Redux Thunk vs Redux Saga: Choosing the Right Middleware

Redux Thunk and Redux Saga are two famous middleware picks for controlling negative consequences in Redux packages. Although they use their own different techniques, each technology assist with asynchronous duties like API requests. Redux Saga offers an improved and flexible solution for complicated duties, whereas Redux Thunk is simpler to use and is more basic. This article will help you to decide that which one is suitable as per your needs by examining their features and differences.

Redux Thunk

You can create action creators that return a function rather than an action object by using Redux Thunk, a Redux middleware. Before sending the last action, this function can dispatch actions and carry out asynchronous tasks like retrieving data. It makes it possible to manage adverse consequences, such as API requests, inside Redux's flow.

Features

• Easy installation and compatibility with pre-existing Redux apps.
• Ideal for smaller applications and more straightforward use cases.
• Easier for developers, that know Redux, to understand.

Syntax

// Action creator using Redux Thunk
const fetchData = () => {
  return (dispatch) => {
    dispatch({
      type: 'FETCH_REQUEST'
    });
    fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
      .then(response => response.json())
      .then(data => dispatch({
        type: 'FETCH_SUCCESS',
        payload: data
      }))
      .catch(error => dispatch({
        type: 'FETCH_FAILURE',
        payload: error
      }));
  };
};

Example

// Reducer
const initialState = { data: [], loading: false, error: null };

const reducer = (state = initialState, action) => {
    switch (action.type) {
        case 'FETCH_REQUEST':
            return {
                ...state,
                loading: true
            };
        case 'FETCH_SUCCESS':
            return {
                ...state,
                loading: false,
                data: action.payload
            };
        case 'FETCH_FAILURE':
            return {
                ...state,
                loading: false,
                error: action.payload
            };
        default:
            return state;
    }
};

// Redux store setup
const store = createStore(reducer, applyMiddleware(thunkMiddleware));

// Dispatching action
store.dispatch(fetchData());

What is Redux Saga?

Redux Saga is a Redux middleware toolkit designed to make managing side effects in Redux applications easier, as well as making them easier to test and execute. It makes asynchronous flow control easier to read and debug by utilizing ES6 generators.

Features

• This middleware library is quite powerful for complicated asynchronous flows.
• In order to manage user interactions, such as rejecting active requests, built-in cancellation support can be helpful.
• Makes testing simpler by use generator functions.

Syntax

// Saga using Redux Saga
import { call, put, takeEvery } from 'redux-saga/effects';
import { fetchDataSuccess, fetchDataFailure } from './actions';
import { fetchDataApi } from './api';

function* fetchDataSaga(action) {
  try {
    const data = yield call(fetchDataApi, action.payload);
    yield put(fetchDataSuccess(data));
  } catch (error) {
    yield put(fetchDataFailure(error));
  }
}

function* rootSaga() {
  yield takeEvery('FETCH_REQUEST', fetchDataSaga);
}

export default rootSaga;

Example

// Redux store setup with Redux Saga
import createSagaMiddleware from 'redux-saga';
import rootReducer from './reducers';
import rootSaga from './sagas';

const sagaMiddleware = createSagaMiddleware();

const store = createStore(rootReducer, applyMiddleware(sagaMiddleware));

sagaMiddleware.run(rootSaga);

// Dispatching action
store.dispatch({
  type: 'FETCH_REQUEST',
  payload: {
    /* payload data */ }
});

Redux Thunk vs Redux Saga- Choosing the Right Middleware

Conclusion

Redux Thunk is appropriate for smaller applications or more basic asynchronous actions because it is easier to understand and less complicated whereas Redux Saga has greater power and flexibility, which makes it perfect for managing complex asynchronous processes and larger applications. It is crucial to know the variations between these two middleware libraries in order to choose the best one for your project's needs and preferences.