React Redux is the official binding library that connects React components to a Redux store. It enables React applications to manage state in a predictable way by providing a bridge between React's component-based architecture and Redux's centralized state management pattern.
The first step in using React Redux is setting up a Redux store. Use configureStore from Redux Toolkit to create your store. This function accepts an object with reducers, initial state, and middleware configuration. The store becomes the single source of truth for your application state.
The second step is providing the store to your React application. Wrap your root component with the Provider component from react-redux and pass your store as a prop. This makes the Redux store accessible to all components in your component tree through React context.
The third step involves connecting components using React Redux hooks. In functional components, use useSelector to extract specific data from the Redux store state, and useDispatch to get the dispatch function for sending actions. These hooks provide a clean and efficient way to interact with Redux.
React Redux creates a predictable data flow pattern. Components dispatch actions to describe what happened. Reducers process these actions and return new state. The store holds this state and notifies subscribed components. Components then re-render with the updated data, completing the unidirectional flow cycle.