How to use React Developer Tool

React Developer Tool is an essential browser extension for us. It provides a set of powerful features that help debug, inspect, and optimize React applications.

Installation

To get started, you need to install React Developer Tools as a browser extension. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Visit the respective browser's extension store and search for "React Developer Tools." Click on the "Add to Chrome" (or equivalent) button and follow the installation instructions.

Here are the links to download the extensions of the React Developer Tool.

Chrome:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi/related?hl=enhttps://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi/related?hl=en

Firefox:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/react-devtools/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/react-devtools/

Edge:

https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/react-developer-tools/gpphkfbcpidddadnkolkpfckpihlkkilhttps://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/react-developer-tools/gpphkfbcpidddadnkolkpfckpihlkkil

After installation, you can access React Developer Tools by clicking on the extension icon in your browser's toolbar. Once opened, it will appear as a separate panel or as an overlay on your web application.

Opening

To open the React DevTools, you can follow these steps:

1. After opening your React application in a web browser, open the browser's developer tools by right-clicking anywhere on the page and selecting "Inspect" or by using the keyboard shortcut:

• Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows/Linux) or Command + Option + I (Mac)

• Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + C (Windows/Linux) or Command + Option + C (Mac)

• Edge: Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows/Linux) or Command + Option + I (Mac)

2. In the developer tools panel, you should see a new tab labeled "React" or "⚛️ Components" and "⚛️ Profiler" along with other tabs like "Elements," "Console," etc. Click on the "React" tab.

3. If your React application is detected, you will see the component tree and other React-related information in the React DevTools panel.

Visual demo

That's it! You have successfully opened the React DevTools and can now use it to inspect and debug your React components.

React DevTool tabs

Because you have the React DevTools extension installed, it provides you with two additional tabs.

1. Components: This tab allows you to inspect the component tree of your React application. You can view the hierarchy of components, their props, state, and other relevant information. It helps you understand how components are structured and how they interact with each other.

2. Profiler: The Profiler tab is used for performance monitoring in your React application. It allows you to measure and analyze the rendering time and performance of each component. You can identify components that are causing performance bottlenecksA performance bottleneck occurs when the rate at which data is accessed cannot meet specified system requirements. and optimize them for better overall performance.

By utilizing these two tabs, you can gain insights into the structure, behavior, and performance of your React application, enabling you to debug and optimize your code effectively.

Functionalities

The React Developer Tools offer various functionalities, including:

Component tree

It displays the hierarchical structure of React components in the application, allowing you to visualize the component hierarchy and inspect the props and state of each component. You can expand and collapse nodes to navigate through the component hierarchy. By selecting a specific component, you can view its props, state, and other relevant information.

Inspecting component

Here are the steps to inspect your component.

• Navigate to the "Components" or "Component tree" tab.

• Expand the tree to explore the hierarchy of components.

• Use the search functionality within the React Developer Tools to find components by name or other attributes.

• Select a specific component to view its details, including props and state.

In React Developer Tools, the Components and Elements tabs work together to show you both the structure of your React components and the corresponding HTML elements in the browser.

Props and state inspection

You can view the current props and state values of each component, which makes it easier to understand how data flows through the application. It also tracks down any issues related to data manipulation.

Component lifecycle

The React Developer Tools provide information about the lifecycle methods of components, such as componentDidMount or componentDidUpdate, which can be useful for debugging and understanding the component's behavior at different stages.

As you interact with the application and trigger events, the React Developer Tools will display the components that are affected by the updates. You should see the component tree and the individual components listed. It provides information about when these lifecycle methods are called and any relevant details associated with them.

Time travel debugging

This feature allows you to step backward and forward through the state and props changes of the components, helping to identify the cause of bugs or unexpected behavior.

Through this, you can observe the changes in state and props values of components at different points in time. This can be beneficial for identifying the cause of bugs or unexpected behavior by inspecting the evolution of the component's data throughout your application's execution.

Performance profiling

The React Developer Tools include performance profiling capabilities, allowing you to analyze the rendering performance of components and identify potential bottlenecks or optimizations.

Conclusion

React Developer Tools are a valuable asset for us. Their installation is simple, and they offer various features that enhance debugging, troubleshooting, and performance optimization processes.