How to manage global state in a React application?

Global state refers to data that is accessible across multiple components in a React application. Unlike the local state, which is confined to a single component, the global state can be accessed and modified from anywhere in the component tree.

In this article, we will explore the following approaches by which we can manage the global state in React.

Table of Content

Using Redux
Using MobX
Using Recoil
Using Zustand
Using XState

Steps to Create React application and manage global state:

For React Context API: No additional installation is required, as it’s built into React.

Step 1: Create a React application using the following command:

npx create-react-app foldername

Step 2: After creating your project folder i.e. folder name, move to it using the following command:

cd foldername

Step 3: After setting up the React environment on your system, we can start by creating an App.js file and creating a directory by the name of components.

At last, we can apply any Approach to handle Global State

Folder Structure:

Folder Structur

Approach 1: Using Redux

Include dependency in project:

npm install redux react-redux

The updated dependencies in package.json file will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-redux": "^9.1.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "redux": "^5.0.1",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
}

Example: This example implements the above-mentioned approach.

Javascript

// App.js
 
import React, { useState } from 'react';

import { Provider } from 'react-redux';

import globalStateStore from './GlobalStateStore';

import GlobalStateDisplay from './GlobalStateDisplay';
 
const App = () => {

    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('');
 
    const handleInputChange = (e) => {

        setInputValue(e.target.value);

    };
 
    const updateGlobalState = () => {

        const number = parseInt(inputValue);

        if (!isNaN(number)) {

            store.dispatch(

                { type: 'SET_COUNT', payload: number }

            );

        }

    };
 
    return (

        <Provider store={store}>

            <div>

                <input type="number" value={inputValue}

                    onChange={handleInputChange} />

                <button onClick={updateGlobalState}>

                    Update Global State</button>

                <GlobalStateDisplay />

            </div>

        </Provider>

    );
}
 
export default App;

Javascript

// GlobalStateDisplay.js
 
import React from 'react';

import { useSelector } from 'react-redux';
 
const GlobalStateDisplay = () => {

    const count = useSelector(state => state.count);

    const squaredValue = count ** 2;
 
    return (

        <div>

            <p>Global State: {count}</p>

            <p>Square of Global State:

                {squaredValue}</p>

        </div>

    );
}
 
export default GlobalStateDisplay;

Javascript

//GlobalStateStore.js;
 
import { createStore } from 'redux';
 
const initialState = {

    count: 0
};
 
const reducer = (state = initialState, action) => {

    switch (action.type) {

        case 'SET_COUNT':

            return { ...state, count: action.payload };

        default:

            return state;

    }
};
 
const GlobalStateStore = createStore(reducer);
 
export default GlobalStateStore;

Approach 2: Using MobX

Include dependency in Project

npm install mobx mobx-react

The updated Dependencies in package.json file will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "mobx": "^6.12.0",
    "mobx-react": "^9.1.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
}

Example: This example implements the above-mentioned approach.

Javascript

// App.js
 
import React, { useState } from 'react';

import { Provider } from 'mobx-react';

import globalStateStore from './GlobalStateStore';

import GlobalStateDisplay from './GlobalStateDisplay';
 
const App = () => {

    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('');
 
    const handleInputChange = (e) => {

        setInputValue(e.target.value);

    };
 
    const updateGlobalState = () => {

        const number = parseInt(inputValue);

        if (!isNaN(number)) {

            globalStateStore.setCount(number);

        }

    };
 
    return (

        <Provider store={globalStateStore}>

            <div>

                <input type="number" value={inputValue}

                    onChange={handleInputChange} />

                <button onClick={updateGlobalState}>

                    Update Global State</button>

                <GlobalStateDisplay />

            </div>

        </Provider>

    );
}
 
export default App;

Javascript

// GlobalStateDisplay.js
 
import React from 'react';

import { observer, inject } from 'mobx-react';
 
const GlobalStateDisplay = inject('store')(

    observer(({ store }) => {

        const count = store.count;

        const squaredValue = count ** 2;
 
        return (

            <div>

                <p>Global State: {count}</p>

                <p>Square of Global State: {squaredValue}</p>

            </div>

        );

    })
);
 
export default GlobalStateDisplay;

Javascript

// GlobalStateStore.js
 
import { makeAutoObservable } from 'mobx';
 
class GlobalStateStore {

    count = 0;
 
    constructor() {

        makeAutoObservable(this);

    }
 
    setCount(value) {

        this.count = value;

    }
 
    get squaredValue() {

        return this.count ** 2;

    }
}
 
const globalStateStore = new GlobalStateStore();

export default globalStateStore;

Approach 3: Using Recoil

Include dependency in Project

npm install recoil

The updated Dependencies in package.json file will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "recoil": "^0.7.7",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
}

Example: This example implements the above-mentioned approach.

