Hello JavaScript Enthusiasts!
Welcome to a new edition of "This Week in JavaScript"!
Today, we've got highlights from the deprecation of Create React App, exciting updates from the React Native Summit, and why ES Modules are becoming the standard in JavaScript.
Plus, we’ll check out some of the newest developer tools too!
Create React App is Officially Deprecated
The React team has announced that Create React App (CRA), the starter for building React apps, is being deprecated. While CRA bundled everything a React dev needed, it has struggled to keep up with more advanced tools like Next.js and Remix.
Key Points:
- Next.js & Remix Are Better Alternatives: These frameworks offer advanced features like routing, data fetching, and code splitting, solving modern React app development challenges.
- Migration Guides Available: For those still using CRA, there are guides to help you migrate to frameworks like Next.js.
- No More Active Maintenance: CRA’s lack of maintainers signals its end as a viable tool for building new React apps.
React Native Contributor Summit Highlights
The React Native devs gathered for their annual Contributor Summit to discuss the future of the framework, extending the summit to two days to dive deeper into key discussions.
Here are the top takeaways:
- Frequent Releases: The community is pushing for more regular updates to ensure a smoother release cycle.
- What’s Next After the New Architecture: Discussions included web compatibility, third-party libraries, and improving documentation for easier adoption.
- Contributors Are Excited: This summit packed a punch with forward-looking plans for React Native development.
ESM is Now the Standard for New Projects
2025 has solidified ES Modules (ESM) as the default in the JavaScript ecosystem. More developers are advocating for ESM-only packages due to their simplicity and performance improvements.
Why Choose ESM:
- Better Performance: ESM simplifies dependencies and reduces package size, streamlining your projects.
- Easier Integration: Frameworks like Vite, Nuxt, and Astro treat ESM as a first-class citizen, making development easier.
- ESM-Only Is the Way Forward: The ecosystem has matured enough that maintaining both CJS and ESM formats no longer makes sense.
Vercel Fluid Compute
Introducing Fluid Compute – a revolutionary take on how web apps handle server resources. It strikes the perfect balance between traditional servers and serverless computing.
Here’s why Fluid Compute is exciting:
- Cost Efficiency: Save up to 85% by being billed only for the actual compute time used.
- No More Cold Starts: Mini-servers scale up instantly and handle post-response tasks seamlessly.
- Simple Setup: Fluid Compute integrates effortlessly with platforms like Vercel, and performance can be monitored in real-time.Chrome’s New moveBefore Method
Tools & Releases You Should Know About
Let’s take a quick look at the latest tools making waves in the JavaScript world this week!
- Pixi.js 8.8: The fastest HTML5 rendering engine got a major update! New features like enhanced text and SVG rendering, configurable AnimatedSprite props, and bug fixes make it ideal for building high-speed web graphics.
- Astro 5.3: Expect faster page rendering, improved session storage setup, and better control over Netlify bundling. API endpoints now handle HEAD requests automatically, streamlining server performance.
- Prettier 3.5: New formatting options for cleaner code! This release introduces objectWrap for improved object formatting and new TypeScript config file support.
- Electron 34.2.0: A new API to restore navigation history and multiple stability fixes make this release ideal for building smooth, desktop applications.
- Ohm: A powerful parsing toolkit for JavaScript and TypeScript, Ohm simplifies the creation of custom parsers, interpreters, and compilers. Its flexibility and ease of use make it great for everything from file parsing to IoT programming.
And that's it for the twenty-second issue of "This Week in JavaScript."
If you found these JavaScript updates useful, give this post an upvote to help others discover it. Don’t forget to share it with your fellow developers, and keep an eye out for more insights in the JavaScript world.
Until next time, keep coding and stay curious!