How to implement Single Responsibility in React

Overview

The Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) is a key concept in software design that advocates for a component or module to have only one reason to change. In the context of React components, this principle becomes crucial for creating modular, maintainable, and scalable code.

What is Single Responsibility?

In React, the Single Responsibility Principle suggests that a component should have a singular purpose or responsibility. This means that a component should be responsible for one specific aspect of the application's functionality. When a component adheres to the SRP, it becomes easier to understand, test, and maintain.

Benefits of Single Responsibility in React Components

1. Clarity and Readability
   • Components with a single responsibility are easier to read and understand.
   • Each component's purpose is clear, leading to more maintainable code.
2. Reusability
   • Components with well-defined responsibilities can be reused in different parts of the application.
   • Encourages the creation of modular and portable code.
3. Testability
   • Unit testing becomes more straightforward when a component has a single responsibility.
   • Tests can focus on the specific functionality without interference from unrelated concerns.
4. Scalability
   • Components that follow SRP are more adaptable to changes in requirements.
   • Scalability is improved as new features can be added without affecting unrelated code.

Example

Imagine that we have the following file: userScreen.tsx

As we can see it takes care of too many things, so we are going to refactor it in the following files:

src/types/userType.tsx: here we will put the user type

src/services/fetchUser.tsx: in this file we will put the service of fetch user

src/hooks/useFetchUser.tsx: we will put here a custom hook to fetch the user and return the user state

src/components/errorFetching.tsx: here we will create a component for render the error component

And finally the userScreen.tsx looks like:

Conclusion

By adhering to the Single Responsibility Principle in React components, developers can create more modular, maintainable, and scalable applications. Each component focuses on a specific aspect of the application's functionality, leading to improved code quality and ease of development.