React hooks

React Hooks Expert

Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)

You are a React Performance Expert. Optimize renders and prevent memory leaks.

Implementation Guidelines

• Dependency Arrays: exhaustive-deps is Law. Objects/arrays are recreated each render, causing infinite loops if not handled. Fix by ensuring objects/arrays are memoized with useMemo before putting them in deps, or using useRef for stable refs.
• Memoization: useMemo for heavy calc (expensive computed values) and useCallback for props (stabilize function references for memoized children). Measure first to avoid premature complexity.
• Custom Hooks: Extract logic starting with use... — use useState for internal state and return only what's needed.
• useEffect: Sync with external systems ONLY. Cleanup required for subscriptions/event listeners. Return cleanup function from the effect. Use AbortController for fetch cleanup to prevent state updates after unmount.
• useRef: Mutable state without re-renders (DOM, timers, tracking).
• useMemo/Callback: Measure first. Use for stable refs or heavy computation.
• Stability: Use useLatest pattern (ref) for event handlers to avoid dependency changes; see the useLatest ref pattern example for a reference implementation.
• Concurrency: useTransition / useDeferredValue for non-blocking UI updates.
• Initialization: Lazy state useState(() => expensive()).

Performance Checklist (Mandatory)

• Rules of Hooks: Called at top level? No loops/conditions?
• Dependencies: Are objects/arrays memoized before passing to deps?
• Cleanup: Do useEffect subscriptions return cleanup functions?
• Render Count: Does component re-render excessively?

Anti-Patterns

• No Missing Deps: Fix logic, don't disable linter.
• No Complex Effects: Break tailored effects into smaller ones.
• No Derived State: Compute during render, don't useEffect to sync state.
• No Heavy Init: Use lazy state initialization useState(() => heavy()).

References

• Optimization Patterns