Chapter 8. Structuring a Redux store
This chapter covers
- Structuring relational data in Redux
- Learning the pros and cons of nested data versus normalized data
- Using the normalizr package
- Organizing different types of state within Redux
Parsnip is built using sound Redux fundamentals, but the app’s data requirements up to this point are simple. You have a single tasks resource, meaning you haven’t had any opportunities to deal with relational data. That’s what this chapter is for! You’ll double the number of resources in the app (from one to two!) by adding the concept of projects to Parsnip, meaning tasks will belong to a project. You’ll explore the pros and cons of two popular strategies for structuring relational data: nesting and normalization.
This is one of the hottest topics for debate in the Redux community. For better or worse, the library offers no restrictions to how you organize data within the store. Redux provides the tools to store and update data and leaves it up to you to decide the shape of that data. The good news is that over time, and after no short period of trial and error, best practices started to emerge. One strategy emerged as a clear winner: normalization. It’s not a concept that’s unique to Redux, but you’ll look at how to normalize data in Parsnip and the benefits normalization provides.