React JS Global State

React JS Global State

React JS Global State: Managing state is a fundamental aspect of building dynamic applications, and choosing between local state and global state can significantly impact the performance and scalability of your project. While local state is suitable for component-specific data, there are situations where global state becomes essential for effective data sharing and management.

In this post, we'll explore the recommended use cases for global state with real-world examples to clarify when and why you should use it.

What is Global State?

Global state refers to a centralized data store that can be accessed and updated from any component in your application. It’s especially useful when data needs to be shared across multiple components or when you require consistent state management throughout the app.

Libraries like Redux, Context API (React), or Zustand are commonly used to implement global state.

Applications like chat systems, shared workspaces, or live dashboards require real-time updates shared across multiple components.

When to Use Global State

1. User Authentication and Authorization

Why Use Global State?

Authentication status and user details are required across multiple components in most applications, such as navigation bars, protected routes, and profile pages. Managing this data locally would lead to code duplication and potential inconsistencies.

In an e-commerce app:

• Global State Stores: User token, roles, and permissions.

• Usage Across Components:

  • Navbar: Display the user's name and profile picture.

  • Protected Routes: Redirect unauthenticated users to the login page.

  • Checkout Page: Autofill shipping information based on user details.

Shopping Cart Management

Why Use Global State?

A shopping cart’s contents are typically accessed and updated by multiple components, including the product listing page, cart page, and checkout page. A global state ensures consistent cart data across the app. In a food delivery app:

• Global State Stores: Items in the cart, quantities, total price.

• Usage Across Components:

  • Product Listing Page: Add items to the cart.

  • Cart Summary Component: Display the number of items and total price.

  • Checkout Page: Retrieve the cart data to generate an order.

Application-Wide Notifications

Why Use Global State?

Notifications, alerts, and messages need to be displayed across different components. Centralizing notification state ensures consistency and simplifies management.

In a project management tool:

• Global State Stores: Notification messages and types (e.g., success, error, info).

• Usage Across Components:

  • Task Management Page: Notify users about successful task completion.

  • User Profile Page: Alert when changes are saved.

  • Sidebar: Display notification count.

When NOT to Use Global State

While global state is powerful, overusing it can lead to unnecessary complexity. Avoid using global state for:

• Component-specific states like form inputs or modal visibility.

• Data that doesn’t need to be shared or reused elsewhere.

Best Practices for Global State Management

Choose the Right Tool: Use lightweight libraries like  Context API (React) for smaller apps and Redux for large-scale projects.

Keep It Minimal: Only store data in global state if it needs to be shared across multiple components.

Organize State Properly: Group related data logically to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

Global state is a powerful tool that simplifies the development of complex applications. Use it strategically for scenarios like authentication, shopping carts, notifications, UI preferences, and real-time collaboration. By understanding when to use global state, you can build applications that are not only scalable but also maintainable.