’s launch into the examples and start exploring!
Example 1: Movie Search with fetch (Beginner Examples: Building the Foundation)
The MovieSearch component demonstrates how to use the fetch API in a React application to query a mock API (JSONPlaceholder, as a stand-in for a real movie API like OMDB) based on user input, manage state with useState, handle form submissions, and display results with a loading state. The example is beginner-friendly, focusing on core React and JavaScript concepts while introducing asynchronous data fetching. The code is divided into five logical blocks: Imports and Component Setup, State Initialization, Form Handling and Fetch Logic, API Data Processing, and Rendering Logic. Each block includes a detailed explanation covering its purpose, implementation, connection to React theory, edge cases, best practices, and pitfalls.
import { useState } from 'react';
// MovieSearch Component
function MovieSearch() {
// State for search input, movies, loading, and error
const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState('');
const [movies, setMovies] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
// Handle form submission
const handleSearch = async (e) => {
e.preventDefault();
if (!searchTerm.trim()) return; // Prevent empty searches
setIsLoading(true);
setError(null);
setMovies([]); // Clear previous results
try {
// Fetch movies from a mock API (JSONPlaceholder for demo)
const response = await fetch(
`https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?userId=${encodeURIComponent(searchTerm)}`
);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Failed to fetch movies');
const data = await response.json();
// Mock movie data transformation
const mockMovies = data.slice(0, 5).map((item, index) => ({
id: item.id,
title: `Movie ${item.id}: ${item.title.slice(0, 20)}...`,
poster: `https://via.placeholder.com/150?text=Movie+${index + 1}`,
}));
setMovies(mockMovies);
} catch (err) {
setError('Something went wrong. Please try again.');
console.error(err);
} finally {
setIsLoading(false);
}
};
return (
<div style={{ padding: '20px', fontFamily: 'Arial' }}>
<h1>Movie Search</h1>
<form onSubmit={handleSearch}>
<input
type="text"
value={searchTerm}
onChange={(e) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value)}
placeholder="Search for a movie..."
style={{ padding: '10px', width: '200px', marginRight: '10px' }}
/>
<button type="submit" style={{ padding: '10px 20px' }}>
Search
</button>
</form>
{isLoading && <p>Searching movies...</p>}
{error && <p style={{ color: 'red' }}>{error}</p>}
{movies.length > 0 && (
<ul style={{ listStyle: 'none', padding: 0 }}>
{movies.map((movie) => (
<li
key={movie.id}
style={{
display: 'flex',
alignItems: 'center',
margin: '10px 0',
}}
>
<img
src={movie.poster}
alt={movie.title}
style={{ width: '50px', marginRight: '10px' }}
/>
<span>{movie.title}</span>
</li>
))}
</ul>
)}
{movies.length === 0 && !isLoading && !error && (
<p>No movies found. Try searching!</p>
)}
</div>
);
}
export default MovieSearch;
import { useState } from 'react';
// MovieSearch Component
function MovieSearch() {
Purpose: Imports React’s useState hook and defines the MovieSearch functional component to manage the search interface and API interactions.
- Imports useState from the React library to manage component state for search input, results, loading, and errors.
- Declares MovieSearch as a functional component, serving as the root for form handling, API fetching, and result rendering.
- The useState hook enables reactive state management, critical for handling user input and API responses, as per React’s declarative programming model.
- Functional components are required for Hooks, aligning with React’s modern architecture (introduced in React 16.8).
- This block sets the stage for a self-contained component, demonstrating a real-world use case (searching movies) that engages beginners.
- Hook Storage: The MovieSearch component’s fiber node stores useState hooks, ensuring state persistence across renders, as described in React’s fiber architecture.
- Declarative UI: The component declaratively ties state (search term, movies, loading) to the UI, aligning with React’s philosophy of state-driven rendering.
- Single Responsibility: The component focuses on search functionality, adhering to React’s component design principles.
- The useState import is a named import from react, requiring React to be installed (e.g., via npm install react).
- MovieSearch uses PascalCase, following React’s convention for component names.
- The component accepts no props, as state is managed internally.
- Incorrect Import: Omitting or mistyping import { useState } from 'react' causes a runtime error (useState is not defined). Verify react in package.json.
- Lowercase Component: Naming the component movieSearch (lowercase) makes React treat it as an HTML element, leading to errors. Always use PascalCase.
- Old React Version: Hooks require React 16.8+. Using an older version throws errors. Check package.json.
- Import only necessary React APIs (useState) to keep the bundle lean.
