with-outlets.js

var WithOutlets = {
  componentWillMount: function() {
    this.setOutlets(this.props);
  },
  componentWillUpdate: function(nextProps) {
    if(!nextProps || this.props.children !== nextProps.children) {
      this.setOutlets(nextProps);
    }
  },
  setOutlets: function(props) {
    props.outlets = {};
    
    // Get the outlets from the children with a outlet="" property
    props.children.forEach(function(child) {
      if(!child) return false; // Sometimes children aren't children at all, during conditional statements (they're 'false')
      if(child.props.outlet) {
        props.outlets[child.props.outlet] = child;
      }
    });
    
    // Remove any with outlet properties and add them to a separate props.
    props.children = props.children.filter(function(child, i) {
      return child && !child.props.outlet;
    });
  }
};

zz-example.js

/** @jsx React.DOM */

var MyLayout = React.createClass({
  mixins: [WithOutlets],
  render: function() {
    return (
      <div className="my-layout">
        {this.props.outlets.header &&
        <div className="my-layout__header">
          {this.props.outlets.header}
        </div>
        }
        <div className="my-layout__body">
        {this.props.children}
        </div>
        {this.props.outlets.footer &&
        <div className="my-layout__footer">
          {this.props.outlets.footer}
        </div>
        }
      </div>
    );
  }
});

var MyApp = React.createClass({
  render: function() {
    return (
      <MyLayout>
        <h1 outlet="header">Title for the header</h1>
        <p>Content for the body of the component.</p>
        <div outlet="footer">
          <a href="#">Footer</a> |
          <a href="#">Links</a>
        </div>
      </MyLayout>
    );
  }
});