Akanksha Patel’s Post

Recently, I revisited some of my earlier React projects and decided to finally share them. Here are a few projects I built while learning: 🔹 To-Do List App A modern task manager with drag-and-drop, dark mode, filtering, and local storage support. 🔹 Weather Dashboard Fetches real-time weather data (temperature, wind speed, conditions) using OpenWeather API. 🔹 FlipMind A card-matching game with smooth animations and responsive design. 🔹 QuoteCraft A minimal quote generator with a clean and simple UI. These projects helped me strengthen my fundamentals in React, state management, and working with APIs. Links are in the comments 👇. #React #WebDevelopment #FrontendDevelopment #JavaScript #LearningJourney

✨ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 ⚛️🚀 Today I learned about the `𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁` 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, and more importantly, 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁. While working with React, I noticed that components are mainly for rendering UI. But sometimes we need to do things outside rendering — like fetching data, setting up timers, or updating something after the UI changes. That’s where `𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁` comes in. It lets us handle these 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 in a clean and controlled way. What I found interesting is how it runs after render and can depend on specific values. Instead of mixing everything together, React separates 𝗨𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 from 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀, which makes the code easier to understand and manage. Starting to see how React keeps things structured as apps grow 💻⚡ #ReactJS #JavaScript #WebDevelopment #LearningJourney #FrontendDevelopment

Stop using useEffect for everything. These React hooks exist. Most devs forget them. useMemo — cache expensive calculations. You're recalculating on every render. useMemo only runs when dependencies change. Big performance win. useCallback — stable function references. Passing functions as props without this? You're creating a new function every render and breaking React.memo. useReducer — built-in state management. When useState gets messy with 3+ related values, useReducer brings order. Think Redux, but already in React. useRef — more than just DOM refs. Store any mutable value that persists across renders without triggering a re-render. Timers, previous values, flags. useId — SSR-safe unique IDs. Generating IDs for labels and inputs? useId handles unique IDs automatically, even with server-side rendering. Most devs reach for useState and useEffect for everything, then wonder why their app feels slow. The hooks are already there. You just have to use them. Which hook do you wish you'd learned earlier? Drop it below 👇 #React #JavaScript #WebDevelopment #Frontend #TypeScript

Where to Start with Next.js? Starting your journey with Next.js might feel confusing at first — but it’s actually simple when you follow the right steps! ✨ Step 1: Learn the Basics Make sure you understand HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Knowing React is a big plus! ⚙️ Step 2: Set Up Your Environment Install Node.js, then create your app with: npx create-next-app@latest 📁 Step 3: Understand the Structure Explore folders like pages, app, and components to see how everything works. 🌐 Step 4: Learn Routing Next.js has built-in routing — just create files, and routes are ready! 🚀 Step 5: Build Small Projects Start with a simple blog, portfolio, or landing page to practice. 💡 Step 6: Explore Advanced Features Learn about Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Static Site Generation (SSG), and API routes. 🔥 The best way to learn Next.js is by building. Don’t wait for perfection — just start coding! 💬 So, when are you starting your Next.js journey? #NextJS #React #WebDevelopment #Coding #LearnToCode

Why React Apps Feel So Fast (Hint: It’s NOT the DOM) When I first started learning React, I thought: “It directly updates the DOM efficiently.” But that’s not the real magic. The real hero? → Virtual DOM Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ React creates a Virtual DOM (a lightweight copy of the real DOM) 2️⃣ When state changes, React creates a new Virtual DOM 3️⃣ It compares the old vs new (this is called diffing) 4️⃣ Only the changed parts are updated in the real DOM (reconciliation) Result: Instead of reloading the entire page, React updates ONLY what changed. Think of it like this: Imagine updating a document: Rewrite the whole file Just edit the changed lines React chooses the second approach Why this matters: • Better performance • Smoother UI updates • Scalable applications One thing I realized: React is not “fast because of DOM” It’s fast because it avoids unnecessary DOM work If you're learning frontend, understanding this concept changes how you think about UI updates. What was your “aha moment” while learning React? #React #WebDevelopment #Frontend #JavaScript #CodingJourney