- Use PascalCase for component names (MovieSearch).
- Keep the component focused on a single feature (movie search).
- Forgetting to import useState breaks the component.
- Using a class component instead of a functional one prevents hook usage.
- Overloading the component with unrelated logic (e.g., user authentication) reduces clarity.
const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState('');
const [movies, setMovies] = useState([]);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
Purpose: Initializes state variables for the search input, movie results, loading status, and error messages using useState.
- Creates searchTerm (string) to store the user’s input from the search field.
- Creates movies (array) to store the fetched movie data.
- Creates isLoading (boolean) to track the fetch status for displaying a loading message.
- Creates error (string or null) to store error messages for failed fetches.
- useState enables reactive updates, ensuring the UI reflects changes to input, results, or fetch status, as per React’s declarative state nexus.
- Multiple states manage different aspects of the search process, teaching beginners how to structure state for complex interactions.
- The initial values ('', [], false, null) are chosen to represent the component’s starting state clearly.
- Hook Storage: Each useState call is stored in the component’s fiber node, maintaining state order across renders.
- Reactivity: State updates (e.g., setMovies) trigger re-renders, ensuring the UI reflects the latest data.
- Single Source of Truth: The states centralize search data, aligning with React’s principle of unified state management.
- useState('') initializes searchTerm as an empty string, representing an empty input field.
- useState([]) initializes movies as an empty array, ready to store API results.
- useState(false) sets isLoading to false, indicating no fetch is in progress initially.
- useState(null) sets error to null, indicating no errors at the start.
- Each useState call returns a state variable and setter function, destructured for use.
- Invalid Initial State: Initializing movies as null instead of [] risks errors when mapping in the render (e.g., null.map is not a function). An empty array is safer.
- State Order: Conditional useState calls break React’s hook rules, causing errors. All calls are at the top level here.
- Rapid State Updates: Multiple rapid setMovies calls could queue unnecessary re-renders, though this example avoids that with controlled fetches.
- Use descriptive state names (searchTerm, movies, isLoading, error) for clarity.
- Choose initial values that align with UI expectations (e.g., [] for no movies).
- Place useState calls at the top level, adhering to React’s Rules of Hooks.
- Using conditional useState calls breaks hook order.
- Initializing movies with a non-iterable value (e.g., null) risks render errors.
- Overcomplicating state (e.g., nested objects) confuses beginners.
const handleSearch = async (e) => {
e.preventDefault();
if (!searchTerm.trim()) return; // Prevent empty searches
setIsLoading(true);
setError(null);
setMovies([]); // Clear previous results
try {
const response = await fetch(
`https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?userId=${encodeURIComponent(searchTerm)}`
);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Failed to fetch movies');
const data = await response.json();
Purpose: Defines the handleSearch function to process form submissions, prevent empty searches, and initiate the fetch request to the API.
- Declares handleSearch as an async function to handle form submission events.
- Calls e.preventDefault() to prevent page reload on form submission.
- Checks if searchTerm is empty (after trimming whitespace) and exits if so.
- Sets isLoading to true, clears error, and resets movies to prepare for the fetch.
- Uses fetch to query a mock API (JSONPlaceholder) with the search term as a query parameter.
- Checks the response status and throws an error if not ok.
- Parses the response as JSON for further processing.
- Form handling teaches beginners how to capture user input and trigger actions, a core web development skill.
- The async/await syntax simplifies asynchronous fetching, making it accessible compared to raw promises.
- State updates before and after the fetch ensure a smooth UX (loading, error handling), aligning with React’s reactivity model.
- Asynchronous Rendering: The async fetch integrates with React’s rendering pipeline, updating state to reflect API results.
- Event Handling: The e.preventDefault() aligns with React’s synthetic event system, ensuring controlled form behavior.
- State-Driven UI: Pre-fetch state updates (setIsLoading, setMovies) drive the UI declaratively.
- e.preventDefault() stops the default form submission behavior (page reload).
- searchTerm.trim() removes leading/trailing whitespace to validate input.
- encodeURIComponent(searchTerm) ensures the query parameter is URL-safe.
- fetch sends a GET request to JSONPlaceholder’s /posts endpoint, using userId as a mock query parameter.
- response.ok checks if the HTTP status is 200–299; otherwise, an error is thrown.
- await response.json() parses the response body into a JavaScript object.
- Empty Input: Submitting an empty form could trigger an unnecessary fetch. The if (!searchTerm.trim()) return check prevents this.
