[["$r","MaxWidth","8",{"children":[["$r","Intro",null,{"children":["$r","p",null,{"children":"The magic of components lies in their reusability: you can create components that are composed of other components. But as you nest more and more components, it often makes sense to start splitting them into different files. This lets you keep your files easy to scan and reuse components in more places."}]}],"\n",["$r","YouWillLearn",null,{"children":["$r","ul",null,{"children":["\n",["$r","li",null,{"children":"What a root component file is"}],"\n",["$r","li",null,{"children":"How to import and export a component"}],"\n",["$r","li",null,{"children":"When to use default and named imports and exports"}],"\n",["$r","li",null,{"children":"How to import and export multiple components from one file"}],"\n",["$r","li",null,{"children":"How to split components into multiple files"}],"\n"]}]}],"\n",["$r","h2",null,{"id":"the-root-component-file","children":"The root component file "}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["In ",["$r","a",null,{"href":"/learn/your-first-component","children":"Your First Component"}],", you made a ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," component and a ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery"}]," component that renders it:"]}],"\n"]}],["$r","Sandpack",null,{"children":[["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","children":"function Profile() {\n return (\n \n );\n}\n\nexport default function Gallery() {\n return (\n

Amazing scientists

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Amazing scientists

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So far, our examples have only used default exports. But you can use one or both of them in the same file. ",["$r","strong",null,{"children":["A file can have no more than one ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"default"}]," export, but it can have as many ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"named"}]," exports as you like."]}]]}],["$r","img",null,{"src":"/images/docs/illustrations/i_import-export.svg","alt":"Default and named exports"}],["$r","p",null,{"children":"How you export your component dictates how you must import it. You will get an error if you try to import a default export the same way you would a named export! This chart can help you keep track:"}],["$r","table",null,{"children":[["$r","thead",null,{"children":["$r","tr",null,{"children":[["$r","th",null,{"children":"Syntax"}],["$r","th",null,{"children":"Export statement"}],["$r","th",null,{"children":"Import statement"}]]}]}],["$r","tbody",null,{"children":[["$r","tr",null,{"children":[["$r","td",null,{"children":"Default"}],["$r","td",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"children":"export default function Button() {}"}]}],["$r","td",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"children":"import Button from './Button.js';"}]}]]}],["$r","tr",null,{"children":[["$r","td",null,{"children":"Named"}],["$r","td",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"children":"export function Button() {}"}]}],["$r","td",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"children":"import { Button } from './Button.js';"}]}]]}]]}]]}],["$r","p",null,{"children":["When you write a ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"default"}]," import, you can put any name you want after ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"import"}],". For example, you could write ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"import Banana from './Button.js'"}]," instead and it would still provide you with the same default export. In contrast, with named imports, the name has to match on both sides. That’s why they are called ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"named"}]," imports!"]}],["$r","p",null,{"children":[["$r","strong",null,{"children":"People often use default exports if the file exports only one component, and use named exports if it exports multiple components and values."}]," Regardless of which coding style you prefer, always give meaningful names to your component functions and the files that contain them. Components without names, like ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"export default () => {}"}],", are discouraged because they make debugging harder."]}]]}],"\n",["$r","h2",null,{"id":"exporting-and-importing-multiple-components-from-the-same-file","children":"Exporting and importing multiple components from the same file "}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["What if you want to show just one ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," instead of a gallery? You can export the ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," component, too. But ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery.js"}]," already has a ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"default"}]," export, and you can’t have ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"two"}]," default exports. You could create a new file with a default export, or you could add a ",["$r","em",null,{"children":"named"}]," export for ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}],". ",["$r","strong",null,{"children":"A file can only have one default export, but it can have numerous named exports!"}]]}],"\n",["$r","Note",null,{"children":["$r","p",null,{"children":"To reduce the potential confusion between default and named exports, some teams choose to only stick to one style (default or named), or avoid mixing them in a single file. Do what works best for you!"}]}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["First, ",["$r","strong",null,{"children":"export"}]," ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," from ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery.js"}]," using a named export (no ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"default"}]," keyword):"]}],"\n",["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","children":"export function Profile() {\n // ...\n}\n"}]}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["Then, ",["$r","strong",null,{"children":"import"}]," ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," from ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery.js"}]," to ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"App.js"}]," using a named import (with the curly braces):"]}],"\n",["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","children":"import { Profile } from './Gallery.js';\n"}]}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["Finally, ",["$r","strong",null,{"children":"render"}]," ",["$r","code",null,{"children":""}]," from the ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"App"}]," component:"]}],"\n",["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","children":"export default function App() {\n return ;\n}\n"}]}],"\n",["$r","p",null,{"children":["Now ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery.js"}]," contains two exports: a default ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Gallery"}]," export, and a named ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"Profile"}]," export. ",["$r","code",null,{"children":"App.js"}]," imports both of them. Try editing ",["$r","code",null,{"children":""}]," to ",["$r","code",null,{"children":""}]," and back in this example:"]}],"\n"]}],["$r","Sandpack",null,{"children":[["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/App.js","children":"import Gallery from './Gallery.js';\nimport { Profile } from './Gallery.js';\n\nexport default function App() {\n return (\n \n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Gallery.js","children":"export function Profile() {\n return (\n \n );\n}\n\nexport default function Gallery() {\n return (\n

Amazing scientists

\n \n \n \n

\n \n

\n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Gallery.js active","children":"// Move me to Profile.js!\nexport function Profile() {\n return (\n \n );\n}\n\nexport default function Gallery() {\n return (\n

Amazing scientists

\n \n \n \n

\n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Profile.js"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-css","children":"img { margin: 0 10px 10px 0; height: 90px; }\n"}]}]]}],["$r","p",null,{"children":"After you get it working with one kind of exports, make it work with the other kind."}],["$r","Solution",null,{"children":[["$r","p",null,{"children":"This is the solution with named exports:"}],["$r","Sandpack",null,{"children":[["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/App.js","children":"import Gallery from './Gallery.js';\nimport { Profile } from './Profile.js';\n\nexport default function App() {\n return (\n

\n \n \n

\n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Gallery.js","children":"import { Profile } from './Profile.js';\n\nexport default function Gallery() {\n return (\n

Amazing scientists

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\n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Profile.js","children":"export function Profile() {\n return (\n \n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-css","children":"img { margin: 0 10px 10px 0; height: 90px; }\n"}]}]]}],["$r","p",null,{"children":"This is the solution with default exports:"}],["$r","Sandpack",null,{"children":[["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/App.js","children":"import Gallery from './Gallery.js';\nimport Profile from './Profile.js';\n\nexport default function App() {\n return (\n

\n \n \n

\n );\n}\n"}]}],["$r","pre",null,{"children":["$r","code",null,{"className":"language-js","meta":"src/Gallery.js","children":"import Profile from './Profile.js';\n\nexport default function Gallery() {\n return (\n

Amazing scientists

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