Creating React contexts for fun and profit

React's Context API has evolved from its initial, unofficial version to a more user-friendly tool designed to streamline state management in applications. Initially, shared state had to be passed down through component trees, which was cumbersome and led developers to use unofficial features like the Context API, despite its clunky nature and warnings against its use. The revamped Context API, introduced in React 16.3.0, along with Hooks in 16.8, allows developers to manage shared state more efficiently using context providers and consumers. Contexts act as shortcuts in React, enabling data to be accessed without prop drilling, which is particularly useful for shared states like language settings or theme colors. The article discusses best practices for using the Context API, such as employing a single-file structure that exposes only a context provider and a consumer hook, avoiding default values to ensure proper usage, and optimizing with React's useMemo to prevent unnecessary re-renders. These enhancements make the Context API a powerful tool in React, though it remains underutilized according to the author.