- Network Errors: Failed fetches (e.g., no internet) throw errors, caught in the try/catch block.
- Invalid API Response: A non-JSON response (e.g., server error page) causes response.json() to fail, handled by the catch block.
- Rapid Submissions: Multiple form submissions during a fetch could overlap. This example avoids this by disabling the button implicitly via the loading state.
- Prevent default form behavior with e.preventDefault().
- Validate input (searchTerm.trim()) to avoid invalid API calls.
- Encode query parameters with encodeURIComponent for URL safety.
- Use try/catch for robust error handling in async operations.
- Clear previous state (setMovies([])) before new fetches to avoid stale data.
- Omitting e.preventDefault() causes page reloads, breaking the SPA experience.
- Not validating input risks empty or malformed API requests.
- Missing try/catch leaves errors unhandled, leading to uncaught promise rejections.
const mockMovies = data.slice(0, 5).map((item, index) => ({
id: item.id,
title: `Movie ${item.id}: ${item.title.slice(0, 20)}...`,
poster: `https://via.placeholder.com/150?text=Movie+${index + 1}`,
}));
setMovies(mockMovies);
} catch (err) {
setError('Something went wrong. Please try again.');
console.error(err);
} finally {
setIsLoading(false);
}
Purpose: Processes the fetched API data into a movie-like format, updates the movies state, handles errors, and resets the loading state.
- Transforms the JSONPlaceholder response (mocked as movie data) into an array of movie objects with id, title, and poster properties.
- Limits results to 5 items with slice(0, 5) for simplicity.
- Maps each item to a movie object, using the post’s id, a truncated title, and a placeholder image URL.
- Updates movies state with the processed data.
- Catches errors, sets an error message, and logs details to the console.
- Resets isLoading to false in the finally block, ensuring the loading state clears regardless of success or failure.
- Data transformation teaches beginners how to adapt raw API responses to UI needs.
- Error handling ensures a robust UX, preventing the app from breaking on failed fetches.
- The finally block guarantees consistent state updates, aligning with React’s predictable state management.
- State-Driven UI: The setMovies call updates the UI reactively, reflecting API results.
- Error Resilience: The try/catch/finally structure aligns with robust async programming practices.
- Data Transformation: Mapping API data to a UI-friendly format mirrors real-world API integration patterns.
- data.slice(0, 5) limits the response to 5 items to avoid overwhelming the UI.
- The map function creates objects with id (unique key), title (truncated for brevity), and poster (placeholder image URL).
- setMovies(mockMovies) updates the state, triggering a re-render with the new movie list.
- setError in the catch block provides a user-friendly message, while console.error aids debugging.
- setIsLoading(false) in finally ensures the loading state resets after every fetch attempt.
- Empty API Response: If data is an empty array, slice(0, 5) safely returns [], handled in the render.
- Malformed Data: If the API returns unexpected data (e.g., missing id), the transformation could fail. This example assumes a consistent response.
- Large Datasets: Without slice, a large API response could slow the UI. Limiting to 5 items avoids this.
- Transform API data to match UI needs (e.g., id, title, poster).
- Limit result sets (slice(0, 5)) for performance and UX.
- Provide user-friendly error messages while logging detailed errors for debugging.
- Use finally to ensure consistent state cleanup.
- Not limiting API results risks performance issues with large datasets.
- Omitting error handling leaves the app vulnerable to uncaught errors.
- Hardcoding transformation logic without validation risks errors with inconsistent API data.
return (
<div style={{ padding: '20px', fontFamily: 'Arial' }}>
<h1>Movie Search</h1>
<form onSubmit={handleSearch}>
<input
type="text"
value={searchTerm}
onChange={(e) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value)}
placeholder="Search for a movie..."
style={{ padding: '10px', width: '200px', marginRight: '10px' }}
/>
<button type="submit" style={{ padding: '10px 20px' }}>
Search
</button>
</form>
{isLoading && <p>Searching movies...</p>}
{error && <p style={{ color: 'red' }}>{error}</p>}
{movies.length > 0 && (
<ul style={{ listStyle: 'none', padding: 0 }}>
{movies.map((movie) => (
<li
key={movie.id}
style={{
display: 'flex',
alignItems: 'center',
margin: '10px 0',
}}
>
<img
src={movie.poster}
alt={movie.title}
style={{ width: '50px', marginRight: '10px' }}
/>
<span>{movie.title}</span>
</li>
))}
</ul>
)}
{movies.length === 0 && !isLoading && !error && (
<p>No movies found. Try searching!</p>
)}
</div>
);
}
Purpose: Renders the search form, loading state, error messages, and movie results based on component state.
