How does React handle provider pattern?

React covers this with 2 copy-ready snippets on this page. The "Context with State (Custom Hook)" snippet in React uses `// Encapsulate context + hook in a module`.

Which code does the React example use?

The "Context with State (Custom Hook)" snippet uses `// Encapsulate context + hook in a module`, from the useContext section of the React cheat sheet.

What other React snippets are shown for "provider pattern"?

Besides "Context with State (Custom Hook)", this page also shows "Context + Reducer Pattern".

Provider pattern

2 snippets in React

REReact

Context with State (Custom Hook)

RE · useContext

Syntax

// Encapsulate context + hook in a module
const Ctx = createContext(null);
export function useMyContext() {
  const ctx = useContext(Ctx);
  if (!ctx) throw new Error('Missing Provider');
  return ctx;
}

Example

import { createContext, useContext, useState } from 'react';

const CartContext = createContext(null);

export function CartProvider({ children }) {
  const [items, setItems] = useState([]);

  function addItem(product) {
    setItems(prev => [...prev, { ...product, qty: 1 }]);
  }

  function removeItem(id) {
    setItems(prev => prev.filter(item => item.id !== id));
  }

  const totalItems = items.reduce((sum, i) => sum + i.qty, 0);

  return (
    <CartContext.Provider value={{ items, addItem, removeItem, totalItems }}>
      {children}
    </CartContext.Provider>
  );
}

export function useCart() {
  const context = useContext(CartContext);
  if (!context) {
    throw new Error('useCart must be used within a CartProvider');
  }
  return context;
}

Note Exporting a custom hook that throws when the Provider is missing catches mistakes early and gives a clear error message instead of undefined values that silently break downstream.

Context + Reducer Pattern

RE · Patterns

Syntax

const StateCtx = createContext(null);
const DispatchCtx = createContext(null);

function Provider({ children }) {
  const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, init);
  return (
    <StateCtx.Provider value={state}>
      <DispatchCtx.Provider value={dispatch}>
        {children}
      </DispatchCtx.Provider>
    </StateCtx.Provider>
  );
}

Example

const TodoStateContext = createContext(null);
const TodoDispatchContext = createContext(null);

function todoReducer(state, action) {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'ADD':
      return [...state, { id: crypto.randomUUID(), text: action.text, done: false }];
    case 'TOGGLE':
      return state.map(t =>
        t.id === action.id ? { ...t, done: !t.done } : t
      );
    case 'DELETE':
      return state.filter(t => t.id !== action.id);
    default:
      throw new Error(`Unhandled: ${action.type}`);
  }
}

function TodoProvider({ children }) {
  const [todos, dispatch] = useReducer(todoReducer, []);
  return (
    <TodoStateContext.Provider value={todos}>
      <TodoDispatchContext.Provider value={dispatch}>
        {children}
      </TodoDispatchContext.Provider>
    </TodoStateContext.Provider>
  );
}

function useTodos() {
  return useContext(TodoStateContext);
}
function useTodoDispatch() {
  return useContext(TodoDispatchContext);
}

Note This pattern provides Redux-like state management with built-in React APIs. Splitting state and dispatch into separate contexts prevents components that only dispatch actions from re-rendering when state changes.

Frequently asked questions

How does React handle provider pattern?: React covers this with 2 copy-ready snippets on this page. The "Context with State (Custom Hook)" snippet in React uses `// Encapsulate context + hook in a module`.
Which code does the React example use?: The "Context with State (Custom Hook)" snippet uses `// Encapsulate context + hook in a module`, from the useContext section of the React cheat sheet.
What other React snippets are shown for "provider pattern"?: Besides "Context with State (Custom Hook)", this page also shows "Context + Reducer Pattern".
Is there anything to watch out for?: Yes. For "Context with State (Custom Hook)": Exporting a custom hook that throws when the Provider is missing catches mistakes early and gives a clear error message instead of undefined values that silently break downstream.