gistfile1.js

class Profile extends React.Component {
  // etc.
}

function createContainer (Component) {
  return class extends React.Component {
    render () {
      return <Component {...this.props}/>
    }
  }
}

const Thing = createContainer(Profile, {
  extra: 'stuff'
})

// createContainer is a factory not a "Higher Order Component"
// But `Thing` is a "Higher Order Component"
// because it renders a Profile, but then again ... doesn't
// every component render another component, and therefore
// qualifies as a higher-order component?
//
// So does "higher order component" mean something more than
// "a component that renders a component", and if so, what is
// the strict-ish definition of higher order component?
//
// Maybe `Thing` is a HOC because it is a component created by
// a factory that renders another component?

This example using plain functions as components (0.14-master) might make it clearer why createContainer can be seen as a "Component" and why "Higher Order Components" are really just "Higher-order Functions" in disguise.

function createContainer (Component, props) {
  if (props.alwaysBlank) {
     return function Wrapper(props) {
        return <Blank />;
     }
  }
  return function Wrapper(props) {
      return <Component {...props}/>
    }
  }
}

var Thing = createContainer(Component, { alwaysBlank: false });

alright, i'll just get over it, bothers me that createContainer isn't actually a component, but is called a higher order component, definitely makes more sense when using plain function components.