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Naming rules

Learn that component names start with a capital letter and why it matters.

Naming rules

In React, component names use PascalCase: UserCard, ShoppingCart, LoginForm. This separates them from HTML tags.

HTML tags start lowercase: div, span, button. If a component name starts lowercase, React treats it as an HTML tag and it won't work.

Component names should also describe what they do: UserList is clear, Comp1 is vague. Good names make maintenance easier.

Naming meaning

A component name should describe what it does. Header is a clear top bar; Thing says nothing. Teams often follow the what + for what rule: UserAvatar, CartItem, SearchInput.

The file name should match the component name: a UserAvatar.jsx file holds the UserAvatar component. This makes searching easy.

Consistent naming speeds up team talk: when someone hears a name, everyone pictures the same thing.

Practice UserAvatar component

Complete the skeleton. Write a component called UserAvatar that returns <figure> with <img alt="Avatar" /> inside. Don't forget to export.

Starter code

App.jsx
// Write the UserAvatar component here

Sample solution

App.jsx
function UserAvatar() {
  return <figure><img alt="Avatar" /></figure>;
}

export default UserAvatar;

Questions and answers

Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.

1 Which is a valid component name?

  • userCard
  • user_card
  • UserCard Correct answer
  • user-card

Explanation: UserCard is PascalCase, so it's a valid component name.

2 PascalCase example

Question 
Valid component name: ____ (PascalCase).
Answer 
Valid component name: ProductCard (PascalCase).

Explanation: ProductCard is PascalCase.

3 Match the naming tips

Term Meaning
UserCard Meaningful name
userCard Wrong
UserCard.jsx File name
User-Card Invalid

All lessons in Beginner

1 React intro

  1. What is React?
  2. Setup and Vite
  3. Your first component
  4. Summary - React intro

2 JSX basics

  1. What is JSX?
  2. Expressions and curly braces
  3. Attributes and className
  4. Summary - JSX basics

3 Components

  1. Component logic
  2. Component tree
  3. Naming rules
  4. Summary - Components

4 Profile card

  1. Project: Profile card
  2. Avatar component
  3. Info list
  4. Assemble the card

5 Props

  1. What are props?
  2. Reading props
  3. Children prop
  4. Default props
  5. Summary - Props

6 Conditional rendering

  1. What is conditional rendering?
  2. Ternary operator
  3. Logical AND (&&)
  4. Early return
  5. Summary - Conditional rendering

7 List rendering

  1. What is list rendering?
  2. The key attribute
  3. Array to components
  4. Filtering and sorting
  5. Summary - List rendering

8 Shopping list

  1. Project: Shopping list
  2. Item component
  3. List body
  4. Empty state

9 Events

  1. Events
  2. The event object
  3. Form events
  4. Summary - Events

10 useState

  1. What is state?
  2. The useState call
  3. Updating state
  4. Multiple state values
  5. Summary - useState

11 Counter app

  1. Project: Counter app
  2. Number and buttons
  3. Decrement and reset
  4. Boundary control

12 Forms

  1. Controlled input
  2. Form submission
  3. Multiple fields
  4. Summary - Forms

13 Styling

  1. Styling with CSS
  2. CSS Modules
  3. Inline styles
  4. Summary - Styling

14 styled-components

  1. What is styled-components?
  2. Styling with props
  3. Using themes
  4. Summary - styled-components

15 useReducer

  1. What is useReducer?
  2. Action and state
  3. useState vs useReducer
  4. Summary - useReducer

16 useEffect

  1. What is useEffect?
  2. Dependency array
  3. Cleanup function
  4. Summary - useEffect

17 Context

  1. What is context?
  2. createContext
  3. Provider and useContext
  4. Summary - Context

18 useRef

  1. What is useRef?
  2. DOM access
  3. Timer example
  4. Summary - useRef

19 Todo app

  1. Project: Todo app
  2. Todo entry form
  3. Todo list
  4. Filter and summary

20 Beginner final

  1. Challenge: Weather card
  2. Challenge: Cart summary
  3. Challenge: Counter and reset
  4. Challenge: Dropdown menu