- Renders a div with a title, a form for search input, and conditional UI elements for loading, errors, and results.
- The form includes an input bound to searchTerm and a submit button that triggers handleSearch.
- Conditionally displays a loading message (isLoading), an error message (error), a movie list (movies.length > 0), or a “no results” message.
- The movie list uses map to render each movie with a unique key, displaying its poster and title.
- Conditional rendering teaches beginners how to show different UI states based on data (loading, error, success, empty).
- The form demonstrates controlled inputs, a core React concept.
- The key prop in the list ensures efficient rendering, aligning with React’s reconciliation process.
- Declarative Rendering: The UI reflects state (searchTerm, movies, isLoading, error) declaratively, as per React’s philosophy.
- Reconciliation: The key prop optimizes list rendering by helping React track elements efficiently.
- Controlled Components: The input binds value and onChange to searchTerm, ensuring predictable state management.
- The form uses onSubmit to call handleSearch, with a button of type="submit".
- The input is controlled: value={searchTerm} syncs with state, and onChange updates searchTerm.
- Conditional rendering uses the && operator to show messages or the movie list.
- The ul maps movies to li elements, each with a unique key={movie.id}.
- Inline styles provide basic layout for simplicity (e.g., flexbox for movie items).
- Missing Key: Omitting the key prop in the map causes React to warn about inefficient rendering. movie.id ensures uniqueness.
- Empty State: The movies.length === 0 condition handles the case where no results are returned, avoiding blank UI.
- Accessibility: The img includes an alt attribute, but the form lacks ARIA attributes for screen readers, which should be added in production.
- Use controlled inputs (value and onChange) for predictable form behavior.
- Provide unique key props in lists to optimize rendering.
- Use conditional rendering to handle all UI states (loading, error, success, empty).
- Include alt attributes for images to improve accessibility.
- Omitting key props in lists causes performance issues and React warnings.
- Using uncontrolled inputs risks state inconsistencies.
- Neglecting edge-case rendering (e.g., empty results) leads to poor UX.
- Fetch Integration: The fetch API queries a mock endpoint, teaching async data fetching in a React context.
- State Management: Multiple useState hooks manage search input, results, loading, and errors, demonstrating state-driven UI.
- Form Handling: Controlled inputs and form submission show how to capture and process user input.
- Conditional Rendering: The UI handles loading, error, success, and empty states, ensuring a complete UX.
- Beginner-Friendly: The example uses simple concepts (state, forms, fetch) while introducing real-world API integration.
- Uncontrolled Forms: Using a controlled input avoids unpredictable form behavior.
- Uncaught Errors: The try/catch block ensures errors don’t crash the app.
- Inefficient Rendering: Unique key props optimize list rendering.
- Empty States: Conditional rendering handles all possible UI states.
- Real API: Replace JSONPlaceholder with a real movie API (e.g., OMDB with an API key) for production.
- Performance: Use useMemo for expensive transformations or useDebounce for rapid input changes to limit API calls.
- Accessibility: Add ARIA attributes (e.g., aria-label on the form) and focus management for screen readers.
- Styling: Use a CSS framework (e.g., Tailwind) instead of inline styles for better maintainability.
- Testing: Test with React Testing Library, mocking the fetch API to verify rendering and error handling.
- Error Details: Provide more specific error messages (e.g., network vs. API errors) for better UX.
This example builds a strong foundation for beginners, introducing fetch, state management, and form handling in a fun, movie-themed context. It aligns with React’s theoretical principles (reactivity, declarative UI) while preparing learners for more advanced patterns like API key management or debounced searches.
Task: Create a component that lets users search for movies by title and year using fetch, combining both as query parameters (e.g., ?title=star&year=2020). Display the results with a loading state.
Hint: Use two useState hooks to track title and year inputs. Modify the fetch URL to include both query parameters (& to combine them). Trigger the fetch on form submission and handle the response with a loading state.
Try It Yourself
Task: Build a component that searches for movies by title using fetch, then fetches additional details (e.g., plot summary) for the first movie in the results using a second fetch call. Display the results and details with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState for the search term, movie list, and details. After fetching the movie list with a query parameter, use the first movie’s ID to trigger a second fetch to a details endpoint (e.g., /posts/:id). Show a loading state for both requests.
Try It Yourself
Task: Develop a component that fetches movies by title only when the user’s search input is at least 3 characters long, using fetch with a query parameter. Display the results with a loading state and a message if the input is too short.
