Create a custom debounce Hook in React

Custom debounce hooks in React allow you to control the frequency at which a function is called, ensuring that it is only executed after a certain delay. This is useful when dealing with events that trigger frequently, such as user input or scrolling, and you want to optimize performance by reducing unnecessary function calls. In this article, we will explore debounce hooks in-depth and provide an example of their usage in a React application.

What is Debouncing?

Debouncing is a technique used to limit the frequency at which a function is invoked. It is particularly useful when handling events that fire rapidly, such as key presses or scroll events. Instead of executing the function immediately on every event, debouncing allows you to delay the execution until a specified period of inactivity has passed. This helps to optimize performance and reduce unnecessary function calls.

Implementing a Debounce Hook

To create a custom debounce hook in React, we can leverage the useEffect and useRef hooks. Here's an example implementation:

import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';

const useDebounce = (callback, delay) => {
  const timeoutRef = useRef(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Cleanup the previous timeout on re-render
    return () => {
      if…