They made React great again?

Summary

In a recent update that has taken the development community by surprise, the ReactJS team has introduced a game-changing compiler that promises to significantly enhance the developer experience. This new compiler, already in use at Meta for Instagram, is set to simplify coding, eliminate the need for cumbersome hooks like useMemo and useCallback, and introduce efficient features like server actions and improved handling of promises. Furthermore, the release of jQuery 4.0 marks a milestone, shedding outdated features and embracing ES modules. The video highlights how these advancements are blurring the lines between major JavaScript frameworks, suggesting a future where a unified framework could potentially end the ongoing framework wars.

Takeaways

• 😲 React has released a new compiler that will improve developer experience and performance, and simplify code writing.
• 🥳 The compiler will eliminate the need for hooks like useMemo and useCallback, which add complexity to React code.
• 😎 Other features being removed include forwardRef and server actions, which have been described as having a poor developer experience.
• 🤩 The compiler will allow React to handle data submission and optimistic updates more efficiently, similar to frameworks like Firebase.
• 🎉 jQuery has finally released version 4.0, which removes obsolete features, drops IE11 support, and migrates to ES modules.
• 🤔 React's new compiler will make its API more similar to other frameworks like Vue and Solid, which already have compilers.
• 😄 The use hook will replace useContext and allow promises and React context to be used inside loops and conditionals.
• 🤯 The video suggests that all major JavaScript frameworks are converging towards similar APIs and abstractions.
• 🤞 The video proposes that the community should decide on a single framework and build it into browsers to end the "framework wars".
• 🤑 React has intentionally added bad APIs in the past to look like "geniuses" when they remove them later.

Q & A

What is the big news about React according to the script?

The big news is that React is getting a compiler, which Meta is already using in production to power Instagram.

What are the benefits of React getting a compiler?

The compiler will simplify the code that developers write and likely bring solid performance improvements. It will eliminate the need for hooks like useMemo and useCallback.

What is the purpose of the useMemo hook in React?

The useMemo hook wraps a computation in a function that will only run when the state it depends on changes, preventing unnecessary recomputation every time a component re-renders.

Why do frameworks like Vue and Solid have simpler code compared to React?

Vue and Solid already have compilers that look at the code in advance and figure out where the reactivity is, allowing developers to write more simplified code.

What is the issue with React's forwardRef feature that the compiler will resolve?

The forwardRef feature currently creates a higher-order component when you need to expose a DOM node to a parent. With the compiler, the ref will become a prop, making it easier to access without wrapping another function.

What are server actions in React, and why are they controversial?

Server actions handle the data submission cycle from client to server and back again. Some have described the developer experience as being like PHP, but without the benefits.

How does React currently handle promises in client-side components?

React currently can't use async/await to fetch data directly in client-side components. Instead, developers use the useHook to resolve promises and handle loading and error states with Suspense and Error boundaries.

What change is coming to the Solid framework in version 5?

In Solid 5, the dollar sign syntax for computed values is being replaced with a rune (a special character).

What did jQuery recently announce after a decade of anticipation?

jQuery recently announced version 4.0, dropping support for Internet Explorer 11 and migrating to ES modules.

What is the speaker's opinion on the convergence of major JavaScript frameworks?

The speaker believes that all the major frameworks are starting to look identical, copying each other's abstractions and leading to nearly identical APIs. He suggests that it's time to decide on "the one true framework" and build it into the browser to end the "bloodshed."