Why You Should Consider Zustand for React State Management

As developers, we are always on the lookout for efficient state management solutions in our React applications. State management is vital for building responsive and maintainable applications. While there are many libraries and frameworks available, Zustand has gained significant traction lately due to its simplicity, flexibility, and excellent performance. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using Zustand, how to implement it, and why it may be the right choice for your projects.

Understanding Zustand

Zustand is a small and fast state management library for React applications. The term “Zustand” translates to “state” in German, which is quite fitting for what this library offers. Developed by the creators of React Spring, Zustand stands out for its easy-to-use API and minimal boilerplate.

Key Features of Zustand

• Minimal Boilerplate: Zustand requires far less code compared to other state management libraries, making it easy to implement in existing or new applications.
• Flexible API: Zustand allows you to create stores with simple function calls. There are no complex setups — just create your store and use it directly in your components.
• Supports React’s Concurrent Mode: Being built with React’s concurrent features in mind ensures a smooth user experience.
• Scoped Stores: You can create multiple stores and manage them based on your application’s requirements.
• Lightweight: Zustand is smaller in size compared to popular alternatives like Redux, making your application’s bundle size more efficient.

Getting Started with Zustand

Before diving into implementation, let’s first set up Zustand in a React project. If you haven’t already, start a new React app. You can do this using Create React App:

npx create-react-app zustand-example

After setting up your project, navigate to the project directory and install Zustand:

npm install zustand

Creating a Store

Once you have Zustand installed, you can create your first store. Let’s create a simple counter store as an example:

import create from 'zustand';

const useStore = create((set) => ({
    count: 0,
    increment: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
    decrement: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count - 1 })),
}));

export default useStore;

In the above code:

• We imported the create function from Zustand.
• Then, we created a store using the create function, which initializes the count state and provides functions to increment and decrement the count.

Using the Store in Components

Next, let’s see how we can use our newly created store in our React components:

import React from 'react';
import useStore from './store';

const Counter = () => {
    const count = useStore((state) => state.count);
    const increment = useStore((state) => state.increment);
    const decrement = useStore((state) => state.decrement);

    return (
        

            
{count}
            Increase
            Decrease
        
    );
};

export default Counter;

Here’s a brief breakdown of what we did in the Counter component:

• We imported the useStore hook created in our store file.
• We used the hook to access the count, increment, and decrement functions.
• Finally, we created buttons to adjust the counter and display the current count.

Zustand vs. Other State Management Solutions

When compared to larger libraries such as Redux or MobX, Zustand has a clear advantage in terms of simplicity. Here are a few points to consider:

• Less Boilerplate: With Zustand, you won’t have to write action types, action creators, or reducers as you would with Redux. This reduces complexity and keeps your codebase clean.
• Synchronous Updates: Zustand updates state synchronously, which means you can perform multiple updates in one render cycle without any delays.
• No Context API Boilerplate: Zustand stores can be used without requiring the React Context API, streamlining the integration process.

Advanced Usage: Middleware and DevTools

Zustand allows developers to extend the base store functionality using middleware. For example, you can use the persist middleware to keep state between sessions or log actions for debugging.

Persist Middleware

To use the persist middleware, you would tweak your store as follows:

import create from 'zustand';
import { persist } from 'zustand/middleware';

const useStore = create(
    persist(
        (set) => ({
            count: 0,
            increment: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
            decrement: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count - 1 })),
        }),
        {
            name: 'counter-storage', // Name of the item in storage
        }
    )
);

export default useStore;

This adds persistence for the count state so that any changes are saved even when the page is refreshed.

Integrating Redux DevTools

If you’re used to monitoring your state changes via Redux DevTools, you can also enable it in Zustand:

import create from 'zustand';
import { devtools } from 'zustand/middleware';

const useStore = create(
    devtools((set) => ({
        count: 0,
        increment: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
        decrement: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count - 1 })),
    }))
);

export default useStore;

This integration will provide you with a seamless experience when monitoring your application’s state changes.

Testing Zustand Stores

Testing Zustand stores is straightforward because they are just functions. You can easily mock the store for unit tests using Jest or any testing framework of your preference.

import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
import { act } from 'react-dom/test-utils';
import create from 'zustand';
import MyComponent from './MyComponent'; // Your component that uses Zustand

const useStore = create(() => ({
    count: 0,
    increment: jest.fn(),
}));

test('it should render the count', () => {
    const { getByText } = render();
    
    expect(getByText('0')).toBeInTheDocument();

    act(() => {
        useStore.getState().increment();
    });

    expect(useStore.getState().increment).toHaveBeenCalled();
});

This snippet showcases how you can implement a simple test for a Zustand store integrated with React components.

Conclusion

Zustand presents an elegant solution for state management in React applications, offering a variety of features that simplify the development process. With minimal boilerplate, a flexible API, and support for middleware and debugging tools, Zustand stands out as a highly effective choice for many developers.

Whether you are building small projects or large applications, Zustand’s ease of use and performance will help you manage your state efficiently. Give it a try in your next React project and experience the positive difference it can make in your development process!

Further Reading

For more insights and documentation, check out the official Zustand GitHub repository: Zustand GitHub.

Happy coding!