Hint: Use useState for the search term and movie list, and useEffect to trigger fetch when the search term changes. Check the input length before fetching and update the UI with a message if it’s too short.
Try It Yourself
Task: Create a component that searches for movies by title using fetch with a primary endpoint. If the primary endpoint fails (e.g., network error or non-200 status), automatically fetch from a fallback endpoint and display the results with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState for the search term and movie list. In the fetch logic, use a try/catch block to attempt the primary endpoint (e.g., /posts). If it fails, try a fallback endpoint (e.g., /comments). Show a loading state during both attempts.
Try It Yourself
Task: Build a component that searches for movies by title using fetch with a query parameter and supports pagination by fetching additional pages when the user clicks a “Load More” button. Display results with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState for the search term, movie list, and current page. Include the page number in the fetch URL (e.g., ?_page=1). Append new results to the existing list when the “Load More” button is clicked and update the loading state.
Try It Yourself
Example 2: Random Quote Generator with axios (Beginner Examples: Building the Foundation)
The RandomQuote component demonstrates how to use the axios library in a React application to fetch a random quote from the Quotable API (https://api.quotable.io/random), display the quote and author, and provide a button to fetch a new quote. It includes a loading state and basic error handling, keeping the example beginner-friendly while introducing asynchronous data fetching with axios. The code is divided into five logical blocks: Imports and Component Setup, State Initialization, Fetch Logic with useEffect, Button Event Handling, and Rendering Logic. Each block includes a detailed explanation covering its purpose, implementation, connection to React theory, edge cases, best practices, and pitfalls.
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
// RandomQuote Component
function RandomQuote() {
// State for quote, author, loading, and error
const [quote, setQuote] = useState(null);
const [author, setAuthor] = useState(null);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
const [fetchTrigger, setFetchTrigger] = useState(0);
// Fetch quote on mount and when fetchTrigger changes
useEffect(() => {
const fetchQuote = async () => {
setIsLoading(true);
setError(null);
setQuote(null);
setAuthor(null);
try {
const response = await axios.get('https://api.quotable.io/random');
setQuote(response.data.content);
setAuthor(response.data.author);
} catch (err) {
setError('Failed to fetch quote. Please try again.');
console.error('Error fetching quote:', err);
} finally {
setIsLoading(false);
}
};
fetchQuote();
}, [fetchTrigger]);
// Handle button click to trigger new fetch
const handleNewQuote = () => {
setFetchTrigger((prev) => prev + 1);
};
return (
<div style={{ padding: '20px', fontFamily: 'Arial', maxWidth: '600px', margin: '0 auto' }}>
<h1>Random Quote Generator</h1>
{isLoading && <p>Loading quote...</p>}
{error && <p style={{ color: 'red' }}>{error}</p>}
{quote && author && (
<div style={{ margin: '20px 0' }}>
<p style={{ fontStyle: 'italic', fontSize: '1.2em' }}>"{quote}"</p>
<p style={{ fontWeight: 'bold' }}>- {author}</p>
</div>
)}
{!isLoading && !error && !quote && (
<p>No quote available. Click below to fetch one!</p>
)}
<button
onClick={handleNewQuote}
style={{ padding: '10px 20px', cursor: 'pointer' }}
disabled={isLoading}
>
Get New Quote
</button>
</div>
);
}
export default RandomQuote;
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
// RandomQuote Component
function RandomQuote() {
Purpose: Imports React hooks and axios, and defines the RandomQuote functional component to manage quote fetching and display.
- Imports useState and useEffect from react for state management and side effects.
- Imports axios for making HTTP requests to the Quotable API.
- Declares RandomQuote as a functional component, serving as the root for fetching and rendering quotes.
- useState enables reactive state management for quotes, loading, and errors, aligning with React’s declarative model.
- useEffect handles side effects (API calls), a core React concept for managing asynchronous operations.
- axios simplifies HTTP requests compared to raw fetch, offering automatic JSON parsing and better error handling.
- This block sets up a beginner-friendly component for an engaging use case (random quotes).
- Hook Storage: The RandomQuote component’s fiber node stores useState and useEffect hooks, ensuring state and effect persistence across renders.
- Declarative UI: The component ties state to the UI, reflecting React’s philosophy of state-driven rendering.
- Side Effect Management: useEffect aligns with React’s approach to handling side effects outside the render cycle.
- useState and useEffect are named imports from react, requiring React to be installed (e.g., npm install react).
