ArticleZip > Reactjs How Can I Access The Displayname Of A Component Using Javascript

Reactjs How Can I Access The Displayname Of A Component Using Javascript

In React.js, accessing the `displayName` of a component can be really helpful when debugging or creating more informative error messages in your applications. Let's dive into how you can easily access the `displayName` property of a React component using JavaScript.

First, it's important to understand that the `displayName` property is not required in React components. It's mainly used as a developer-friendly feature for debugging. If a component has a `displayName` defined, it will be used by React in error messages and in the React Developer Tools extension to provide more context about which component threw an error.

To access the `displayName` of a React component programmatically, you can utilize the `displayName` property of the component class. Here's a simple example:

Plaintext

class MyComponent extends React.Component {
  render() {
    return <div>Hello, world!</div>;
  }
}

console.log(MyComponent.displayName);

In this example, we have a basic `MyComponent` class that extends `React.Component`. By accessing `MyComponent.displayName`, you can log the `displayName` of the component to the console. If you haven't explicitly set a `displayName` for the component, React will automatically generate one based on the component's class name.

If you are using functional components (as opposed to class components), you can assign a `displayName` to a functional component like this:

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function FunctionalComponent() {
  return <div>Hello from functional component!</div>
}

FunctionalComponent.displayName = 'CustomDisplayName';

console.log(FunctionalComponent.displayName);

In this example, we define a `FunctionalComponent` function component and then assign a `displayName` property to it manually. Now, you can access `FunctionalComponent.displayName` to get the custom display name you set.

Additionally, if you want to access the `displayName` property of a component instance (rather than the class itself), you can do so by checking the `displayName` property of the component's type:

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const myElement = ;
const elementType = myElement.type;

console.log(elementType.displayName);

In this code snippet, we create an instance of `MyComponent` and then access the `displayName` of its type to get the component's display name.

By understanding how to access the `displayName` property of React components using JavaScript, you can enhance your debugging process and improve the readability of your codebase. Whether you are working with class components or functional components, knowing how to retrieve the `displayName` can be a valuable tool in your React development toolkit.

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