React Reference Guide: Hooks API

React Hooks, introduced in version 16.8, allow developers to use state and other React features within functional components, eliminating the need for class components. The core Hooks include useState, useEffect, and useContext, which manage state and side effects and provide access to context, respectively. useState facilitates both direct and functional updates of state values, with functional updates particularly useful when new state depends on previous state. useEffect manages side effects like subscriptions, with optional cleanup functions and dependency arrays to control when effects run. useContext accesses context values and triggers re-renders when those values change. Additional Hooks like useReducer, useCallback, and useMemo provide more advanced state management and performance optimization by allowing complex state logic, memoizing callbacks, and avoiding unnecessary recalculations. useRef and useImperativeHandle help manage mutable objects and customize ref instances, while useLayoutEffect synchronously executes code after DOM updates. useDebugValue aids in debugging by labeling custom Hooks in React DevTools. These Hooks collectively enhance React by introducing functional programming concepts and optimizing performance, allowing developers to build more efficient and maintainable applications.