Set Up React Hot Loader in 10 Minutes

Hot Reloading in React: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding the Problem

When working on a web project, refreshing the browser to see the latest updates can be frustrating. To address this issue, developers created tools that enable hot reloading, which allows the application to update without a full reload.

What is Hot Module Replacement (HMR)?

HMR is a feature that replaces modules without restarting the server. It works by exchanging, adding, or removing modules while the application is running. This significantly speeds up development and solves the problem of hot reloading.

The Difference between Hot Reload and Live Reload

• A hot reload refreshes only the files that were changed, preserving the application’s state.
• A live reload restarts the entire app, causing it to lose its state.

Setting up React Hot Loader

To set up React Hot Loader, follow these steps:

1. Eject your application: Run npm run eject to copy all configuration files and transitive dependencies into your project.
2. Install React Hot Loader: Run npm install react-hot-loader to install the plugin.
3. Configure Babel loader: Add plugins: ['react-hot-loader/babel'] to the Babel loader configuration in webpack.config.dev.js.
4. Wrap top-level component: Wrap your app’s top-level component inside an <AppContainer> from react-hot-loader.
5. Require react-hot-loader patch: Require the react-hot-loader patch in your entry point file.

Testing React Hot Loader

After setting up React Hot Loader, test your application to ensure that the state is preserved on updates.

Conclusion

In this guide, we covered the importance of hot loading, the difference between hot reload and live reload, and how to set up React Hot Loader to preserve state in your React application. With these steps, you can enjoy seamless hot reloading and improved development efficiency.