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Why is React, a client side rendering framework, a popular choice for server side rendering? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by cyclohexane@lemmy.ml to c/programming@programming.dev

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React (and Vue, et al) was built with client side rendering in mind. It just does not seem to fit the server side rendering pattern.

What are the use cases? From my perspective, if your app is a rich web app with a lot of interactivity, you probably want CSR and don't benefit much from SSR.

If you have a content-centric site, or a site with some interactivity but not much, you want a static site generator, or SSR. But in that case, a template engine with some smaller client side libraries (jQuery or AlpineJS or idk what all is out there).

Using React SSR for all of these seems like the wrong tool. What am I missing?

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[–] kev_handle@beehaw.org 32 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I think you may be missing the concept of 'hydration'. A server side rendered app will deliver the pre rendered markup so that the client has something to immediately display while the framework continues to bootstrap in the background. It makes for much quicker and more efficient first loads, or 'time to first paint'. A SSR website will still be a CSR website after hydration completes.

In addition, many web crawlers are unable to execute JavaScript. So for many single page applications, or CSR as you call them, they appear as a blank screen to less sophisticated crawlers because the content is never loaded. This is an catastrophe for things like SEO. SSR fixes this issue by delivering the content without regard to JS execution for the initial load.

[–] cyclohexane@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If SEO matters beyond a couple landing pages, I find it unlikely that you would be developing a rich web app with that much reactivity. You are more likely content focused, in which case a static site generator or simpler SSR frameworks are easier and fit the use case much better. Even from a performance perspective, why ship the entire react run time if you do not need it?

And on the other hand, if you are developing a rich web app with a lot of interactivity, then do you really need SEO beyond a couple (or one) landing pages? You should develop the web app in React CSR and build the landing pages as static sites to optimize SEO. That is a lot easier to me.

[–] kev_handle@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

There are many scenarios you'd want seo and a csr. Let's say you want a media player. Tons of interactivity, and lots of content. A landing page isn't going to cut it.

But that's the beauty of a framework like nuxt or next - you don't have to choose. You can have your cake and eat it too so to speak.

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