# React Hooks (React / Next.js)

> useState, useEffect, useContext, useRef, useCallback, useMemo, custom hooks

- 22 interview questions
- Junior
- [Interview Questions: React / Next.js](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions.md)

## 1. What is the useState hook in React?

**Answer**

useState is a React hook that manages local state in a functional component. Unlike regular JavaScript variables that are reset on every render, useState preserves the state value between successive renders. This hook returns an array containing the current state value and a function to update it, automatically triggering a component re-render when the state changes.

## 2. What is the correct syntax to declare state with useState?

**Answer**

The correct syntax uses array destructuring to extract the state value and its update function. By convention, the update function is prefixed with 'set' followed by the state variable name in camelCase. This convention improves code readability and is widely adopted in the React community. The order of elements in the array returned by useState is always the same: current value first, update function second.

## 3. What happens when calling a state update function?

**Answer**

When a state update function is called, React schedules a new component render with the new state value. The update is not immediate but asynchronous, meaning the state value is not modified instantly after the call. React batches multiple state updates to optimize performance and avoid triggering unnecessary renders. This batching strategy significantly improves application performance.

## 19 more questions available

- How to update state based on its previous value?
- Can multiple useState hooks be used in the same component?

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## Other React / Next.js interview topics

- [JavaScript Essentials](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/javascript-essentials.md): 25 questions, Junior
- [React Fundamentals](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-fundamentals.md): 20 questions, Junior
- [Component Lifecycle](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/component-lifecycle.md): 18 questions, Junior
- [React Router](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-router.md): 20 questions, Junior
- [State Management with Context](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/state-management-context.md): 18 questions, Junior
- [Forms & Controlled Components](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/forms-controlled-components.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Data Fetching & API](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/fetching-data-api.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [React Query (TanStack Query)](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-query-tanstack.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Styling & CSS-in-JS](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/styling-css-in-js.md): 18 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Fundamentals](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-fundamentals.md): 25 questions, Mid-Level
- [TypeScript with React](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/typescript-react.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Data Fetching](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-data-fetching.md): 24 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Server Actions](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-server-actions.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Routing & Navigation](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-routing-navigation.md): 22 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js API Routes](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-api-routes.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Metadata & SEO](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-metadata-seo.md): 18 questions, Mid-Level
- [Next.js Middleware & Auth](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-middleware-auth.md): 22 questions, Mid-Level
- [React Testing](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-testing.md): 20 questions, Mid-Level
- [Zustand State Management](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/zustand-state-management.md): 18 questions, Mid-Level
- [React Performance Optimization](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-performance-optimization.md): 22 questions, Senior
- [Error Boundaries & Error Handling](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-error-boundaries.md): 18 questions, Senior
- [Advanced React Patterns](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/advanced-react-patterns.md): 20 questions, Senior
- [Next.js Advanced Features](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-advanced-features.md): 24 questions, Senior
- [Next.js Deployment & Production](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-deployment-production.md): 20 questions, Senior
- [Architecture & Design Patterns](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-architecture-patterns.md): 22 questions, Senior
- [React Server Components](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-server-components.md): 26 questions, Senior
- [Next.js Internationalization](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/nextjs-internationalization.md): 20 questions, Senior
- [React Security & Best Practices](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/react-next/interview-questions/react-security-best-practices.md): 22 questions, Senior

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