Resolving Async/Await Re-rendering Issues in React Components

Discover how to fix re-rendering issues in your React components when using `async/await` with Axios. Learn effective solutions for managing state and API calls!
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Async/Await Function keeps triggering re-rendering

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Resolving Async/Await Re-rendering Issues in React Components

When working with React, managing data from backend APIs can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior, such as constant re-rendering of components. If you've ever found yourself in a situation where an axios call made with async/await is causing your component to re-render indefinitely, you're not alone. In this post, we'll explore this problem and how to effectively resolve it.

The Problem Explained

In the code snippet below, a function called getStudent is invoked every single time the component renders:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Why Does This Happen?

Every time the component renders, the getStudent() function executes. Since it includes a state update with setStudent(data), this triggers another render, creating a loop that never ends. This is a common pitfall for developers when integrating async/await calls for data fetching.

The Solution

To prevent this perpetual re-rendering, you need to control when the getStudent function is executed. We can achieve this by utilizing the useEffect hook correctly.

Using useEffect

To call getStudent only when the component mounts for the first time (similar to componentDidMount), you can wrap it inside a useEffect hook with an empty dependency array:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Handling Changes in studentId

In the case where the value of studentId may change (e.g., if you are retrieving it from a more dynamic source), you should include studentId in your dependency array:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This way, getStudent will only be invoked when the component first mounts and when studentId changes.

Optimizing with useCallback

To further optimize your function's instantiation, you might want to memoize it using useCallback. This ensures the function instance is only recreated when studentId changes:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Final Usage in useEffect

With getStudent wrapped in useCallback, your useEffect should look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Summary

Managing asynchronous calls in React components can be tricky, particularly when it comes to state updates that lead to re-renders. To avoid infinite loops when fetching data with async/await, follow these key steps:

Use useEffect to control when your function executes.

Add necessary dependencies to ensure that updates occur only when needed.

Optimize with useCallback to prevent unnecessary function recreations.

By understanding these concepts, you can create more efficient React applications that handle asynchronous data smoothly.

Feel free to share your thoughts or any experiences you've had while working with asynchronous calls in your React projects!