#514 – July 13, 2025
Growth from a simple UI library to a comprehensive framework
The history of React through code
36 minutes by Corbin Crutchley
Corbin explains how React's fundamental architecture decisions have enabled its growth from a simple UI library to a comprehensive framework. Key insights include how React's Virtual DOM enabled efficient rendering, how component composition principles have guided both UI elements and logic sharing, and how React's server components represent a natural evolution of its core philosophy.
Build seamless auth into your app
sponsored by Civic
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Understanding PDF.js layers and how to use them in React.js
21 minutes by Kittisak Ma
PDF files are everywhere but working with PDFs in a React.js project can be frustrating. You might run into clunky plugins, awkward iframes, or glitches that break the user experience. PDF.js gives you a powerful, open-source JavaScript library to display and interact with PDF files right in the browser.
How to create kinetic image animations with React-Three-Fiber
14 minutes by Dominik Fojcik
Dominik explains how to create kinetic motion designs with text and images using Canvas2D and React Three Fiber. He shows a technique for building a stacked cylinder animation that displays images in a rotating format.
4 untranslatable words behind Patreon’s internationalization overhaul
13 minutes by Val Booth
Patreon's frontend team completely overhauled their internationalization system in 2024, migrating 10,000 JavaScript call sites, switching translation vendors, and redesigning their workflow. The project reduced build times by a full minute, decreased bundle sizes by up to 50%, and simplified maintenance.
How to test React Server Component
2 minutes by Nico Prananta
Nico presents a hacky but functional method for testing React Server Components, addressing a gap not yet filled by the Next.js or React teams. He shares a code snippet from Steven Robert's gist that allows developers to render and test server components by evaluating async functions and processing their children.
How React engineers at Nubank and Ramp focus on UX (vs migrating class components and writing tests)
sponsored by Devin AI
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