<h1>The ‘Wrong Way’ To Use React</h1>
<p>Data fetching in React has always been a hot topic, with developers often debating the best approaches. Recently, the React community has been buzzing with discussions about the different data fetching patterns and their impacts on performance, especially focusing on the ‘fetch on render’ versus ‘render as you fetch’ strategies. In this post, we’ll dive into these patterns, highlighting misconceptions, exploring their benefits and drawbacks, and shedding light on the controversies surrounding React 19, Suspense, and related library changes.</p>
<h2>Fetch on Render: A Common Misconception</h2>
<p>The ‘fetch on render’ pattern is straightforward but often criticized for its inefficiency. In this approach, data fetching is initiated during the rendering phase. While simple to implement, it can lead to significant performance issues, especially as applications scale. Every time a component re-renders, it can trigger a new data fetch, leading to unnecessary network requests and consequent delays in the UI.</p>
<h3>Performance Problems</h3>
<p>The key issue with ‘fetch on render’ is that it ties data fetching to the rendering cycle. This means that until the data is fetched and available, the component cannot be fully rendered. This often results in a poor user experience, characterized by loading spinners and flickering content during data retrieval.</p>
<h2>Render as You Fetch: A More Efficient Alternative</h2>
<p>To mitigate the drawbacks of ‘fetch on render,’ the ‘render as you fetch’ pattern offers a more efficient approach. Here, data fetching starts as soon as possible, typically outside the render cycle. This pattern allows components to start rendering parts of their UI immediately, showing placeholders or fallback content while awaiting data.</p>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<p>The ‘render as you fetch’ strategy decouples data fetching from rendering, allowing more fine-grained control over what gets shown to the user and when. By initiating data fetches earlier, components can render sooner, often improving perceived performance and user experience. This approach also pairs well with React’s Suspense, which can elegantly handle async operations, further smoothing UI transitions.</p>
<h2>Recent Controversies and Changes</h2>
<p>The React community has recently seen some upheaval regarding data fetching and Suspense, particularly with the release of React 19. Changes in how Suspense handles async operations have impacted several popular libraries, such as React Query and React 3 Fiber. Developers have expressed concerns about these changes, debating their long-term effects on application architecture and library usage.</p>
<h3>Importance of Server-Side Rendering</h3>
<p>In discussions about React’s data fetching patterns, the significance of server-side rendering (SSR) often comes up. SSR can greatly enhance performance by ensuring that users receive fully rendered pages quickly. Coupled with efficient data fetching patterns, SSR can help create seamless, fast-loading applications, even for complex use cases.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Understanding the nuances of different data-fetching patterns in React is essential for building performant and user-friendly applications. While ‘fetch on render’ may seem simple, its inefficiencies can hinder scalability and user experience. The ‘render as you fetch’ approach offers a robust alternative, especially when combined with modern React features like Suspense and SSR. Staying informed about changes and community insights can help developers optimize their strategies, ensuring better performance and flexibility in their React applications.</p>


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Data fetching in React is a contentious topic, with 'fetch on render' often criticized for inefficiency and potential performance issues. An alternative, 'render as you fetch', decouples data fetching from rendering, allowing for improved performance and user experience. Recent discussions around React 19 and Suspense highlight the evolving strategies and community debates on optimizing React applications. Incorporating server-side rendering can further enhance performance in complex applications.

The 'Wrong Way' To Use React

<p>Good post idea, but it would be even better with more examples rather than just talking the idea itself :)</p>


<p>The best way using React is not using it.</p>


<p>The perfomance most have any factor, i think the problem not just how you fetching.  But also, how you manage component.</p>
<p>You can prevent re-rendering, when you can manage your component.</p>


<p>By fetch on render do you mean anytime component re-renders (i.e. use effect with no dependency array)?</p>
<p>Or anytime a specific state/prop changes (i.e. use effect with [query] dependency array).</p>
