How to Use useState for State Management

With the introduction of React Hooks in React 16.8, managing component state has become much simpler. Before Hooks, class components were required for handling state, using this.state and setState. Now, with the useState Hook, functional components can manage state just as effectively—without the extra complexity.

In this post, we’ll explore how useState works, how it replaces this.state in class components, and its most common use cases like counters, toggles, and form states.


Replacing Class-Based this.state with useState

The Class Component Approach

Before Hooks, we had to define state in a class component, using the constructor method:

class Counter extends React.Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);
    this.state = { count: 0 };
  }

  increment = () => {
    this.setState({ count: this.state.count + 1 });
  };

  render() {
    return (
      <div>
        <p>Count: {this.state.count}</p>
        <button onClick={this.increment}>Increment</button>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

While this works fine, it requires extra boilerplate like constructorthis.state, and binding methods.

The Functional Component Approach with useState

With Hooks, we can achieve the same functionality in a much simpler way:

import React, { useState } from "react";

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  return (
    <div>
      <p>Count: {count}</p>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Increment</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Differences:

– No need for this.state or setState.
– No need for a constructor.
– The state update function (setCount) is available directly in the component.

The useState Hook returns an array where:

  • The first value (count) is the current state.
  • The second value (setCount) is a function to update the state.

Common Use Cases of useState

1. Counter (Basic Numeric State Management)

The counter example above is a great demonstration of how useState manages numeric state.

2. Toggle Button (Boolean State Management)

A common UI pattern is a toggle button that switches between two states:

function Toggle() {
  const [isOn, setIsOn] = useState(false);

  return (
    <button onClick={() => setIsOn(!isOn)}>
      {isOn ? "ON" : "OFF"}
    </button>
  );
}

Here, useState manages a boolean state, switching between true and false on each button click.

3. Form State Management

Forms often need to track multiple pieces of state, such as input values:

function FormExample() {
  const [name, setName] = useState("");

  return (
    <form>
      <input
        type="text"
        value={name}
        onChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)}
        placeholder="Enter your name"
      />
      <p>Your name: {name}</p>
    </form>
  );
}

Whenever the user types into the input field, setName updates the state, causing the component to re-render and display the new value.


Wrapping Up

The useState Hook makes managing state in functional components much simpler and more intuitive. It eliminates the need for class-based state management while maintaining full reactivity.

Why Use useState Instead of Classes?

– Less Boilerplate – No need for constructors, this, or bind calls.
– Easier to Read & Maintain – State updates happen in a clear, declarative way.
– More Reusable Logic – Hooks make it easier to share stateful logic across multiple components (e.g., with custom hooks).

Now that you understand useState, you might want to explore:
🔹 useEffect for handling side effects
🔹 Using useReducer for more complex state management
🔹 Creating custom hooks for reusable state logic

Hooks are just getting started, and the possibilities are endless! 🚀

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