Javascript

// App.js
 
import React, { useState } from 'react';

import { useRecoilState } from 'recoil';

import { countState } from './GlobalStateStore';

import GlobalStateDisplay from './GlobalStateDisplay';
 
const App = () => {

    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('');

    const [count, setCount] = useRecoilState(countState);
 
    const handleInputChange = (e) => {

        setInputValue(e.target.value);

    };
 
    const updateGlobalState = () => {

        const number = parseInt(inputValue);

        if (!isNaN(number)) {

            setCount(number);

            setInputValue('');

        }

    };
 
    return (

        <div>

            <input type="number" value={inputValue}

                onChange={handleInputChange} />

            <button onClick={updateGlobalState}>

                Update Global State</button>

            <GlobalStateDisplay />

        </div>

    );
};
 
export default App;

Javascript

// GlobalStateDisplay.js
 
import React from 'react';

import { useRecoilValue } from 'recoil';

import { countState } from './GlobalStateStore';
 
const GlobalStateDisplay = () => {

    const count = useRecoilValue(countState);

    const squaredValue = count ** 2;
 
    return (

        <div>

            <p>Global State:

                {count}</p>

            <p>Square of Global State:

                {squaredValue}</p>

        </div>

    );
};
 
export default GlobalStateDisplay;

Javascript

// GlobalStateStore.js
 
import { atom } from 'recoil';
 
export const countState = atom({

    key: 'countState',

    default: 0,
});

Javascript

/// index.js
 
import React from 'react'

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client'

import App from './App.jsx'

import './index.css'

import { RecoilRoot } from 'recoil';
 
ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(

    <React.StrictMode>

        <RecoilRoot>

            <App />

        </RecoilRoot>

    </React.StrictMode>,
)

Approach 4: Using Zustand

Include dependency in Project

npm install zustand

The updated Dependencies in package.json file will look like:

 "dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4",
    "zustand": "^4.5.2"
}

Example: This example implements the above-mentioned approach

Javascript

// App.js
 
import React, { useState } from 'react';

import useGlobalState from './GlobalStateStore';

import GlobalStateDisplay from './GlobalStateDisplay';
 
const App = () => {

    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('');

    const { count, setCount } = useGlobalState();
 
    const handleInputChange = (e) => {

        setInputValue(e.target.value);

    };
 
    const updateGlobalState = () => {

        const number = parseInt(inputValue);

        if (!isNaN(number)) {

            setCount(number);

        }

    };
 
    return (

        <div>

            <input type="number" value={inputValue}

                onChange={handleInputChange} />

            <button onClick={updateGlobalState}>

                Update Global State</button>

            <GlobalStateDisplay />

        </div>

    );
}
 
export default App;

Javascript

// GlobalStateDisplay.js
 
import React from 'react';

import useGlobalState from './GlobalStateStore';
 
const GlobalStateDisplay = () => {

    const { count } = useGlobalState();

    const squaredValue = count ** 2;
 
    return (

        <div>

            <p>Global State:

                {count}</p>

            <p>Square of Global State:

                {squaredValue}</p>

        </div>

    );
}
 
export default GlobalStateDisplay;

Javascript

// GlobalStateStore.js
 
import create from 'zustand';
 
const useGlobalState = create((set) => ({

    count: 0,

    setCount: (value) => set({ count: value }),
}));
 
export default useGlobalState;

Appraoch 5: Using XState

Include dependency in Project

npm install xstate @xstate/react

The updated Dependencies in package.json file will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
    "@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
    "@xstate/react": "^4.1.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
    "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
    "web-vitals": "^2.1.4",
    "xstate": "^5.9.1"
}

Example: This example implements the above-mentioned approach

Javascript

// App.js
 
import React, { useState } from 'react';

import useGlobalState from './GlobalStateStore';

import GlobalStateDisplay from './GlobalStateDisplay';
 
const App = () => {

    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState('');

    const { state, send } = useGlobalState();

    const handleInputChange = (e) => {

        setInputValue(e.target.value);

    };
 
    const updateGlobalState = () => {

        const number = parseInt(inputValue);

        if (!isNaN(number) && inputValue !== '') {

            send({ type: 'SET_COUNT', value: number });

            setInputValue('');

        }

    };
 
    return (

        <div>

            <input type="number" value={inputValue}

                onChange={handleInputChange} />

            <button onClick={updateGlobalState}>

                Update Global State</button>

            <GlobalStateDisplay state={state} />

        </div>

    );
};
 
export default App;

Javascript

// GlobalStateDisplay.js
 
import React from 'react';
 
const GlobalStateDisplay = ({ state }) => {

    const count = state.context.count;

    const squaredValue = count * count;

    console.log(squaredValue);
 
    return (

        <div>

            <p>Global State: {count}</p>

            <p>Square of Global State: {squaredValue}</p>

        </div>

    );
};
 
export default GlobalStateDisplay;

Javascript

// GlobalStateStore.js

import { createMachine, assign } from 'xstate';

import { useMachine } from '@xstate/react';
 
const globalStateMachine = createMachine({

    id: 'globalState',

    initial: 'idle',

    context: {

        count: 0,

    },

    states: {

        idle: {

            on: {

                SET_COUNT: {

                    actions: assign({

                        count: (_, event) => event.value,

                    }),

                },

            },

        },

        final: {

            type: 'final',

        },

    },
});
 
const useGlobalState = () => {

    const [state, send] = useMachine(globalStateMachine);

    return { state, send };
};
 
export default useGlobalState;

Output(Same for all Approaches):

calculating square of a number from Global State

Article Tags :

ReactJS

Web Technologies

React-Questions

ReactJS-State

Steps to Create React application and manage global state:

Folder Structur Approach 1: Using Redux

Approach 2: Using MobX

Approach 3: Using Recoil

Approach 4: Using Zustand

Appraoch 5: Using XState

Include dependency in Project

Folder Structur

Approach 1: Using Redux