Functional Components
Functional components are a type of component in React and similar JavaScript frameworks that are defined as JavaScript functions, typically using arrow functions or function declarations. They accept props as an argument and return JSX to describe the UI, and with the introduction of Hooks in React 16.8, they can manage state and side effects, making them fully capable replacements for class components. This approach promotes a simpler, more declarative coding style and aligns with functional programming principles.
Developers should learn functional components because they are now the standard and recommended way to build components in React, offering cleaner syntax, better performance optimizations like memoization with React.memo, and easier testing due to their pure function nature. They are essential for modern React development, especially when using Hooks for state management (useState), side effects (useEffect), and context (useContext), making them ideal for building scalable, maintainable user interfaces in applications ranging from small projects to large enterprise systems.