Is it okay to use one file in a time-limited React interview?
Yes, often. In a short interview, putting everything in a few files is fine. Do not over-split into a full folder structure. Clarity beats architectural purity under time pressure, and one file is easier to navigate in a fix.
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More FAQs in How to Structure React Code Under Time Pressure
Start simple, split by visible component, keep state local initially, avoid premature abstraction, and use clear names. Do not pre-structure for an imagined future in a 90-minute round. A working app beats a well-architected half-built one.
Only when it directly helps you build the next feature faster. Do not refactor for its own sake. Each refactor costs time, and in a 90-minute round, time is your scarcest resource.
Split by visible UI boundaries: header, sidebar, list, modal. Visible splits are easy to reason about and help you keep state in the right place, without elaborate architecture.
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