- axios is imported, requiring installation (npm install axios).
- RandomQuote uses PascalCase, following React’s component naming convention.
- The component accepts no props, as state is managed internally.
- Incorrect Import: Mistyping react or axios causes runtime errors (e.g., useState is not defined). Verify package.json.
- Lowercase Component: Naming the component randomQuote makes React treat it as an HTML element, causing errors. Use PascalCase.
- Old React Version: Hooks require React 16.8+. Using an older version throws errors. Check package.json.
- Missing Axios: Forgetting to install axios causes an import error.
- Omitting imports breaks the component.
- Using a class component prevents hook usage.
- Forgetting to install axios causes runtime errors.
const [quote, setQuote] = useState(null);
const [author, setAuthor] = useState(null);
const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
const [fetchTrigger, setFetchTrigger] = useState(0);
Purpose: Initializes state variables for the quote, author, loading status, error messages, and fetch trigger using useState.
- Creates quote (string or null) to store the fetched quote text.
- Creates author (string or null) to store the quote’s author.
- Creates isLoading (boolean) to track the fetch status for UI feedback.
- Creates error (string or null) to store error messages for failed fetches.
- Creates fetchTrigger (number) to trigger useEffect for new quote fetches.
- Multiple useState hooks manage different aspects of the fetch process, teaching beginners how to structure state for async operations.
- The fetchTrigger state enables button-driven fetches, introducing controlled side effects.
- Initial values (null, false, 0) clearly represent the component’s starting state.
- Hook Storage: Each useState call is stored in the component’s fiber node, maintaining state order.
- Reactivity: State updates (e.g., setQuote) trigger re-renders, ensuring the UI reflects the latest data.
- Single Source of Truth: The states centralize quote data, aligning with React’s unified state management.
- useState(null) initializes quote and author as null, indicating no data initially.
- useState(false) sets isLoading to false, indicating no fetch in progress.
- useState(null) sets error to null, indicating no errors initially.
- useState(0) initializes fetchTrigger to trigger useEffect on button clicks.
- Each useState call returns a state variable and setter, destructured for use.
- Invalid Initial State: Using an empty string for quote instead of null could confuse conditional rendering. null clearly signals no data.
- State Order: Conditional useState calls break React’s hook rules, causing errors. All calls are at the top level.
- Rapid Updates: Rapid setFetchTrigger calls could queue multiple fetches, though the loading state mitigates this by disabling the button.
- Use descriptive state names (quote, author, isLoading, error, fetchTrigger).
- Choose initial values that align with UI expectations (e.g., null for no quote).
- Place useState calls at the top level, adhering to React’s Rules of Hooks.
- Conditional useState calls break hook order.
- Using ambiguous initial values (e.g., '' for quote) risks render logic errors.
- Overcomplicating state structure confuses beginners.
useEffect(() => {
const fetchQuote = async () => {
setIsLoading(true);
setError(null);
setQuote(null);
setAuthor(null);
try {
const response = await axios.get('https://api.quotable.io/random');
setQuote(response.data.content);
setAuthor(response.data.author);
} catch (err) {
setError('Failed to fetch quote. Please try again.');
console.error('Error fetching quote:', err);
} finally {
setIsLoading(false);
}
};
fetchQuote();
}, [fetchTrigger]);
Purpose: Uses useEffect to fetch a random quote from the Quotable API on component mount and when fetchTrigger changes.
- Defines an async fetchQuote function inside useEffect to handle the API call.
- Sets isLoading to true, clears error, and resets quote and author before fetching.
- Uses axios.get to fetch a random quote from https://api.quotable.io/random.
- Updates quote and author with the response data (content and author).
- Catches errors, sets a user-friendly error message, and logs details to the console.
- Resets isLoading to false in the finally block.
- Runs fetchQuote on mount (initial render) and when fetchTrigger changes.
- useEffect teaches beginners how to handle side effects (API calls) in a controlled way, avoiding render-time execution.
- axios simplifies HTTP requests with automatic JSON parsing and robust error handling, ideal for beginners.
- The loading and error states ensure a smooth UX, aligning with React’s reactivity model.
- Side Effect Management: useEffect isolates the API call, aligning with React’s separation of rendering and side effects.
- Dependency Array: The [fetchTrigger] dependency ensures controlled fetches, reflecting React’s declarative effect management.
- Reactivity: State updates (setQuote, setAuthor) drive UI changes, embodying React’s state-driven UI.
- useEffect runs fetchQuote on mount (empty dependency array initially) and when fetchTrigger changes.
