Solid.js

The React we never had

About

  • Linux commie, loves all things FOSS, loves the web (not 3).
  • A self-professed introvert that happens to run a bunch of meetups and conferences
  • Otherwise, your average benchmark nerd - gaming, D&D...
  • ...also, a holder of some controversial opinions about the art and craft of programming, apparently 😅

⚠️ Disclaimer ⚠️

This isn't meant to bash React - merely show a different way of thinking in a similar box.

 

FFS, not another JS library / framework 🤬

WTF is Solid.js?

A bit about (religious) persuasion

...and challenging dogma

Virtual DOM

  • is it fast?
  • is it really faster than the DOM?

https://krausest.github.io/js-framework-benchmark/2022/table_chrome_102.0.5005.61.html

https://krausest.github.io/js-framework-benchmark/2022/table_chrome_102.0.5005.61.html

(True) Reactivity

  • is React really reactive?
  • wth does "true reactivity" even mean?

🎣

...of course it is, it's in the name. But...

Component-level reactivity
(React)

  • The VDOM is reactive
    • diffs DOM trees on state change
    • triggers render as needed
  • Most React primitives (e.g. hooks)
    can be considered reactive - but in the context
    of a component.
  • In many ways, React is closer to MVVM
    than to true functional-reactive programming

"General" reactivity
(Solid)

  • Observer pattern - similar approach to MobX
    and Vue; Except it doesn't trade granularity for
    a VDOM 
  • "Top-level" reactive primitives
    • createSignal (~useState)
    • createMemo (~useMemo)
    • createEffect (~useEffect)

The elevator pitch

  • A React-inspired UI library
  • Uses JSX (or TSX)
  • Doesn't use the VDOM
  • Sticks to the platform-standard APIs
  • Is closer to "truer" reactivity than React
  • Some of the gnarly bits of React aren't there

So, how does that translate into DX?

DEMO TIME!

Bootstrapping a Solid app

npx degit solidjs/templates/ts my-app # or npx degit solidjs/templates/js my-app
cd my-app
npm i # or yarn or pnpm
npm run dev # or yarn or pnpm

Cons

  • The ecosystem is still pretty small (comparatively)

  • There are some gotchas coming from a React background

    • Render is more of a "constructor"

    • Props are proxy objects (so, destructuring props is a no-no)

    • Primitives can be used wherever - not constrained by a
      component

Recap

  • JSX + "top level" reactive primitives = Solid

  • The VDOM isn't necessarily the fastest thing ever

  • Solid renders (in full) only once

  • The ecosystem isn't too big, but it's getting there

  • I for one, consider it a step in the right direction

Thanks!

Questions?

* No tests were hurt in making this presentation *

Solid.js

By Darko Bozhinovski

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