Global State
Global state is a software design pattern where application data is stored in a centralized location accessible by multiple components or modules, enabling shared state management across an entire application. It allows different parts of an application to read and update the same data without direct prop drilling or complex event handling, improving data consistency and reducing coupling. This concept is commonly implemented in frontend frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular to manage user interface state, authentication, or theme settings.
Developers should use global state when building applications with complex data flows, such as single-page applications (SPAs) or large-scale web apps, where multiple components need access to shared data like user sessions, shopping carts, or real-time updates. It simplifies state management by avoiding prop drilling and making state changes predictable, which is crucial for debugging and maintaining scalable codebases. For example, in a React app with Redux, global state ensures that user authentication status is consistently available across all components.