Reuse in React

Is the reuse for only within the application or across many applications?

In React (or in any framework/library, for that matter), the concept of reuse can be applied in both contexts: within a single application and across multiple applications. The level and method of reuse will depend on the specific requirements and structure of the projects.

1. Reuse within a single application: This is the most common form of reuse. Developers create components that encapsulate certain functionalities or styles and use them throughout the application. This way, you keep the code DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and improve maintainability. For example, you might create a Button component that you use in many places in your app.

2. Reuse across multiple applications: This is a bit more complex but is very useful, especially in a microservices or micro-frontends architecture, where multiple applications may need to share common functionality. The shared components are often bundled as a library or a package, which can be published to a package registry (like npm) and then installed and used in multiple projects. A Design System is a common example of this, where a set of components, styles, and guidelines are defined for use across all of an organization’s applications for consistency and efficiency.

While the idea of reuse is appealing, it’s also important not to overdo it. Not everything needs to be reusable, and trying to make everything reusable can lead to over-engineering and increased complexity. The key is to find a balance and determine when it makes sense to abstract functionality into reusable pieces based on the needs and context of your projects.