title: React + Flux: Getting initial state into a store
body: <p>We have recently switched over to React + Flux from Angular to build a rather complex business application.</p>
  
  <p>Taking the approach of having one container component that passes all state as properties down the component tree isn't a practical way to develop the app for us as the app makes use of large page-like modals. Enough state does get passed down to the modals for them to load their data into their stores.</p>
  
  <p>The problem I have is I need to get some initial state (passed down as props) into the modal component's store. In <a href="http://facebook.github.io/react/tips/props-in-getInitialState-as-anti-pattern.html" rel="noreferrer">this post</a> the good guys over at Facebook say it's ok to use props for initial state when synchronization is not the goal. </p>
  
  <p>This is how I get the initial state into my store currently:</p>
  
  <pre><code>var ABC = React.createClass({
    ...  
    getInitialState: function() {
      return ABCStore.getInitialABCState(this.props.initialA);
    },
    ...
  
  var ABCStore = Reflux.createStore({
    ...
    init: function() {
      _state = {
        a: null,
        b: 'B init',
        c: 'C init'
      };
    },
  
    getInitialABCState: function(initialA) {
      _state.a = initialA;
      return _state;
    },
  
    getABCState: function() {
      return _state;
    }
    ...
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am unsure what the best practice is to do this, or whether this is a Flux anti-pattern?</p>