Hooks are functions that let you "hook into" React's state and lifecycle features from function components. They were introduced in React 16.8 to enable developers to use state, side effects, and other features without writing a class component.

Before Hooks, if you needed local state or lifecycle methods (like componentDidMount), you had to use class components, which often led to complex, hard-to-maintain code. Hooks solved this by:

• Making it easier to share reusable logic between components (using custom hooks).
• Reducing component complexity by splitting concerns (no more bloated lifecycle methods).
• Allowing you to use state and side effects in functional components.

In short: Hooks made function components more powerful and the code more reusable, readable, and testable.

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