React v18 for Application Development

Concurrent rendering, automatic batching, transitions, suspense, and new hooks are some of the reasons why, at Bitlogic, we're becoming bigger fans of this tool.

The latest version, React 18, brings updates that focus on performance improvements and rendering engine enhancements.

Here’s a breakdown of five key improvements and features that not only enhance the development process but also boost application performance and user experience.

Concurrent Rendering

React now supports concurrent rendering, preventing the app from freezing while loading. This not only improves the user experience but also enhances Core Web Vitals scores, which positively impacts SEO.

Automatic Batching

Automatic batching has been improved by grouping state changes in as many places as possible to avoid multiple re-renders, enhancing app performance. Previously, it only worked in event handlers, but now it extends to promises, setTimeouts, and callbacks.

Transitions

Transitions allow developers to differentiate between high-priority and low-priority updates. This ensures that obsolete states are not rendered while the user continues interacting, significantly improving the UX.

Suspense

Suspense is a new feature for lazy loading "slow" components, reducing load times and boosting both performance and user experience.

UseId

Lastly, React 18 introduced a new hook called useId, which generates unique IDs that are stable across both server and client. This helps prevent errors in Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and can improve accessibility, especially when reusing forms.

React 18’s new features lay the groundwork for future updates while improving overall user experience.