Legacy vs Current React

Legacy React vs Current React: A Comparison

React has evolved significantly since its earlier days. Below is a table highlighting the key differences between Legacy React (before Hooks) and Current React (React 16.8+ and beyond):

Feature / Aspect Legacy React (Pre React 16.8) Current React (React 16.8 and above)
Component Types Class components only for state & lifecycle Functional components with Hooks
State Management this.state, this.setState() useState, useReducer
Lifecycle Methods componentDidMount, componentDidUpdate, etc. useEffect replaces many lifecycle methods
Hooks Not available Introduced in React 16.8 (useState, useEffect, etc.)
Rendering Manual control via lifecycle methods More declarative with hooks
Context API Verbose and harder to use Simplified and hook-compatible (useContext)
Refs React.createRef() used only in class components useRef available in functional components
Code Splitting Manual setup required Built-in support with React.lazy, Suspense
Concurrent Features Not supported Supported in modern React (Concurrent Mode, startTransition)
JSX Transform Requires React in scope New JSX transform (React 17+) removes this need
Strict Mode Enhancements Limited Better dev-time checks with React.StrictMode
Testing & Tooling Basic tooling support Advanced dev tools, testing libraries optimized for hooks
Performance Optimizations Manual shouldComponentUpdate, PureComponent React.memo, useMemo, useCallback for fine control
Server Components (Emerging) Not available Supported (experimental/gradual adoption)

As you can see, the evolution of React has greatly simplified development while increasing flexibility and performance. Embracing modern React practices helps build more maintainable and efficient applications.

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