How to get history on React Router v4?
Assesses fundamental understanding of React conventions, runtime behavior, and memory/performance considerations.
Hiring managers look for precision, avoidance of ambiguous jargon, and ability to explain trade-offs under real production conditions.
Below are the list of steps to get history object on React Router v4,
- Create a module that exports a
historyobject and import this module across the project.
For example, create history.js file:
import { createBrowserHistory } from "history";
export default createBrowserHistory({
/* pass a configuration object here if needed */
});
- You should use the
<Router>component instead of built-in routers. Import the abovehistory.jsinsideindex.jsfile:
```jsx harmony
import { Router } from "react-router-dom";
import history from "./history";
import App from "./App";
ReactDOM.render(
<Router history={history}>
<App />
</Router>,
holder
);
3. You can also use push method of `history` object similar to built-in history object:
javascript// some-other-file.js
import history from "./history";
history.push("/go-here");
> **Modern React Note (React 18/19):** `ReactDOM.render` was deprecated in React 18 and removed in React 19. In modern applications, always use `createRoot` from `react-dom/client`:
> jsx> import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client';
> const root = createRoot(document.getElementById('root'));
> root.render(<App />);
> ```
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.