Day 14 - React.memo (Stop Unnecessary Re-renders) One of the biggest reasons React apps become slow is something most developers ignore: Unnecessary re-renders. Even when nothing changes, components keep re-rendering and that directly affects performance. That’s where React.memo helps. What React.memo does: • Prevents re-rendering when props don’t change • Improves performance in large applications • Helps optimize expensive components • Works using shallow comparison of props Simple idea: Without React.memo → Component re-renders every time parent renders With React.memo → Component re-renders only when props change When should you use it? • Large components • Lists with many items • Performance-critical UI parts • Components with expensive calculations Important note: Don’t use React.memo everywhere. Unnecessary memoization can actually hurt performance. Key takeaway: Optimization is not about using every tool it’s about using the right tool at the right place. Next, we’ll dive into useMemo and useCallback and how they help in real-world optimization. #Day14 #ReactJS #Performance #WebDevelopment #Frontend #JavaScript #Developers #Coding #LearningInPublic

Project 6/25 — QuizApp (This is where I moved from JavaScript to React) After getting comfortable with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I felt ready to try a framework. I chose React. At the time, concepts like props, state, and re-rendering were completely new to me — but I wanted to understand how modern frontend applications are built. So I built a Quiz App. This project was my first real experience with: • Managing state using useState (score, screen flow, user data) • Passing data between components using props • Structuring an app into reusable components (Start, Quiz, Restart) • Controlling UI flow (start → quiz → result) • Using timing/interval logic for user interaction One thing that stood out to me was how React changes your thinking: Instead of manually updating the DOM, you focus on state — and the UI updates automatically. Looking back, this was the project that helped me understand how frontend applications are actually structured. Live demo: https://lnkd.in/dN7eJ_Hb If you’re learning React, what concept was hardest for you at the beginning? #React #FrontendDevelopment #WebDevelopment #BuildInPublic #Project25

⚛️ Still confused about React hooks? Most beginners use hooks… but don’t actually understand when to use them — and that’s where things break. Let’s fix that. 🔹 useState → Your component’s memory Think counters, form inputs, toggles Every update = re-render 🔹 useEffect → Runs after your UI updates Perfect for API calls, subscriptions, DOM changes This is where your side logic lives 🔹 useMemo → Your performance booster Avoid recalculating heavy stuff again & again Only runs when dependencies change 💡 The real trick isn’t knowing hooks… It’s knowing which hook solves which problem. Because: 👉 Bad hook usage = messy code + slow app 👉 Smart hook usage = clean logic + smooth performance If you master this, React suddenly feels easy 🚀 #ReactJS #Frontend #WebDevelopment #JavaScript #ReactHooks #Developers

⚛️ Still confused about React hooks? Most beginners use hooks… but don’t actually understand when to use them — and that’s where things break. Let’s fix that. 🔹 useState → Your component’s memory Think counters, form inputs, toggles Every update = re-render 🔹 useEffect → Runs after your UI updates Perfect for API calls, subscriptions, DOM changes This is where your side logic lives 🔹 useMemo → Your performance booster Avoid recalculating heavy stuff again & again Only runs when dependencies change 💡 The real trick isn’t knowing hooks… It’s knowing which hook solves which problem. Because: 👉 Bad hook usage = messy code + slow app 👉 Smart hook usage = clean logic + smooth performance If you master this, React suddenly feels easy 🚀 #ReactJS #Frontend #WebDevelopment #JavaScript #ReactHooks #Developers

I recently completed a project focused on building and enhancing a Simple Todos app. This project was a great way to dive deeper into React state management, conditional rendering, and dynamic UI updates. Key features I implemented: ✅ Dynamic Task Creation: Added a text input and "Add" button to create tasks on the fly. ✅ Bulk Task Entry: Built a smart "Multi-Add" feature automatically generates three separate entries. ✅ In-Place Editing: Implemented an "Edit/Save" toggle for each item, allowing users to update titles without leaving the list. ✅ Task Completion: Added checkboxes with a persistent strike-through effect to track progress. ✅ Stateful Deletion: Ensured a smooth user experience when removing items from the list. This project pushed me to think about component structure, reusable props, and clean UI logic in React. Check out the implementation here: https://lnkd.in/dtG46cwU #Day97 #ReactJS #WebDevelopment #Frontend #JavaScript #CodingProject #LearnToCode #ReactComponents #NodeJS #ExpressJS #BackendDevelopment #WebDevelopment #NxtWave #LearningJourney #TechAchievement