- axios.get sends a GET request to the Quotable API, returning a promise with the response.
- response.data contains the parsed JSON ({ content, author, ... }).
- The try/catch block handles network or API errors.
- finally ensures isLoading resets after every fetch attempt.
- The dependency array [fetchTrigger] ensures fetches only run when triggered.
- Network Errors: Failed fetches (e.g., no internet) are caught, setting an error message.
- Invalid Response: If the API returns unexpected data (e.g., missing content), the try block assumes a valid structure. Production code should validate further.
- Rapid Triggers: Multiple setFetchTrigger calls queue fetches, but the isLoading state disables the button during fetches.
- Unmount During Fetch: If the component unmounts during a fetch, useEffect cleanup isn’t needed here since axios cancels automatically in modern setups.
- Define async functions inside useEffect to keep them scoped.
- Use a dependency array to control effect execution.
- Handle errors with try/catch and provide user-friendly messages.
- Reset state (quote, author) before fetches to avoid stale data.
- Use finally for consistent cleanup.
- Running async code directly in useEffect (without a wrapper function) causes promise errors.
- Omitting the dependency array causes infinite fetch loops.
- Missing error handling risks uncaught promise rejections.
- Not resetting state before fetches risks displaying stale data.
const handleNewQuote = () => {
setFetchTrigger((prev) => prev + 1);
};
Purpose: Defines the handleNewQuote function to trigger a new API fetch when the “Get New Quote” button is clicked.
- Declares handleNewQuote as a function that increments fetchTrigger using a functional update.
- The fetchTrigger change triggers the useEffect hook to fetch a new quote.
- Event-driven fetching teaches beginners how to tie user actions (button clicks) to side effects (API calls).
- The functional update (prev => prev + 1) ensures safe state updates, avoiding race conditions.
- This approach decouples the button logic from the fetch, keeping the code modular.
- Event Handling: The button’s onClick uses React’s synthetic event system, ensuring cross-browser compatibility.
- Controlled Effects: Updating fetchTrigger to trigger useEffect aligns with React’s controlled side-effect model.
- Reactivity: The state change drives the fetch, which updates the UI, embodying React’s reactive paradigm.
- setFetchTrigger((prev) => prev + 1) uses a functional update to safely increment the state.
- The function is simple, focusing solely on triggering the effect.
- Rapid Clicks: Multiple clicks during a fetch are mitigated by disabling the button when isLoading is true.
- Stale Closures: The functional update avoids stale state issues, ensuring reliable increments.
- Use functional updates for state changes that depend on the previous state.
- Keep event handlers focused and simple (e.g., only update fetchTrigger).
- Disable buttons during async operations to prevent duplicate requests.
- Using setFetchTrigger(fetchTrigger + 1) risks stale state in rapid updates.
- Overcomplicating the handler with fetch logic reduces modularity.
- Not disabling the button during fetches risks multiple simultaneous requests.
return (
<div style={{ padding: '20px', fontFamily: 'Arial', maxWidth: '600px', margin: '0 auto' }}>
<h1>Random Quote Generator</h1>
{isLoading && <p>Loading quote...</p>}
{error && <p style={{ color: 'red' }}>{error}</p>}
{quote && author && (
<div style={{ margin: '20px 0' }}>
<p style={{ fontStyle: 'italic', fontSize: '1.2em' }}>"{quote}"</p>
<p style={{ fontWeight: 'bold' }}>- {author}</p>
</div>
)}
{!isLoading && !error && !quote && (
<p>No quote available. Click below to fetch one!</p>
)}
<button
onClick={handleNewQuote}
style={{ padding: '10px 20px', cursor: 'pointer' }}
disabled={isLoading}
>
Get New Quote
</button>
</div>
);
}
Purpose: Renders the quote, author, loading state, error messages, and a button to fetch new quotes based on component state.
- Renders a div with a title, conditional UI elements for loading, errors, and quotes, and a button to fetch new quotes.
- Conditionally displays a loading message (isLoading), an error message (error), a quote and author (quote && author), or a “no quote” message.
- The button triggers handleNewQuote and is disabled during fetches (isLoading).
- Conditional rendering teaches beginners how to handle multiple UI states (loading, error, success, empty).
- The disabled button improves UX by preventing duplicate fetches.
- The example demonstrates how state drives the UI, a core React concept.
- Declarative Rendering: The UI reflects state (quote, author, isLoading, error) declaratively.
- Reconciliation: React efficiently updates the DOM based on state changes.
