Exploring React State Management: A Deep Dive into Zedux and Redux
When it comes to managing state in React applications, developers are spoiled for choice. With numerous state libraries available, selecting the right one for your project can be a daunting task. In this article, we’ll delve into the features of Zedux, a relatively new state engine for React, and compare it to Redux, a popular state management library.
Investigating React State Options
Before we dive into Zedux, let’s take a quick look at some of the other React state management options available:
- Redux
- Hookstate
- Recoil
- Jotai
- Rematch
- Zustand
- MobX
- TanStack Query (formerly React Query)
- Valtio
- Akita
- Easy Peasy
In addition to using an external React state library, we can also utilize the built-in React Context API with Reducer or manage our data and state using GraphQL.
What is Zedux?
Zedux is a feature-rich, molecular state engine for React that was introduced in April 2023. It was designed to address some of the performance and maintenance issues associated with other React state management tools. Zedux boasts a composable store model wrapped in a dependency injection (DI)-driven atomic architecture, which sets it apart from other state management libraries.
Comparing Features: Zedux vs. Redux
Zedux and Redux share similar goals and methodologies, but there are some significant differences between these libraries. Let’s take a closer look at some specific aspects to see how Zedux and Redux differ.
Setup
Getting started with Zedux in a React project is relatively easy. The code required to set up a basic Zedux store is minimal, making it a significant advantage over Redux.
Build Architecture
Zedux and Redux differ in terms of build architecture. Redux follows the Elm architecture pattern, which consists of three separate parts: Model, View, and Update. Zedux, on the other hand, represents the state as a limited state machine, making it easier to define and manage.
Middleware
Zedux and Redux also vary in terms of their middleware. Zedux middleware can intercept actions, alter actors, and construct its own mini-state machines, whereas Redux enables features like log tracking, crash analysis reports, and action processing for asynchronous code.
Building an Application with Zedux
To demonstrate how state management works in a Zedux app, we’ll build a settlement-type application that showcases four main settlement types: Hamlet, Village, Town, and City. The app will have buttons for incrementing and decrementing each settlement by 1, an input field for adding people to our hypothetical plot of land, and a description of the type of settlement based on the population size.
Setting up the Project
To set up the project, we’ll create a new Next.js project, install the Zedux package, and create the necessary folders and files. We’ll then add the rest of the code to complete the application.
Comparing Apps Built with Zedux vs. Redux
We can build an identical app with Redux, but the codebase will be much larger due to the boilerplate and setup required. The Zedux setup, on the other hand, is much simpler and more straightforward, making it perfect for beginners.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explored the differences between Zedux and Redux and built a demo app using Zedux. While both state management libraries have their strengths and weaknesses, Zedux offers a simpler and more straightforward codebase and syntax, making it an attractive option for developers.