Difference in States and Props in React JS

When working with React JS, it’s important to understand the difference between states and props. While they both serve as sources of data, they are used in different ways and have different purposes.

States

In React JS, a state is a built-in object that stores data that affects how a component renders and behaves. It is used for managing component-specific data that can change over time. When a state is updated, the component is re-rendered to reflect the new state.

States are initialized within the constructor of a component using this.state and are updated using this.setState() method. It is this ability to be updated and re-rendered that makes states suitable for handling interactive functionality within components.

Props

Props, short for properties, are used for passing data from a parent component to a child component. They are read-only and cannot be modified within the child component. Props are often used to customize the behavior or appearance of a component and are specified as attributes in JSX.

Unlike states, which are internal to a component, props are “owned” by the parent component and are passed down to its children. This makes props suitable for passing data from a component that has access to a data source to its child components, allowing for data to be shared across the application.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between states and props is crucial for developing React applications. States are used for managing component-specific data that can change over time, while props are used for passing data from a parent component to a child component. Both are important concepts in React JS and mastering their usage is key to building robust and maintainable applications.