Example react base component

react.component.base.js

class BaseComponent extends Component {
  
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);
    this.state = this._getState(props);
  }

  _shouldUpdateState() { return true; }

  _getState(props) {
    throw new Error('Method _getState needs to be defined in derived classes of BaseComponent');
  }

  componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
    if this._shouldUpdateState(nextProps) {
      this.setState(this._getState(nextProps));
    }
  }

}

class MyComponent extends BaseComponent {

  constructor(props) {
    super(props);
  }

  _getState(props) {
    return {
      foo: props.foo || {},
      things: props.bar.map((item) => { return item.doodad; })
    };
  }

}