Redux is a popular library for managing the global state of JavaScript applications, including React applications. It provides a predictable and structured architecture for handling complex states, making your application easier to understand, debug, and test. In this section, we will learn how to integrate Redux into a React application and how to manage the global state using this powerful tool.

What is Redux?

Redux is based on three fundamental principles:

1. Single state tree: The entire application has a unique state object that is stored in a "store."
2. State is read-only: The only way to change the state is to emit an action, an object describing what happened.
3. Changes are made with pure functions: To specify how the state changes in response to an action, pure functions called "reducers" are used.

Installing Redux and React-Redux

To start using Redux in your React application, you first need to install the necessary libraries:

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Store Configuration

A "store" in Redux is the only place where the application state is stored. It can be created using Redux’s createStore function.

Basic Example:

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Store Provider

Provider is a component from react-redux that makes the Redux store available to your entire application. We wrap our application structure within this component.

Example:

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Connecting Components to Redux

To connect React components to the Redux store, we use the useSelector and useDispatch hooks from react-redux.

Example of Connected Component:

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In this example:

• useSelector is used to extract the value of count from the store state.
• useDispatch is used to dispatch actions to the store.

Actions and Reducers

Actions are objects that describe a state change in the application, and reducers specify how the state changes when an action is received.

Example of Actions and Reducers:

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Advantages of Using Redux

1. Centralized State: All application state is stored in a single tree, making management and debugging easier.
2. Predictable: Redux architecture makes your application behavior more predictable and easier to understand.
3. Debugging Tools: Redux DevTools provides powerful tools for inspecting and debugging the application state.
4. Scalability: It facilitates scalability of large applications thanks to its clear and modular structure.

Considerations and Best Practices

1. Maintain Simplicity: It's not necessary to use Redux for small applications where useState and useContext would suffice.
2. Clear Actions: Keep actions clear and descriptive to facilitate maintenance and debugging.
3. State Normalization: Structure the state in a way that is easy to update and maintain, avoiding deep nesting.

Redux provides a robust and scalable way to handle state in React applications. In the next section, we will explore the internal components of Redux more deeply, specifically Actions, Reducers, and the Store in Redux.