Introduction

In this tutorial, we will dive into Redux Toolkit, a powerful set of tools designed to simplify the process of working with Redux. The goal is to reduce the amount of boilerplate code necessary in Redux applications, resulting in a more efficient, streamlined codebase.

You will learn:

• How to set up Redux Toolkit in your project
• The key concepts behind Redux Toolkit, such as slices and actions
• How to use Redux Toolkit to manage state in a practical example

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of JavaScript and React
• Familiarity with Redux (though not required, it will make understanding Redux Toolkit easier)

Step-by-Step Guide

Redux Toolkit Basics

Redux Toolkit provides several utilities that simplify many Redux patterns. The two main ones we'll be focusing on are configureStore and createSlice.

• configureStore simplifies the store setup process.
• createSlice automatically generates action creators and action types based on the reducers you define.

Setting up Redux Toolkit

First, install Redux Toolkit using npm or yarn:

npm install @reduxjs/toolkit
# or
yarn add @reduxjs/toolkit

Now, we can create our store. This is made simple with configureStore.

import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    // Your reducers will go here
  },
});

Creating a Slice

A "slice" represents a portion of the state. With createSlice, you define a name, initial state, and a set of reducer functions, and it gives you back an object with actions and a reducer.

import { createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

const counterSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'counter',
  initialState: 0,
  reducers: {
    increment: state => state + 1,
    decrement: state => state - 1,
  },
});

// Actions
export const { increment, decrement } = counterSlice.actions;

// Reducer
export default counterSlice.reducer;

Code Examples

Let's create a counter application using Redux Toolkit. We'll have a state that tracks a count, with actions to increment and decrement that count.

Step 1: First, we set up our store and slice.

// store.js
import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import counterReducer from './counterSlice';

export default configureStore({
  reducer: {
    counter: counterReducer,
  },
});

// counterSlice.js
import { createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

const counterSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'counter',
  initialState: 0,
  reducers: {
    increment: state => state + 1,
    decrement: state => state - 1,
  },
});

export const { increment, decrement } = counterSlice.actions;

export default counterSlice.reducer;

Step 2: Now, we can use these actions in our React component.

import React from 'react';
import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
import { increment, decrement } from './counterSlice';

function Counter() {
  const count = useSelector(state => state.counter);
  const dispatch = useDispatch();

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch(increment())}>+</button>
      <span>{count}</span>
      <button onClick={() => dispatch(decrement())}>-</button>
    </div>
  );
}

export default Counter;

Summary

In this tutorial, we covered the basics of Redux Toolkit, how to set it up, and how to create a slice. We then put these concepts to use in a practical example of a counter application.

Next, you could try adding more complex state and actions to your Redux store. Or, check out the official Redux Toolkit documentation for more information and examples.

Practice Exercises

1. Create a todo list application using Redux Toolkit. The state should be an array of todos, each with a text and completed property. Actions should include addTodo, toggleTodo, and deleteTodo.

2. Add a filter to the todo list application. The state should include a filter value, and actions should include setFilter. The list of todos should change based on the filter.

Solutions

For solutions and detailed explanations, please refer to this GitHub repository. Keep practicing and happy coding!