Every component has a *lifecycle* that starts when it is created, and ends when it is destroyed. There are a handful of functions that allow you to run code at key moments during that lifecycle.
Every component has a *lifecycle* that starts when it is created, and ends when it is destroyed. There are a handful of functions that allow you to run code at key moments during that lifecycle.
The one you'll use most frequently is `onMount`, which runs after the component is first rendered to the DOM. We briefly encountered it [earlier](/tutorial/bind-this) when we needed to interact with a `<canvas>` element after it had been rendered.
The one you'll use most frequently is `onMount`, which runs after the component is first rendered to the DOM.
We'll add an `onMount` handler that loads some data over the network:
We'll add an `onMount` handler that loads some data over the network: