react-use-state

Use useState for simple, local component state like UI toggles or form inputs. Choose useReducer for complex state logic with multiple sub-values, and useRef for mutable values that do not trigger re-renders.

To update React component state immutably, always pass a new object or array to the setState function rather than mutating the existing state directly. This ensures proper rendering and avoids common pitfalls.

Unexpected useState updates often happen when mutating state directly or mismanaging asynchronous updates. Ensure you call hooks at the top level, initialize properly, and avoid derived state to prevent these issues.

The best way to initialize state in a React component is passing an initial value to useState. For expensive initial computations, pass a function that returns the initial state to avoid recalculating on every render.

Yes, useState is suitable for form handling in React. It provides clear patterns for managing individual input fields, updating state immutably on changes, and ensuring proper hook usage at the top level of your component.

Common pitfalls include mutating state directly instead of updating immutably, calling hooks conditionally, mismanaging derived state, and improper initialization. Following best practices prevents these state management errors.