- Event Handling: The button’s onClick integrates with React’s synthetic events.
- The div uses inline styles for simplicity (e.g., centering with maxWidth and margin).
- Conditional rendering uses && to show messages or the quote/author pair.
- The quote && author check ensures both are present before rendering.
- The button uses disabled={isLoading} to prevent clicks during fetches.
- Inline styles provide basic formatting (e.g., italic for quotes, bold for author).
- Missing Data: If only quote or author is set, the quote && author check prevents partial rendering.
- Empty State: The !isLoading && !error && !quote condition handles the initial state or failed fetches.
- Accessibility: The button lacks ARIA attributes for screen readers, which should be added in production.
- Use conditional rendering to handle all UI states (loading, error, success, empty).
- Disable buttons during async operations to prevent duplicate requests.
- Use clear, semantic styling (e.g., italic for quotes) for readability.
- Ensure accessibility with disabled attributes and future ARIA enhancements.
- Rendering partial data (e.g., quote without author) risks incomplete UI.
- Not handling empty states leads to blank UI.
- Omitting disabled on the button risks multiple simultaneous fetches.
- Axios Integration: axios.get simplifies API requests with automatic JSON parsing and error handling.
- Effect Management: useEffect controls fetches on mount and button clicks, teaching side-effect handling.
- State-Driven UI: Multiple states (quote, author, isLoading, error) drive the UI reactively.
- Event-Driven Fetching: The button triggers fetches via fetchTrigger, demonstrating controlled side effects.
- Beginner-Friendly: The example uses simple concepts (state, effects, events) in an engaging context (quotes).
- Uncontrolled Effects: The fetchTrigger dependency prevents infinite fetch loops.
- Uncaught Errors: The try/catch block ensures robust error handling.
- Duplicate Fetches: The disabled button prevents multiple simultaneous requests.
- Incomplete Rendering: Conditional checks (quote && author) avoid partial UI.
- API Rate Limits: Check the Quotable API’s rate limits and add retry logic if needed.
- Performance: Use useCallback for fetchQuote in complex apps to avoid recreating the function.
- Accessibility: Add ARIA attributes (e.g., aria-busy during loading) and focus management.
- Styling: Replace inline styles with a CSS framework (e.g., Tailwind) for maintainability.
- Testing: Use React Testing Library with axios-mock-adapter to test fetching and rendering.
- Error Details: Provide specific error messages (e.g., network vs. API errors) for better UX.
This example builds a strong foundation for beginners, introducing axios, useEffect, and event-driven fetching in an engaging, quote-based context. It aligns with React’s theoretical principles (reactivity, side-effect management) while preparing learners for advanced patterns like debouncing or API authentication.
Task: Create a component that fetches a random quote from a specific category (e.g., inspiration, wisdom) using axios when the user clicks a button to select the category. Display the quote and author with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState to track the selected category and quote data. Trigger an axios.get request with a query parameter (e.g., ?category=inspiration) when a category button is clicked. Show a loading state and handle errors with .catch().
Try It Yourself
Task: Build a component that fetches a random quote using axios when the user clicks a button and automatically refreshes the quote every 10 seconds. Display the quote and author with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState for the quote and loading state, and useEffect with setInterval to trigger axios.get every 10 seconds. Clear the interval on component unmount to prevent memory leaks. Include a button for manual fetching.
Try It Yourself
Task: Develop a component that fetches a random quote using axios when the user clicks a button. If the request fails, automatically retry up to 2 times before showing an error message. Display the quote and author with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState for the quote, loading state, and retry count. In the axios.get logic, use a try/catch block and retry the request if it fails, up to 2 times. Display an error message if all retries fail.
Try It Yourself
Task: Create a component that fetches a random quote using axios from one of two endpoints (e.g., primary or secondary quote API) based on a user-selected preference via a toggle button. Display the quote and author with a loading state.
Hint: Use useState to track the selected endpoint and quote data. Trigger an axios.get request to the chosen endpoint (e.g., /comments or /posts) when the user clicks a “Get Quote” button. Update the endpoint with a toggle button.
Try It Yourself
Task: Build a component that fetches multiple random quotes (e.g., 3 quotes) using axios when the user clicks a button. Display all quotes with their authors in a list, with a loading state during the request.
Hint: Use useState for the quote list and loading state. Make multiple axios.get requests (or use a single request with a higher limit) when the button is clicked. Render the quotes as a list with unique keys and handle errors with .catch().
Try It Yourself
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