Should I learn ES6 before learning ReactJS?
Interviewer Expectations for this Question
01
Core Competency
Assesses fundamental understanding of React conventions, runtime behavior, and memory/performance considerations.
02
Evaluation Criteria
Hiring managers look for precision, avoidance of ambiguous jargon, and ability to explain trade-offs under real production conditions.
Comprehensive Model Answer
Verified Solution
No, you don’t have to learn es2015/es6 to learn react. But you may find many resources or React ecosystem uses ES6 extensively. Let's see some of the frequently used ES6 features,
- Destructuring: To get props and use them in a component
// in es 5
var someData = this.props.someData;
var dispatch = this.props.dispatch;
// in es6
const { someData, dispatch } = this.props;
- Spread operator: Helps in passing props down into a component
// in es 5
<SomeComponent someData={this.props.someData} dispatch={this.props.dispatch} />
// in es6
<SomeComponent {...this.props} />
- Arrow functions: Makes compact syntax
// es 5
var users = usersList.map(function (user) {
return <li>{user.name}</li>;
});
// es 6
const users = usersList.map((user) => <li>{user.name}</li>);
Candidate Response Strategy & Interview Tips
- Start with a concise one-sentence summary: Deliver a direct, confident answer first before expanding into nuances.
- Demonstrate real-world trade-offs: Discuss where this approach excels and when you would avoid it in production systems.
- Discuss complexity & edge cases: Proactively explain time/space complexity or boundary conditions (null values, scale limits).
- Prepare for interviewer follow-ups: Technical hiring panels frequently probe deeper into concurrency, backward compatibility, or alternative libraries.